Why Your Pediatrician Finds You Annoying

Oh no! Junior just sneezed, where’s your phone? You must immediately call the pediatrician and make an emergency appointment to diagnose his illness (though you have your suspicions that it is probably bird flu or the measles; the internet told you so). While your intentions are good, your pediatrician probably finds you irritating. In fact, many people probably find you irritating. In fact, I find you irritating. I only call the pediatrician when my kids absolutely need it; to the point that my pediatrician sees us for scheduled check-ups and sometimes nothing else for the entire year. I’m not negligent; I just listen to my kids’ doctor when he tells me what I should and should not call him about. His most valuable piece of advice is to listen to my mother’s intuition. Doctors weigh in on parents who overreact, telling them that it’s time to chill out and relax.

The Common Cold

Doctors now spend more time telling parents that their kids are okay than they do writing prescriptions to treat actual illness. The information available on the internet is a major culprit. When a kid coughs, mom and dad tend to bring them to the doctor to find out whether or not their kids have an ear infection or strep throat. The big issue doctors have with this is that these kids have no other symptoms. They are running no fever, they have no sore throat and they are fine. Parents need to stop overreacting and calm down. The common cold is called common for a reason.

Breast-Feeding

New moms are always in a panic wondering if junior is eating enough. Doctors see so many new moms who are convinced their children are not getting adequate nutrition through breast-feeding that they have a list of conditions to look for. If you want to know what to look for regarding your child’s eating habits, call the doctor for a list and take a good, close look at it.

Fever

Yes, a fever is a concern. However, when junior’s temp is less than 101 and it cools after giving the child medication, there is no reason to call the doctor. In fact, unless a child has a temperature of more than 103 or a high fever that lasts more than 24 hours without breaking, the doctor isn’t needed.

Of course, if you think there is something wrong with your child there is nothing wrong with calling the doctor. Alleviating your fears and protecting your child is of utmost importance, which is why it is always best to do what you feel comfortable doing. However, speak to your doctor about when you should call so that the next time junior coughs you can take the appropriate course of action.