A quick rant about the healthcare profession and in particular those who specifically deal with babies...
Over the last few months I have taken Maya to the GP on several occasions. Each time it has been for a valid reason yet I feel that I am wasting their time and/or being fobbed off. The fact that Maya is always smiling throughout each consultation doesn't help! However at the same time I am not going to let them keep us away from the surgery if we really need to be there.
Back in autumn when Maya had diarrhoea the GP helpfully told me not to give her any milk for a couple of days. She was three months old. Obviously I ignored his advice and she got better herself a few days later.
Another GP said to water down formula feeds - something the formula box categorically states not to. Who should I believe?
Over Christmas when Maya had bronchiolitus we saw 4 different healthcare professionals. One said she had a chest infection, another said she had a mild case but wouldn't be affected by it, our third person said to take her straight to hospital! On this occasion all of the conflicting advice wasted lots of our time, made us worried sick all over Christmas and made Maya take medication that she didn't need, hated taking and actually gave her diarrhoea!
Regularly I speak to healthcare assistants at the weigh-in clinic. I don't think they have ever answered one of my questions properly, and more recently they have just made me angry. Surely if they deal with babies and their parents on a daily basis they should be able to give me some simple advice about weaning and reducing milk feeds? They couldn't. How some of these people come to be in this role is astounding. Over the last few months I have encountered many mothers who desperately need help and advice - and they rely on these often unhelpful people, who also don't listen. I was told a few weeks ago that Maya should only be on 15fl oz of milk a day - she was six months old at the time and had just started weaning. All babies need between 18-21 fl oz a day between 6-12 months. I know this - surely they should too! Yet she couldn't tell me how to reduce the feeds. They also have no helpful advice for getting water into babies who won't drink it - apparently water is unimportant! And this weeks patronising talk about administering eye drops was very annoying - she just wouldn't accept that Maya won't let me do them.
I guess I am lucky to be in the position where I read a lot, have lots of friends who can offer advice and have common sense. I am starting to have a bit more confidence in my own judgements and having to rely less on these judgemental and uninformed idiots. And when I do need advice I know that I can get it from the lovely staff at the Ormiston Centre - who are actually really helpful.
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