Need to Know What to Do with My One Year Old During Prenatal Visits! Plz Help

If you are not comfortable leaving him with a babysitter, you could bring a babysitter with you and just leave them in the waitingroom while you are being examened. Just a thought.

I used to work at an OB/GYN doctors office and we would often hold the babies or watch the toddler's while mom was in the exam room. If they know you well enough, they might help out. Call them and see what they say.

Congrats!

I have been bringing my 2 year old with me to my ob visits.. I bring my portable dvd player and a snack and that keeps her busy! Also you could try bringing a new toy or book to keep him occupied.. luckily the actual appointment isn't too long! Good luck

I have 3 kids I know exactly what ya mean I do have a husband as the other poster asked where is your husband well mine doesn't take off work at all unless it's delivering our baby or theres an emergency that leaves him completley out.I used an umbrella stoller for a while take what he likes feed him before you go take sippy cup of juice maybe a sucker to give him while in the exam room not before.Get the 1st appt of the day or after lunch your wait time is hardly any your in and out I do this with all of my appts or try to if not I do have papa and grangie watch my kids sometimes we just have to ask and it is hard to do as i'm writing this I have a few appts this month I need someone to care for my kids and make sure someone is here to get my son off the bus after school.

Your husband may need to take part of the day off when you need to go to the doctor. You may also need to find a good part time babysitter anyway but he can help until you find someone you trust.

see if his dad can take off early to watch him. you also do need to get to know a few people so you will have someone who can watch him once in awhile. luckly i live closer to my family and some of his.

as for when you have to take him bring along a toy that will keep his interest that is reserved just for doctor visits. such as an electronic book or something that he can push buttons on.

My oldest was 15 months too when we found out we were preg again and he was the SAME WAY as yours is. After trying taking him with me one time(it was HORRIBLE........getting into everything, climbing, screaming) , I just started asking friends to watch him or make my hubby take couple hours off work.

your gonna have to bite the bullet an trust someone. what will you do when you are ready to go to hospital to give birth? i would start looking around for help if no friends or family nearby. its what people do.

I was in the same boat last year w/ my daughter. I had to go see my OB & also a Highrisk OB EVERY month from the 2nd month! Hubby also has job w/ LONG inconvieniant hours SO I had to take her w/ me. First I made sure my OB was fine w/ fine w/ having izzy there & spoke to the high risk about my situation (no family close by...etc) & they too conceded & allowed me to bring her. It became a learning experience. I also hired a mother's helper for some appointments. She was a junior in high school! I now use her to go w/ me to the park or beach or mall, any doc appts & basically anywhere I want & need another set of eyes & hand! She was so great that soon she was in the room for ultra sounds! On the rare occasion that teen was unavailable due to not being able to get an afternoon appt I would bring a friend that my daughter was comfortable w/.Also had crayons and coloring book & loose leaf paper!
Congrats on the new baby & I hope I gave you some ideas!

Take him with. Seriously if your OB can't handle a 1 year old being in the room then maybe they are not the right one to have. I have taking my kids to my OB visits for all visits except my first pregnancy of course and have had no major issues with the visits. There is not much they can get into when you are at the visit. My current CNM always has stickers ready on the chairs for the kids when they walk in. She absolutely loves seeing them every visit. But anyhow I would give an apt or two a try before you think they will be complete failures! You might be surprised!

My thinking is that sooner or later you are going to have to hire a sitter. Rather than dismissing all prospective sitters as complete strangers, try taking the time now (before you've got a toddler AND a newborn on your hands) to really interview someone, thoroughly check references, etc. You might try calling a local preschool, or asking your local children's librarian, for a referral. I can actually even recommend someone in Highland Park who does drop-in day care -- just send me a message.

Good luck, and congratulations on your new little one,

M.

Take him! Shop around for a kid friendly ob/gyn or a midwife practice. I took my 18 month old to every appt. My theory is if the practice isn't kid friendly, they aren't the practice I want!

A lot of practices have kid friendly rooms. Bring a stethoscope for him to play with as you get checked out.

My midwife would give my son the measuring tape and the stethoscope to play with while he waited. he'd get his belly measured and he'd listen to his belly with the stethoscope!

Going to prenatals with you will also help the transition to new baby brother or sister. Also, watching mama get checked out by strangers can be scary, so the more you take him, the more he will be ready for you to be in a hospital or birth center or wherever you choose.

I am a huge fan of homebirths too, which are REALLY kid friendly! ;)

Good luck!

