to want to take my pushchair into my doctors surgery?

[gillquil]

my g.p surgery has just banned pushchairs, I've them a letter that follows, is this the norm? or should I just change our G.P.?

Hello,

I would like to make a complaint about the forthcoming ban on pushchairs in the surgery from the first of April. I am a mother of three, my eldest child has just turned four and we have a double pushchair which we normally use for our two youngest. My youngest child has just turned one, and as is typical for his age, he wants to crawl and climb all the time, he definitely doesn?t want to sit on my lap while I wait, he will however normally wait happily in his pushchair, or sleep in it while we wait or during our appointments. My two year old daughter just wants to run around.

If I am unable to bring my pushchair into the surgery I am going to have to let my son crawl over the floor in the surgery which I can?t imagine being the most hygienic thing to do. Or when he is asleep I will have to wake him, and what if both he and his sister are sleeping? do I really want to wait for my appointment struggling with a sobbing two year old daughter and a crying one year old son, my handbag, and changing bag on the floor or on the seat next to me. All of which, toddler, and baby and baggage have to then be carried into the appointment. I would also like to know what is suggested for mothers who need for example to have their young child with them during say a smear test? Should I leave him to crawl around the floor in the surgery during this?

Parents that I know often rely on being able to entertain a young child or children in a pushchair so that they can speak to their G.P. or nurse for a few minutes uninterrupted. Or the child sleeps on through their appointment and waiting time, and the parent can have a proper conversation or treatment.
I don?t have the option of arranging childcare for the times when I need to come to the surgery, especially as we normally ring at 8 a.m to see what appointment we can get if any for that morning.

I asked about the security of the area that has been designated for pushchairs to be left. As far as the lady I spoke to knew, there is none, it seems that the surgery is relying on the area being ?out of sight.? I disagree anyone walking past will be able to see a row of unsecured pushchairs. Pushchairs cost as I am sure you know an enormous amount of money. We live close by and two of my neighbours have had pushchairs stolen from outside their own front doors in the last six months, and we had a child?s scooter taken ourselves. It was suggested also that I buy a bicycle style lock for our chair, but I can?t see what I would secure it to.

While I can see the need for some sort solution to the congestion in the waiting room, as a result of parents and children who are patients at XXX Surgery using pushchairs, I don?t feel that just telling people their only option is to leave their pushchairs outside, in an unsecured area, and carry in their child or children and changing bags, handbags and who knows even their shopping, is acceptable. In fact I think it?s discriminatory. I have spoken to several mothers today who are patients at XXX, as are their children, and they all agree, and have said they will be putting forward their comments also.

I look forward to your reply and hope that XXX can be a bit more creative in finding a solution that doesn?t leave patients feeling unwelcome.

and to be honest if someone asks for one then the person who is doing the proceedure will not want to do the proceedure alone with that patient anyway, they'll want a witness for their own sake

brdgrl - how would having a buggy have helped you in that instance?

turniphead,
my post was in direct reply to the posters who said it was not necessary to carry multiple changes of clothing. My point there was that often one is attending a surgery precisely because a child is ill and extra changes of clothing are hardly 'over packing'. ( Of course, my reflux-ridden nephew required changes of clothing throughout the day on a good day!)

However, it is worth pointing out that I would have needed a buggy on that occasion if I had another child. I did not need one on that occasion for DD as she was too ill to move, but I did have to hold her, and so had no hands free.

So the answer is

Be of sound health
Be of sound mind
Do not have children too close together
Do not have twins
Buy a travel system even if you do not need one
Have a baby that doesn't shit very often and never does explosive poos or vomits
Live very near to the doctor's surgery
Use one where there are HCPs available to help with your children while you do stuff
Use one that does not mind babies being rested on the floor while you eg have a smear
Have a husband

Now we are getting somewhere!

But even if you have a chaperone they don't have to hold your baby for you cremeeggs!!!

right well while it is common to have one or two problems on that list, it is rare to have them all at once. So while the average parent may have to find a solution to one or two of these issues, not many people are unlucky enough to need one solution that solves them all! And for the others I'ld expect an exception to be made, and i think it would be!

no they don't, but you were doubting that they would be provided at all, which is wrong. They would be.

But exceptions aren't made.

That is what I have been saying.

And then people who need to see the doctor can't see the doctor.

I wonder whjat brand of nappies some of these parents use that are so leaky?
All my 4 had pampers covered with a vest that pops underneath and very very rarely had leaks

nobody is saying that EVERYONE can manage without a buggy, but I think that most can, noone is doubting the existance of exceptions or their right ot be excepted from the rule.

• HOWEVER most of the most who can manage don't want to or don't think they will, but they could and can

CremeEggs If I started asking for a chaperone, and then hinted that the chaperone might hold my baby, I would expect that someone would have serious words.

As soon as they realised that I wanted the chaperone not for chaperoning but for childcare they would be really pissed off. And rightly so.

I don't think it was the nappies I think it was the poo.

Very very squirty.

well if no exceptions are ever made then that is clearly wrong Sardine and a missuse of the ban on the part of THAT surgery in relation to THAT individual.

The OP is not about that though, the OP wants buggies in waiting rooms as a general rule

oopsi - should we change this thread to "poo consistency". Pampers are shit for leakages- excuse the pun

would it help if you made the surgery aware of your individual mobility issues that mean you really cannot manage without the buggy at the time of making the appointment? That way they might be able to refer you to a partner practice that has room to make exceptions or something? or see you at a less busy time?

oopsi, nothing to do with brand of nappies. Everything to do with brand of baby. DS was a veritable fountain of poo - 4 or 5 times a day - complete change of clothes. Armpits, back, everywhere. DD not so much. These babies you see, they differ.

Why are people feeling the need to argue about whether some babies do or don't do explosive pooing? Like the book says, Some Dogs Do. The end.

oopsi I used pampers aswell. i don't think its the brand of nappy that makes the difference, its more about the baby that does explosive poos. For example the one morning when I let her kick her legs nappyless on the changing mat and the poo she promptly fired across the room spattered the carpet and sofa over a metre away. i doubt many nappy brands could contain that. And we really are getting off topic now ...

Not everyone can just do A, or B - the fact is that women attending GPs are often unwell mentally or physically or they are dealing with one or mulitiple sick DC. The option of being able to keep a pushchair with them should be available esp. when procedures, tests and examinations are in order, when mums need to be able to talk about delicate or upsetting things without hanging onto their DC etc. We can't all make do in all circumstances and it is unreasonable to demand that we do so.

i know alot of people have said about disabilities, but why should people with disabilities be forced to tell people they have them

That's exactly it ZZZZZ. Life is complicated and GPs know that more than anybody.

It's normal here. But I thankfully have a 2 and five year old now. But it was a pain when they were younger!

it probably wasn't the GPs that instigated the ban - it was probably the flippin receptionists