Is It Okay to Take Your Baby to a Doctor's Appointment with You?

I try my best to bring someone with me that can sit in the waiting room, in the exam room or the car depending on the circumstances. If I have no one to bring with me I bring my babies along on my own I don't have a choice. I go to great lengths to schedule my apts so my husband or mother (or mother in law when she lived here) can come along.
And no, I never accepted just pump and have someone give a bottle. 3 children, all breastfed, never once did they get a bottle. The world needs to be more accommodating to breastfeeding mothers and babies!

When they are still in a carseat its easy as pie! Ususally. Its when they are mobile things get a little crazy. He might sleep a lot!

Yup, I do it all the time. If I don't HAVE to (i.e. husband is at home) I won't...but even though he was home the other day, I took my youngest to my depo appt. because she wouldn't go down for a nap and I knew she would want to be fed. Doctors understand!

I bring my kids EVERYWHERE with me. I rarely leave them with anyone. I have gone to the gyno, ob, er, grocery store, dentist, etc. I think there is no reason to have your child stay with someone else when you are breastfeeding and are able to take them with you. Come prepared with a few toys and snuggle items and paci and extra diapers/clothes and you are set! Bring a couple snacks for you too----Good luck! You can do it!

M

I've had to. I try to avoid it more for my own sanity, but you have to do what you have to do. Bring your baby.

I see no problem with it. I took my infant daughter with me pretty much everywhere except work.

I have brought mine to an OB/GYN appt. AND to a New Year's Eve dinner at a restaurant when he was 2 months old. I was lucky and had really good babies that just seemed to sleep when we were out.

It's really up to you. I can totally understand why you would not want to be away, especially since you are breastfeeding. I have seen many mothers with their babies at doctors appointments. I can't imagine a doctor saying, "No, you have a baby, go away!" I mean that with only fun spirits :) Take your baby with you and take care of yourself at the same time.

Yes, I've had to. I prefer not to, but sometimes you have no choice.

When my babies are small and exclusively nursing, and sometimes even when they're older, I take them where ever I go. While pregnant with #3, the two little ones would come with me to my OB visits. The babies go where I go.

I've had to. It wasn't fun, but I had to.

I have a Dr.'s appt. in the morning, for x-rays and a check up on my broken elbow and I am taking my youngest with me, she is 3.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

I bring mine with me!!

I always have. I just bring snacks and toys to entertain them.

Im a stay at home mom and currently pregnant and i take my 2 1/2 year old with me EVERY WHERE:) She is always with me. She goes to every ob apt. with me and any other doctors i have to go to. She even goes to the dentist with me. I have never heard of one doctor complain about it. I always take a coloring book and crayons with me though so she has something to do.

I do! For the same reasons. My son is 4 mos old and I also breastfeed. I take him where I need to go. Doesn't seem to be a problem. Of course, I don't have to deal with the train and going into a large city (I live in Missouri). Don't feel bad if you decide to leave him with a sitter for your convenience, doesn't make you a bad mommy. Do what's best, easiest, for you...what you feel good about.

Oh goodness I hope so! I usually end up dragging all three of mine everywhere I go! Mine are newly 5, newly 3 and 4 months old. I don't know where people find sitters that will come for short periods during the day..... Especially for last minute things (seems I always need a doctor for something acute).

My kids know the drill and behave well but man is it tough sometimes!

I say do what is easiest for you. The doctor will not mind at all if you bring your baby.

Check with your Dr office to see if it is OK to take your baby in with you. If not, consider taking a friend or relative with you. They would only need to "watch" the baby while you are in with the Dr. Offer to pay train fare, or have lunch after the appt.

Yes, of course. Babies are a part of life - where mom goes, they tend to go. I have not run across a doctor yet who minded. Recently my 5 year old was home from school with a cold on a day when I had a GYN appt. Awkward! They actually had a little room at the doctor's office with toys - she stayed in there happily playing during my exam. I was surprised how accommodating they were.

If the situation warranted, yes. At 4 months he could sit in the carrier or stroller during your exam. DD comes to the dentist with us and we pass her around the family or the receptionist plays with her during my exam. When she was smaller, she'd just sit in her carrier.