Wow it sounds you really need some support here girlfriend. I know the feeling of a rambunctious child. My 2 year old is the same - hates being restrained. I have to put him in the bed of the shopping cart also because he climbs out!! I have two older children (11 & 7) so its a bit easier to focus on the younger one, but still not easy. I would try to schedule your OB visits during nap time to see if you can get in the visit while he is sleeping. Your husband, despite his work schedule, really needs to step it up and help you out, especially with # 2 on the way. You cannot do this alone, with no one you trust nearby or any family to help you. Perhaps you can start now interviewing potential sitters and find one you trust to help at least in a pinch.
I'd also suggest joining local moms groups to meet other moms and find out what they do for childcare.
Best of luck with this!

Can daddy come to the visits? Then they can wait together while you're examined. If not, you're going to have to chose between putting him in the stroller or having someone watch him. Some cities have things like "adventure kids playcare" - drop in babysitting. Ask the Dr.'s office as well, maybe they know of someone or somewhere that could help.

Congratulations!

Hire a mommy's helper to go with you and play in the waiting room until your appointment is over. I use to have an 11-13 yr old (sometimes to young to babysit) come along to help keep the child busy while I needed to get things done. This way he's with you but you can still have private time with the doctor....P.S. This also works well when you need to get things done around the house!

I'd try and make stroller time fun on a day to day basis. Give him his favorite snack and take a stroll. Point out things on walks that he'll think are cool. The color of cars, dogs barking, birds flying, mailboxes, ants, etc...Do it as often as you can, like every single day. And don't let him out. He will soon get the message that being in the stroller is fun. Eventually you won't have the problem with him being restrained. And DO NOT GIVE IN! My daughter LOVES her stroller because I did this and every time we go somewhere (to the doctor or for me to get a haircut), everyone always says that she is so content & a happy kid! She is, but it's also because she loves her stroller. She used to even take naps in it every day! Even if we didn't go on a walk! =) She'll still sleep in it, but I haven't taken walks in a while because of a foot problem. And give him WHATEVER snack he wants when you're trying to get him used to it. Even CANDY! =D I always said I'd never bribe my kid with candy....until I had kids!! hahaa!
And don't do it for too long at first--10 minutes maybe to start, and work your way up. I really think it'll work~ You'll have to work at it, but it's SOOO worth it!!!!

If you do not have local family, then your husband may need to use some personal or vacation time. If he can't or won't do that, I would join a mom's group or playgroup and see if you can set up a babysitting swap with another mom. You also may need to get past your discomfort with using a babysitter. Your choice may be between deciding it's okay to use a sitter (see if there's a teen sitter who might go with you to the appointments) and having your son scream in the stroller while you are with the doctor. You cannot have your toddler loose, running around the exam room and your doctor would be well within his or her right to tell you that you must keep the baby restrained in a stroller. You may not like the options of a sitter or screaming in the stroller, but that may be what you're stuck with and sometimes that's how it needs to be. If your son would sleep in the stroller, try to make appointments for his naptime. When I was pregnant with my 2nd, my older one was 4 years old, so she could behave appropriately at the midwife's office, or I'd go during evening hours when my husband was home from work, or I'd leave work a little early and leave her at daycare the extra time. You need to work with the optons that YOU have.
Good luck!

It is our job as parents to teach our children things such as sitting in a stroller, etc. Stick to your guns girl. Take him for walks, take him shopping in the stroller and have a few toys that go along as well. Take him more outdoor places and public places so he can get used to the etiquette, hopefully that will work. You should really search in your area with your friends/neighbors for recommended sitters andtry that. That will benefit you so much, especially with a new baby on the way. You need to have someone you can trust and count on when you need childcare for whatever reason.

Where is your husband? Could he go with you and watch your son? They would not need to stay in the room the entire time, but this way he is watching your son and attending each appt. with you.

I understand you are worried about strangers watching your child. You could call a profession sitters service. Start interviewing them now. Go on a date with your husband a couple of times, so you and your son can get used to this sitter. Pick out a few that you like. If you find one.. Let this [person know ahead of time when your appts are planned so they can make your son their priority. It will reserve him their schedules.

Look around your neighborhood for people with their own children. Start getting to know them. Let your child play with theirs and see if you like their parenting style. You could start trading babysitting for each other.. You are not the only one worried about strangers, so are all of the other parents..

Or I always suggest calling your local church and asking if they have baby sitter lists. Also High school bands, drill teams and honor societies many time have baby sitter lists.. Get references. and check them.

I would try to contact child care centers and interview them. Take your son with you and see what he thinks of all the toys and kids. As posted by one, some doctor's offices do not allow children and you may be in that boat. Where is hubby in all of this? It is his child too and he can/could take time to get to know the one you have better while keeping up to date on the new one.

Many years ago I chose a day care center over a person to watch my child as that was in the day of "we don't want working moms in offices because ....," so this way they could not say I would not be there on time because of lack of sitter for the day. The center I chose had several in the town and you could drop them off at any one of them once registered at one.

