The other day was Elie's 6 month birthday. We celebrated by singing him happy birthday and then by taking him to the doctor for his check up. He received his immunizations and I got the flu! The doctors office was full of coughing, vomitting, sick children and I was so worried about Elie that I made sure to cover his face, wash his hands and turn him away from those hacking children BUT I forgot all about me. Ever since Friday when we came home from the doctors' office I have been achy, sniffly and carrying a high fever (101 degrees) Now that it is Sunday morning and I was lucky enough to sleep the whole day yesterday I am finally feeling a bit better.
Now my question is, how does one avoid getting sick when going to the doctors' office? I have been hearing of many cases recently when children go to the office for a check up and end up getting sick because they were exposed to some disease(flu, whooping cough, chicken pox etc) in the waiting room. Should there be 2 seperate waiting rooms? One for sick people and one for healthy? or perhaps the office should only book checkups on Mondays (or one designated day) and take sick people during other days of the week. It just doesn't seem fair or right that my beautiful healthy baby had to be exposed to germs and disease while waiting to see the doctor. It is just lucky that I got sick and not him!
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Well, by breastfeeding you are certaily doing soemthing!!! I can honestly say Zoë was never sick the whole first year of her life (she nursed way longer, but after that nursed much less, and was in DC where nothing could save her!).
ReplyDeleteI got some awful flus, colds and stomach bugs...and she never caught them from me or wherever I got them! The worst she ever got was a runny nose, and those were always when she was teething...
As for the doctor's office, I think 2 waiting rooms is a good idea, and that is what I know they do in the US at a lot of ped offices...however I am not sure that it is feasable due to space and money. Perhaps at least they could have a sick side and check-up side though?
Having a designated check-up day sounds like a good idea, until your baby is the one who is sick and the doctor's office is saying he cannot come until tomorrow. Then, you would rue the schedule!
I hate doctors offices, and am pretty careful about when I take Zoë, and when I go for myself. I also always brings our own toys and books for Zoë, so she doesn't have to touch the ones there.
Glad you are feeling better, being sick sucks! You may have gotten sick regardless of the doctors office, a lot of viruses seem to be going around these days!!!
Hey Dina,
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon. I agree with you about going to the doctors, I also take Nathanial toys so he doesn't touch the toys at the doctors office, If we wait longer than 20 minutes I go into the hallway and wait so that he is not around so many sick kids.
I like your idea about the 2 waiting room ideas, only problem is how would they inforce it?
i know the 2 waiting room idea isn't really feasable and a designated day isn't great eithe but perhaps having a designated time for checkups-like from 8-9 or 4-5 pm, before or after all the sick patients come. I know that in some places (like in Israel for example) they do it that way, if you are coming for a check up you have to come first thing in the morning, then all the other patients come later.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the immunity he has built up from breast feeding- another major bonus!!
Yeah, if it was a few hours in the afternoon or morning, that would be cool. Afternoon would make sense, so the sick kids could be seen early in the day (once ear infections start, a few hours on antibiotics make a big difference).
ReplyDeleteBF is certianly not no fail, but it does help. It was amazing to me how many illnesses I got that Zoë didn't when she was still bf...especially since she never took a bottle so she was even bf when I was sick...in my arms 8 or so times a day!!!