You might be stressed about being a first-time parent and how to take care of your baby. No parenting manual will tell you exactly what to do. Also, the advice that you get from people around you will confuse you rather than helping you. You will get even more stressed when your child gets sick.
Your child will not be able to explain what is going on with him or her and will probably keep you awake all night. This is where the pediatric doctor will be able to offer you relief and calm your fears. But to help your child, you and your pediatric doctor need to have open communication and maintain it.
Here are some of the top tips to help you communicate effectively with your pediatric doctor and build a strong relationship that will help your child.
Do your research while waiting for the appointment
If your child is sick and you have already set up an appointment, it might be a good time to do some research. You can look for symptoms and the possible treatments with a quick search on the internet. When you have a specific idea about the possible signs and procedures, you will be able to make better decisions. Not jumping to a conclusion is essential before you talk to the doctor.
Know When is the Right Time to call the Pediatric Doctor
If your pediatric doctor receives phone calls, it can be convenient for you in case your child is not well. You can relate the symptoms on the phone, and the doctor can tell you if you need to bring your child to the clinic or prescribe medications on the phone. But, often, many parents end up overdoing it.
Even though you would want the best care for your child, you need to know when the right time to call the doctor is and whether you can handle it on your own by waiting it out. For normal conditions, the pediatrician should be able to provide advice on the phone. But he or she recommends you to bring your child in for a checkup; you should do not immediately.
Provide All the Information You can Honestly
You must be able to provide all the necessary and unnecessary information about your child so that the doctor can diagnose the problem correctly. If you think information applies to the situation, you should provide it to your doctor. Any unusual behavior should be provided to the doctor and mention the reason why it concerns you. Even if you feel that it is irrelevant, there is nothing wrong with bringing it up if it has been bothering you.
If the doctor asks you any questions, you need to be honest about it. Many parents lie because they feel that the doctor will think that they are bad parents. You need to know that your child’s health is at stake. If you do not understand a question correctly, do not be afraid to ask the doctor to repeat it.
Ask Questions and Learn about Alternative Treatments
Many parents do not feel the need to ask questions to their pediatric doctor. There is nothing to feel embarrassed about asking a question if it will have an impact on your child’s health. Always be clear about the medications being prescribed, the side effects, and identify if the medication is not working. Your next course of action needs to be clear in case the medicine does not work.
If the pediatric doctor has prescribed a specific medication, ask them if there will be any side effects. If you are not comfortable with the side effects, you can always ask them if any alternative treatment is available. There are still alternatives to medications, so ask the doctor about your options. It might also be a good idea to have a notepad with you so that you can note down the explanation and the advice offered by the doctor. It will ensure that you do not miss out on any critical information.
You should not be afraid to provide your feedback to the pediatric doctor about your visit to his or her clinic. Whether it is an enjoyable experience or a bad one, you should always let the doctor know. A good doctor will want to ensure that your needs are met and would not want to compromise with the quality of his service to his patients. So, do not be afraid to let your opinion known politely and respectfully.