Good luck on sitters and the upcoming birth. The other S.

I would seriously look into a daycare program that you could bring him to that would be willing to accomodate the schedule of appointments you will have. See if you could maybe make them for the same day each time because it will be kind of difficult to manuever if you can't pay attention to what the doctor is telling you and all. Or could you maybe find something that will pre-occupy him. Children don't always like a situation they are put in such as being put in the front of the shopping cart, the stroller, etc but for however much room you give him to decide, how are you going to swing it with two? I don't mean that as a jab, i just mean it as a reality check. My oldest was almost 6 when my youngest was born and it is hard enough to keep your eye on one let alone two. How do you plan on grocery shopping when you have the baby in a car carrier which usually fits on the cart end of the shopping cart if your son is used to always sitting there. Not that it was a rude awakening when my 2nd daughter was born, but it was and still can be an adjustment to my now 12 year old. Good luck!

Explain to him that you are the mom and that = boss. If you are letting him control you now at 1, just wait a few years! Prenatal visits aren't very long at all, like 5 minutes at the most. Bring his favorite book, toy, crayons, etc... Best of all, bribe him. Tell him if he's good and sits quietly while the doctor is in the room, then you'll stop for ice cream on the way home.

Maybe for each visit you can have something new to distract him during your exam, which should only take a few minutes with the doctor. Maybe a new stickers or he could play with something else or have a small snack ... something not messy but perhaps if you let him know that if he sits still in his stroller he can have a lollipop??

If crafts and toys don't work...portable DVD player. It was one of the toughest decisions for me, but has helped so much for a number of anxiety provoking situations with my daughter who hated the car seat, the stroller, sitting...now she can get some enjoyment, Word World and Curious George, and with limit setting is fine with me turning it off. I still get mommy guilt, but oh how my stress level has decreased!

maybe bribe him, say if you are good while mommy is at the drs and act like a big boy we will go for ice cream right after. have him sit in the chair in the room and play with toys, also some drs like having someone else there to help with children so there are not any mishaps while there and the dr can do what he/she needs to. maybe see if he is willing to get off early on the days of your app. to go with you or to watch your son.

My first one was the same way about being strapped down but somehow understood the seriousness of the Dr office. I would tell him he can play in the room and then in the stroller for a snack when Dr comes in. He got it. Also for some longer visits and procedures my husband would meet me at the OB office during his lunch break. He would meet me there with lunch for him and the little one if I could not get a sitter. And finally as most posters have said, it is probably time to look into joining a moms group to meet some friends (for you and your little ones) and look into finding a sitter.

my son is very active as well (2yo) and i am preg with #2, if its not a high risk pregnancy the visits are usually quick

i let my son walk around the room until the doctor comes in and then i usually give him something to play with, he is usually getting into something, but the Dr's understand, its not a long visit and its your 2nd pregnancy, so you prob dont have as many questions as your first one!

dont know how you feel about TV, but you can always bring along a mini DVD player

Dear I love my son, I am sure the girls that work in the doctor's office will watch your son for a little while. He may actually look forward to this some day. Try not to stress over this and it will work out. Grandma Mary PS Congratulations!

I've brought my now 3-year old son to countless doctor appointments for the last two years, first through infertility treatments and then through my high-risk pregnancy so far. It's very common to see moms with kids nowadays, some doctor's offices even have toys for the kids to play with.

I too have never hired a babysitter but do have the name of one recommended by good friends in case of an emergency - ask around, it's hard to get moms to share but sooner or later you might get one. You can also try www.sittercity.com - it's a good resource according to some moms (trial and error, not all sitters are great).

For those occasions when there was no way I could bring my child (such as acupuncture), I would schedule them while my son way in nursery school or on Saturdays, when my husband could look after him. Sometimes I would be able to schedule the first appointment in the morning during the week; we would take our son out all bundled up with his PJs, food, and toys, my hubby would come with me in a separate car and look after him, and then leave for work as soon as the appointment was over (around 8:30 - 9:00 am). If possible, have your husband talk with his supervisor, some can be very understanding about spouses wanting to be with their wives during pregnancy appointments. Other companies allow spouses to work from home part time.

When both my husband and I needed to be at the doctor's w/o the baby (for IVF retrievals or transfers) and I needed to be as calm as possible, then grandpa or grandma would look after him at home and in a pinch, I also had friends from my mom's groups who would be willing to look after him for a couple of hours. You can find these groups through your local chapter of MOMS Club (www.momsclub.org) or by joining a parenting support group (ask at your local hospital or your child's doctor) which often go from 0-18 yrs. Another option is to become friendly with your neighbors - ideally someone who also has a child you coan look after too so you can swap "babysitting favors".