By all means take him. We ride the subway all the time. Kids are more resilient than you imagine. As for the doctors office, I wouldn't hesitate to take him to a dermatologist, its not like you are going to a GP with tons of sickies around.
breastfeeding shouldn't have to be an impediment. pump some, or give him a bottle of formula. one bottle isn't going to undo your breast feeding.

I have always taken my baby to the doctor with me, dentist too! My "baby" is almost 3 now and she still goes pretty much everywhere with me! I am "that mom" who always has her kid in tow, even when no one else does. If they want me, they get my girl too - it's just the way it is. Take your baby. :)

All the time. Why wouldn't it be ok? You do what you have to and what you think is right and works for you. Sometimes, when my husband can't watch my daughter, I have taken her to my GYN with me, even on days when he had to put his hands down there to check me out (I'm 9 months pregnant with our second). No big deal. don't worry what people think anyway. Do what you must.

We don't have grandparents that live near us and we have never gotten babysitters, so I have taken our kids with me to many appts. I am a SAHM and it is very difficult for my husband to ever take time off, even if he plans to something always comes up for him and he ends up going in to the office. Going to the gynecologist is tricky though, I usually do those appts. when the older two are in pre-k and school, then I just have our 2 year old with. I bring the small stroller and a snack...he sits fine and is too young to know what the doctor is doing "down there."

if you can manage it at all ... please leave baby at home. Your appointment will go faster and smoother because you are focused on your chat with your doctor instead of being distracted by babies needs. That being said it's also not a big deal for most doctors if you bring kiddos, especially ones still in a carseat/carrier.

let docs office know and take him

When my kids were not in school I took them with me everywhere, anytime I had a doctor's appointment they came with me.

I have, considering its flu season. I would not want my 4 month old on a train with so many people. I have co-workers sick all around me lately. With the flu or allergies. I would not take him.

From a medical standpoint, do not bring your baby with you. Find a daycare for a few hours, use your breast pump and save some bottle for him. It is very disruptive in the doctors office and you expose your baby to a multitude of other diseases that he would not normally be exposed to. Your doctor cannot concentrate on your specific needs if you are concentrating on your baby and not on why you are at the doctors office. If you have to take him, check with the doctors office first, then bring toys to keep him occupied. If your child was older and can walk, keep him out of the stuff in the exam room and keep him under control. Your doctor may not tell you if your child is misbehaving, but they should not have to.

I bring my babies, my older two son's (who are 5 and 8) and actually brought the little girl I nannied once or twice. I usually bring a DS,for the older boys, or books for them to look at while I am being looked at. I just took my baby with me to the surgeon (she was 3 months old) for my two week check up. Babies come with moms. Doctors should be used to it, especially if you are breastfeeding.
L.

Of course it's okay.

I brought my babies to OBGYN appts., and they sat on my tummy while I got my exam. I think it's okay.

I've taken my baby with me to numerous doctor's appointments. As long as you ask the doctor first and he/she is fine with it, it's okay. Most are very understanding.

My youngest is 4 yr an if I can't ge a sitter he goes with me. Neither my dentist or any of my doctors have ever had a problem with him being there.

I've taken my son to all my appt. It's never a problem and the staff is always great putting me in a room asap. I could never deal with worrying about leaving him when he could just sit with me at the appt anyway. There are tons of sahm moms like me who don't have childcare set up so the baby goes where you go. I think you should trust your instincts and you can't go wrong.

I've brought my 2 year old daughter to every one of my OB appts. this time around except for two...I have a nanny a couple days a week, but it's hard to get someone on the day that I schedule my doc appts. Totally understandable! But, I do have to say...if you can find a babysitter, then you will have the time to yourself to relax and read mags in the waiting room ;-)

He's only 4 months old & nursing, of course take him you!
What with train delays and waiting room times you could be gone for hours.
It's not like he's a crazy screaming toddler who's going to drive everyone around him crazy :)

I have done it since she was a newborn, she's now 2.
Now the dentist...ugh thats a bit harder...but my sis in law is the office manager luckily.
I just bring something to entertain her, but at 4 months it didn't take much, and if she were to start crying I had a bottle right there.
I also didn't have to deal with a train and all that...but I would do whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you try it this time and it doesn't go well you know next time you need a sitter.
Good Luck.