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.

I don't seem any compulsory reason to think that the word should only be used for voluntary attenders.

But nitpick away. That is something you have a real skill for, clearly.

I am responding to the need to bring a double buggy in to a waiting room, when there is adequate provision to park pushchairs next to the waiting area.

"It does seem a little surprising that there are so many parents who cannot cope with the number of singleton children they have below nursery age."

What does that even mean.

The women on this thread who have said they have trouble are in situation like

twins
twins & toddler
mobility / disability issues

QS have you read the thread.

You have just said that me and a load of other women should not have had children.

Why is that a grinning matter?

From what I know of QS, she has lived in several countries and is now the Arctic. I can't imagine she is in any way fazed by going to the doctor, even as intimidating as this is in a foreign country.

Claire we have already established that you are taking the piss, given your earlier stance that women with disabilities would be much assisted in their quest to see the doctor by putting their purse in their changing bag.

So

Well good for her.

How on earth does that help with anything?

And why does that mean she can say that people like me and others on here should not have had children.

i didn't know I was going to get problems post-natally, how could I?

Purse in changing bag was a little piece of wisdom from an older mum :)

SQ, have you read what I said?

I stand by it.
If you cant cope with your children at the GP you;
a) leave them with somebody; or
b) bring somebody with you;

I dont see why it should be necessary to take 3 kids to a GPs appointment.

A piece of wisdom from someone who doesn't believe that babies do explosive poos that get on their clothes, and doesn't see the need in taking more than one nappy out with a newborn.

Right.

I think it probably means that she has a can-do attitude to whatever life throws at her.

When she is given lemons, she makes lemonade. :)

"If you have too many children to be able to care for them while going to the GP, or unable to leave them with somebody, maybe you simply have too many children?"

This is what you said.

I used to have a can-do attitude until my mental health went haywire after having children.

Still I suppose I should have realised that was going to happen, somehow.

Who said I didn't know about explosive poos.

Believe me, when you have had five children, at least one of them will have explosive poos, another will be a possiter etc. Most baby/toddelr/child/teen issues, a five x mum will have dealt with. Honestly. They really are all different, you know.

Ah. Been away from the thread for a while, and now I see it has moved on to 'women who suffer from depression should not have had children.'

Sardine, you are fighting a good fight, but honestly, you are up against people here who are lacking in both compassion and analytical thinking skills. Leave them to it and their nastiness will come back to haunt them, perhaps when their own circumstances change and they require a bit of accomodation themselves.

Claire, hmm, here of course, people leave their children asleep in their pram (even midwinter) outside the doctors surgery, you know.

Well, that was somewhat true. They do leave them outside shops and cafes.

Having said that, I am currently just on Easter holidays beyond the arctic circle, visiting my folks, have moved back to London.

But there is one thing I dont get about the British (wink)
a) the whole hoohaa of "bath time"
b) taking children to the doctors.

it is probably just my limited brain.

Maybe you need to step away from this thread. It isn't doing you any good.

So, QS, go to the Arctic, and go 40 years back in time? That's how I was brought up in my big Silver Cross pram :)

claireall you said that you only took one nappy out with a newborn for an hour, and that you wouldn't expect a baby to "void" if it was not ill.

You appear to have changed your mind

QS you have not responded to the fact that you have told me and some other women on this thread that we should not have had children.

I do not understand why you are grinning or nithering on about something else. It was a really awful thing to say. Why did you say it. Did you mean it.

and, QS, this is what you said, on the topic of women who should not have children:
"SQ, not if you are unable to cope doing everyday things such as visiting your GP, either with your children with you, or placed elsewhere."
One of the most spectacularly nasty things I have read on MN.

QS I don't have a problem doing everyday things like going to my GPs or the shops because I use a pram.

My exploder was in that way for about 8 weeks. He would 'go' about once every five days, and then he released whatever was stored up.

In those days, it was pretty predictable. If he had just had his day, you had a good three without worrying about it at all. Then you had a day of being cautious. Then there was the day. Clearly, the no worry days, you would only expect wee. On the actual day, a babygrow in addition to a nappy would be called for. It was still only one nappy though, and a travel pack of wipes. Because a baby does explosive poos doesn't mean they poo more than a similarly fed baby who poos every day.

See, I have had five children and I know all these things.

Pretty much claire, pretty much.

Not a lot has changed here, in terms of baby and child care. Women seem to do as generations of women have done before them. Everything is very easy going and Laisse faire. 3 year olds are playing out on the street with other siblings and kids from the street, in their big snowsuits, they can barely walk, and out on their own. The use broomstick to ring doorbells, asking other toddlers out to play.

My son, aged 4, was found in a neighbours bath tub, in their loft, with another little girl, also 4 from another house, playing with rubber ducks and bubbles. Cue phone call from neighbour "erm, I just found your son, and other neighbours daughter having a bath in our loft, mind pick him up?"
Ups....

Open door policy, eh?

If I cannot stop my son from venturing into another house to have a bath, then maybe I have too many children.

Sorry to have offended some of you. It was not my intention.

To the planners of these buildings - you are seriously taking the piss.
To those who really cannot manage without a buggy - I hope your surgery gives you the support you need to work around it or if possible be exempt.
To those of you who like me just dont WANT to do it without a buggy - it is doable, give it a go it's not as daunting as it seems.

steps away from thread.