As your child grows older, giving him little rewards for good behavior. I use little coupons (or ticket stubs sold at Staples) that he can exchange for toys or TV time.

I'm four months away from giving birth but know that I need to have a plan in place for when I go into labor, while I'm at the hospital and during the first week or two - bringing your child to the docs pales in comparison to that so start planning now to have all the help you can get, through close relatives that can stay with you, hiring a nanny, a doula (www.dona.org), a cleaning service, or the help of other mom friends. Many mom clubs have volunteers provide meals and help during this period. Leave your options open - get names, prices, etc. ahead of time- you'll be too tired to do research once the baby arrives.

Hi,

Bring your son into the exam room. Before you do this, bring in a stroller (preferrably a umbrella type-which is very small) and inform your child of the rules. At 15 months, they can understand rules, yoiu have already started to communicate hot/cold, they usually have at least a 20 works on board, so tell him he has to sit in the stroller and bring toys for him. If he refuses to stay, strap him in. Also tell him if he is good, you will give him a treat, if he is bad, no treat. The ability for a child to reason at this age is good and also they like to please people.

I used to bring my son to the gyn all the time and early on when he was about your age he would walk around looking at everything in the room, now @ age 5 he knows private parts, so he sits adjacent to me and listens to the Drs instructions to me.

Don't let your son rule the roost! You have another one on the way, he is going to need to learn some self discipline (sooner then later)...

good luck!

Updated

Hi,

Bring your son into the exam room. Before you do this, bring in a stroller (preferrably a umbrella type-which is very small) and inform your child of the rules. At 15 months, they can understand rules, yoiu have already started to communicate hot/cold, they usually have at least a 20 works on board, so tell him he has to sit in the stroller and bring toys for him. If he refuses to stay, strap him in. Also tell him if he is good, you will give him a treat, if he is bad, no treat. The ability for a child to reason at this age is good and also they like to please people.

I used to bring my son to the gyn all the time and early on when he was about your age he would walk around looking at everything in the room, now @ age 5 he knows private parts, so he sits adjacent to me and listens to the Drs instructions to me.

Don't let your son rule the roost! You have another one on the way, he is going to need to learn some self discipline (sooner then later)...

good luck!

My first 2 are 15 months apart and I took the oldest (7 months at the time) with me to every appt. When I was examined he sat on my chest facing my face and loved "helping" when the nurse took the heartbeat. You will be surprised how "well behaved" a child will be when you keep them busy in the office

Wow you are making yourself nuts over this. Trust me you are not the
first to walk into an obs office with a toddler. Since you do not have
friends and won't leave him with a babysitter, you will have to deal with
him. He will just have to sit in an umbrella stroller.

request an appt at less busy time and they will understand Also you wont
have internals till the end just listening for fetal heart beat and pressure.
relax and enjoy it

I have heard of drop-in care places that are available for these types of things. They are daycares and must be inspected and hire certified staff, so you could check to see if there are any of these drop-in centers in your area, interview, spend some time there, research and find something that is comfortable for you and your son. This way you can drop him off for the visits and he'll be able to "run free" while you get the care and focus that you need. If this doesn't suit you, then you can have the father take care of the child or go to a babysitting service and start interviewing like someone else suggested. I don't live near family and just moved away from the friends that I did trust with my daughter, it is hard, but you have to start somewhere and you have to be able to find someone you can trust with your child because you can't possibly be there every moment of every day. There are emergencies and other issues that occur and it will be good for you and him to have a go to person, center, or plan in order to handle issues that arise when care is needed.

Also wanted to add- Some dr. offices will not allow children to attend visits so even though you may want to take him with you, he may not be able to make the trip. My dr. office will not allow children past to waiting area, so you may also want to check and see what their policy is.

What do you do with him when you have other appointments like haircuts or other doctor appointments? I know you say you don't trust anyone else to watch him, but perhaps this is the time to get used to having a sitter watch him for an hour or two because when the second baby comes, you may not be able to be with your son 24-7 and also, bringing two kids to appointments in the future may not be workable.
For now, though, bring the baby to the OB. I've seen infants at my OB/GYN's office in carriers. I don't typically see older kids, but I can't imagine the doctor would prohibit your son. Probably a receptionist could watch him for a minute or two.

Hi,
I was (and still am sometimes) in a similar situation. My daughter was a little older when I was going for OB visits but I would bring books, pens & paper, or crayons and draw on the table paper, I even downloaded games that she could play on my iPhone. I may have looked silly bringing this stuff in but let me tell you it worked! Your son is younger but is there any toy that you could bring that would keep him occupied for the 5-10 minutes you're being examined? The rest of the time (you know the 20 minutes you're in that little paper gown waiting for someone to come in) you could be singing to him, an eye spy scavenger hunt doing silly dances, etc.

Best of luck!
Kristal