Excitement at the Doctor

Warning: This post contains content that not meant for those with a weak stomach.

Yesterday Taylor had her 18 mo. checkup with the pediatrician. Usually Daniel goes with me to Albany for these visits, but he was unable to get off of work this time since he was filling in for a co-worker who was on vacation. This is not the first time I have had to go without him, but usually I have someone else go with me if he can't go. This was only my second time going by myself. I wasn't as nervous about this visit since Taylor didn't have to get any shots, so I didn't expect her to be fussy on the drive home. I expected the visit to be a little less eventful as well. Boy could I ever have been more wrong!

Taylor had to have her finger pricked to have her iron checked in her blood (at least I think that is what they were checking). As soon as the nurse grabbed her hand Taylor started crying. She does not like band-aids, so as soon as she got the bandage on her finger Taylor pulled it right off. By this time I was taking her into the exam room. As soon as I realized the bandage was off her finger I noticed blood going everywhere. Blood was all over her hand and her leg. She had gotten it several places on my shirt and there was some on her face. I got another band-aid and was trying to use cotton balls to stop the bleeding, but I wasn't sure which finger the nurse had pricked. I was freaking out! I opened the door and cried out to the nurse, "Can I get some help in here!" She saw what was going on and immediately came in and we put Taylor's finger under cold water. That stopped the bleeding. She got some we paper towels to clean up the blood and I tried to console Taylor while I was cleaning her up. I am not nursing her anymore, so I tried to give her a sippy cup of water to help calm her, but that didn't work. She finally stopped crying and got interested in the books in the room. Finally the doctor came in. He is a very good doctor and has a very calming presence and is quite jolly, but for some reason Taylor is afraid of him. She did not like the stethescope. She cried the whole time he was examining her and tried to fight him off. I felt so bad. He said that all children 15 -18 months hate him and that by age 2 they start warming up. I wish I knew what I could do to make doctor visits less scary for her. I read her a book about going to the doctor before we went, but that doesn't seem to help. She even cried when they weighed her and checked her height. Other than all the crying and the bleeding Taylor's appointment went well and she was given a clean bill of health. Maybe her next visit when she is 2 won't be so bad.