SATB2 Pediatrician Visit

Not sure why it is that I have a huge team of specialists for Chelsea, but still have to see a regular pediatrician for her well-child checkup each year, but I do. Around her birthday each year, I take her in for any immunizations and to get measured. 

I like our pediatrician! I feel like she really listens to my concerns, she researches Chelsea's conditions (a rare quality that I love!), and she is willing to fill out any and all forms I bring in. 

When going to the doctor's office, I usually pack a bag of activities and books to bring to entertain the kids. Sometimes the doctor gets us right in, and other times it can be a long wait. 

Some of our favorite books to bring are books related to doctors! Berenstain Bears Go To The Doctor, Germs Make Me Sick, all sorts of good ones!

I also bring Chelsea's Master Binder and our family medical binder. It cracks me up that I can fit all of the rest of our family's medical files into a single, half-inch binder, and for Chelsea's files, I have a cumulative 22 inches worth of binders, all packed full of papers!

When we first got to the doctor's office, Chelsea was just as happy as could be. We signed in, looked at books, played a couple games, and got taken back to be measured. That is when the difficulty started!

Weighing Chelsea was no problem. She stepped onto the scale, no issues. Then came the height. She refused to stand still, so the nurse couldn't get an accurate height. They had to lay her down on the table.

They were also unable to get a reading for her blood oxygen level and blood pressure. She completely freaked out about the arm cuff- no results, and we attempted the finger oxygen reader, but by then she was hyperventilating and thrashing around. So they said it was okay; they don't really need it. Which then made me think- so why am I here???  

Normally, Chelsea does well when her brother is there and goes first, which is why I usually schedule their well-child checkups at the same time. She watches him go through everything, then is calm when it is her turn. But with Chelsea, it is a constant guessing game as to what she will do next! Plus, it was getting close to the end of the day, and they were both grumpy.

The doctor was a whiz at listening to Chelsea's lungs and sneaking peeks into her ears in the middle of a meltdown. 

Overall, it wasn't fun. I don't love taking Chelsea to the pediatrician, and being 9 months pregnant, it was even more difficult than normal. But we survived! So to anyone taking their special needs kiddo to the doctor, may the force be with you!!!