Taking toddler to booking appointment...

[Rosedust]

So I've got my booking appointment in a couple of weeks. We haven't told anyone about my pregnancy yet and DH is at work on the appointment day, so shall I take DS with me? He is nearly 3 and listens to everything!

Have any of you taken other children to these appointments?

I could ask my closest friend to look after him that morning - but I'd have to tell her why. I was going to tell her soon anyway, so shall i just bite the bullet? What do you think?

[Clargo55]

Could you just tell your friend it is for a doctors appointment? Is she really likely to ask what it's for?

[weebairn]

I've taken toddler (20 months) to midwife appointments but not the booking in one because it was long and I thought she'd kick off and get bored.
The other appointments have been fine, they have some toys in the room, but they are short. I didn't take her to the scans either.
I agree you could just tell your friend you had a doctors appointment; but I also don't see anything wrong with telling your close friend at this point if you want to!

[Rosedust]

Thanks for the replies

I could just tell her that it is a doctors appointment - although she'd probably guess!

The appointment is at our sure start centre so there are lots of toys. I just think he'll listen in to the conversation too much and then be asking lots of questions - or telling other people about it!

She was going to be the first person I told anyway, so I think I'll just tell her a bit earlier than I was planning to...

[RoseberryTopping]

I did it with DS (nearly 4) and he didn't cotton on at all, just thought we were at the doctors. I made sure I had new games on my phone and food to distract him with.

[Edenviolet]

When i was expecting ds1 I took dd1 (4 at the time) with me to my booking appt,we were there for over three hours, it was very busy and she was grumpy for the first 2.5 hours then a bit hot then I noticed a small spot on her forehead. Got home later and undressed her for her bath and she was covered in chickenpox spots! I felt awful had to phone the ante natal clinic to tell them and apologise.

[MrsCouchman]

My son who's nearly 3 came to booking in app, he played a game on my phone and was more than happy! Only thing he noticed was when they did my bloods other than that played happily xxx

[Rosedust]

That's good to know Madrigals and RoseberryTopping - I suppose a lot of the questions at the appointment are about me rather than talking about the baby.

Poor DD Hedgehog80, my DS hasn't had chickenpox yet - so I'm just waiting for the mass spot discovery!

[NoNamesNancy]

I was going to say, will he be OK about you getting bloods done? One of my sons got really upset watching me get bloods done (for a different reason) cue lots of shouting ("don't hurt my mummy!") etc. I was being completely calm, but he just hated it and has since been a bit phobic of doctors etc.

[Rosedust]

That's a good point NoNamesNancy! Do they always take bloods - I don't remember them doing it last time?

He might be a bit funny about that - probably more interested then protective though!

[Alita7]

unless it's easy to drop him at a friends, tell him you're going to see a nurse, take a very distracting toy and ring ahead and ask the midwife not to directly mention a baby or pregnancy.

[Rosedust]

That's a good idea Alita7

[weebairn]

My DD hates the midwife listening to the baby, but she is only one and a half! The rest of the appointments she is fine.

[Dizzywhore]

I take my DD to all my appointments. She's always been fine. I give her a book or my phone and she's happy. When she started to understand more about the baby I tried to get her involved. Listening to her baby's heart beat etc.

[beccajoh]

I wouldn't have taken my daughter to the booking appointment, although she was much younger - Only 9 months when I fell pregnant. I did take her to most of the routine check ups but it was a bit fraught!

[CarCiKoTab]

I've taken all my children to all my appointments, scans etc except my eldest who is at school, my partner works so no one to look after them. Take a few nibbles and a colouring book or something along them lines to keep him entertained.

[Tweetinat]

I took 4.5 yo DS to my booking in appointment and he didn't work out what it was about and he listens to everything! I didn't have bloods taken at that appointment btw so you may not either. As ut happens I did take him when bloods were taken later on and he was fine - he's scared of needles (previous accidents on his part), so we just used it to show him it's nothing to be scared of talked about blood and what it does in body etc. Worked well and he was more interested in asking loads of questions rather than working out why I needed blood taking.