Baby at a coil fitting appointment

I took mine. Single mum no other options

Exactly - I know views vary on this but I’m very glad that in my day you could go back on the pill. There’s no way I would ever have had a coil fitted. Sounds painful and you’ve got no control over it.

Sorry - no help to you in the childcare question!! I’m just wondering why so many women are having this.

A smear test isn't in the same league as a coil fitting

I took mine to a smear test. Was fine.

It’s a straightforward procedure but it takes time and concentration and for you to be relaxed. That’s all fine if baby is asleep in her pram but if she’s crying or needing entertainment then she will be distracting for both you and the GP. There are also practical issues like the size of the room and whether a buggy can comfortably fit in without causing a problem.

Smears, implants and breast exams are all quicker, less technical procedures and would be less of an issue.

Good luck OP, I am on my third and final Mirena, I have had to easy, natural labours, but coil fittings, have all been very painful for me, I think perhaps due to the slope of my uterus perhaps, I also have had cervical shock on the only on second Mirena fitting, I wouldn’t have wanted my DS’s with me, but if you don’t have any other options, today, if the surgery allows it go ahead or rebook the appoint. I have had many friends that have been fine with the coil fitting, no pain. Hopefully that will be your experience. But I would take some painkillers before the appt just in case.

I've had my baby at my smear and my husband had to take both of ours (2 under 2) to his testicle ultrasound!! No issue at all from the doctors, just hypnotised them with a screen and apologised for the lack of childcare. He works shifts and I work in education so not as easy as just take the morning off and if you get offered an appointment around here you definitely take it!

I also don't mean this to sound prying but if you're having a coil fitted and it's for contraception (I know it's not always) but could your sexual partner not watch your child for the 30 mins it takes?

Yes I have had 3. 2 absolutely fine 3rd traumatic

This is exactly what happened to me. My young son was a welcome distraction and I think I would've gone to pieces if I hadn't had him with me. I had no choice but to take him, as my entire immediate family were on holiday andy husband was working away.

This is what happened to me. Wasn't at all painful during the procedure but my blood pressure bottomed out and I passed out in the car on the way home. Fortunately I'd brought DH with me and he was driving.

unlikely to be painful for you if you have birth vaginally

I personally wouldn’t, because I’ve had 3 friends talk to me about how incredibly painful it is. 1 had to go and lie down in the surgery for 30 mins afterwards.

But agree it’s best to ring.

My Kids have come into appointments for my coil fitting with me and also smears. This is at my GP practice and there has never been an issue, lately my oldest was with me for my annual smear. She sat behind the curtain chatting away to me and the nurse ☺️

I usually take my dd to me to GP appointments where I'm sitting down and usually just chatting, and blood tests, but not to anything like a dentist or coil fitting where I can't get to her immediately, in case she gets upset and my dentist is in the middle of a longer procedure etc. I think with a coil fitting I wouldn't see that as essential or urgent, as you can use condoms until you can sort out a better time for childcare. At our clinic they definitely specified that they wouldn't allow children to attend unless there was another adult to care for them (in which case that adult could look after them and there would be no need to bring them at all).

It wouldn’t be much better but still better I’m sure than having to care for children alone, immediately after hearing that news.

It seems different places have different rules though.

I think that would be horrible. But I'm not sure going home on the bus alone would be much better. And I can't imagine denying a woman any routine ultrasounds because she can't get childcare and you don't allow children - so it seems to me they must make exceptions.

Does anyone know what makes ultrasound techs specially sensitive?

Can you imagine giving a woman the worst possible news and then expecting her to go home on the bus with her kids?

I expect it's something like that.

Maybe in case of bad news. I've gone for a routine ultrasound to be told there was no heartbeat.
On the other hand I have taken babies/toddlers to other appointments including a non pregnancy ultrasound, coil fittings/removals and smear tests without any issues.

I've taken babies and toddlers everywhere, dentist, smears, midwife appointments, antenatal monitoring, emergency ultrasound, every doctor's appointment - what else are you supposed to do with them?! No ones ever complained - except the last time I was at the dentist being fitted for a bridge and baby screamed almost the whole time because toddler ate her snack. They said at the end 'maybe try not to bring the kids next time if you can help it' and I was like...d'ya think?! I didn't bring them because I thought it'd be fun for them!

DD used to sit on my lap while I was at the dentist or having my smear and definitely for blood tests, no one ever said anything. The only one that stumped me was the routine pregnancy ultrasounds. They are uber strict about no children. Why? When I asked in my last one (just in an inquiring way, I wasn't challenging), he got uber defensive ('its always been the rule!' 'I know, why?') And just said because it's a medical procedure. I know it is. But why is it different to a breast exam, a smear, all the other medical procedures my children have accompanied me to?
It hasn't been a problem for me because I've had DH to watch the kids and luckily my scans haven't contained terrible news. But I always wonder how they can get away with being so rigid when some women don't have any options for childcare.
Does anyone know what makes ultrasound techs specially sensitive?

Your baby would be completely welcome at my large GP surgery.

I actually think it may be a nice distraction from what is sometimes uncomfortable for some.

Good luck!

I brought mine who was 6 months. It was allowed.

Such a mix of responses. I hope you can still go. For what it's worth I had my smear test with a four month old lying on top of me. Probably not really meant to allow that but they did. Had a routine blood test and the whole hospital got to hear how loud dd could be as they insisted she not be held by me in case I fainted (I'm not squeamish but I get they have rules).

Op I would be disgusted if the practice have an issue with this if you're happy to have him there in the buggy. To the person who thinks the practitioner will be distracted - we are a bit more professional than that! The op should not have to miss out on this important appointment!

Wow wouldn’t occur to me not to tbh. I took DS to my women’s physio which involves someone else’s fingers inside you way longer than a coil fitting 😂😂 yikes, major faux pas perhaps. But I took him multiple times and obviously never picked up on any negative vibes! Rather go to the appointment with child than neglect your health (contraception) due to no childcare.