Baby's First Jabs

Baby had her first jabs today and surprising I was calm about the whole thing. At moment of impact, it's not the most pleasant experience to be holding down your child as it wriggles with pain and fear, but it your level of trauma eases with the amount of children you have. With my eldest, I think I had nervous stomach pains for days previous then spent 3 or 4 days racked with guilt after.

 So calmly, I entered the nurses room, to strangely be met with a health visitor? I think she is some special, multi-skilled, superhero of a health visitor who obviously has more capabilities than the mediocre normal ones. She greeted me without making eye contact and told me to sit in the plastic chair that stood lonely in the centre of the room. Standing directly over me she spoke of what was to happen in the following few minutes. She towered down, still avoiding eye contact and explained how Baby would receive two injections. The first to given in the right thigh, then I was to turn her around WITHOUT comforting her so her second thigh was exposed ready for the sequel jab. She told me, in a matter of fact tone, that it's pointless comforting the baby when she is going to feel the pain again.

My blood pressure started to rise.

Why this women felt she could decide whether or not my child could be hugged or reasurred at a time of distress, I have no idea? I can empathise it must be challenging trying to administer an injection if a mother is flapping about fussing over her child and that parent's (over) reactions can be influential but I had been a picture of serenity so far.

The trout (as I have later come to reference her) then checked on baby's current health. All is fine I confirmed, apart from a restless night due to to teething accompanied by a slight temp..."She is too early for teething!" she interrupted. I repeated with nods of confirmation that she was in fact teething and I could now see and feel a tooth coming thr..."She is too early for teething!" I looked up at her, towering above me as I was again interrupted, her eyes closed as she spoke. I possibly snarled.

The blood pressure crept up

Brave baby girl whimpered a little with the first jab and not to slow down the process, I spoke to her reassuringly as I turned her around, the second injection quickly following. She instructed me to stand and comfort her. Not particularly paying to much attention to the trout,I snuggled Baby into my chest and pulled her blanket around, slowly rocking but by all means, not going overboard. She again instructed me to stand and comfort my child. Could she not see that I was cuddling her closely, wrapping her safely within her fleecy shawl? For the third time she demanded I stand but this time explained her command. "If you stand, she knows it is all over." I think I possibly glared at her.

She smirked to ridicule my query, of how long to wait outside within the Doctors surgery, just in case of a reaction to the vaccine, which had always been the advice given when the big kids had their jabs.

I was told to leave and I didn't need telling twice. Practically sprinting, carrying my half stripped baby in my arms, struggling with my changing bag and a bundle of leaflets, wedged into baby's health "red book" record, I made it safely to the car park. Only to be stopped by the Trout shouting me. She had given me the incorrect record book. Breaching another baby's data protection and right to confidential medical information.

What another stunning experience at my increasingly crap new Doctor's surgery!