to want to see the doctor sooner?

[LeonMighty]

My 4 week old has suddenly become quite raspy. He hasn't cried much, but he sounds a bit bunged up and his voice is crackly and hoarse when he makes any noise.

Phoned my GP who made me an appointment for Wednesday.

I wouldn't mind if it was me, but my baby is 4 weeks old and I feel like he needs to be seen tomorrow, latest. They wouldn't make me an appointment. I spoke to the receptionist who didn't ask for a second opinion and insisted that Wednesday was fine.

I know my GP is busy, and I guess they don't have time to fit me in, however I am a bit anxious about this.

What are my other options? Am I being silly? He's my first baby and I'm really anxious about his health. I'm not trying to be a time waster, I just want to know he's ok so I can sleep at night (or in our case, whenever he's sleeping!).

LeonMighty

Well done you have him in the right place now, hope the little lad is OK tho and do edcuate your DH on how to cope with babes that aren't all that well;)

Probably just a cold but call 111. They will probably tell you to go to a&e, I found they usually do this to cover their own backs.
Put your foot down and don't feel guilty, insist the docs see you earlier or call 111/a&e, 4 weeks is so young and if your anxious just do it to have your mind put at rest. Your doing a great job xxx

Thanks folks. He's okay, looks like he might have a bit of earache as he keeps pulling his ear and his throat is croaky. Waiting to see the baby doctor! Poor sod. I can't believe how much I love my boy - it doesn't half make you worry!

Hope all is OK! Well done for listening to your instincts, it's always best to get them checked at that age.

How is he now OP?
Hope you're both home and getting some rest x

This is not Receptionist bashing as I am one. Where are these Surgeries that make it difficult for a 4 week old baby to be seen by a GP? Also what rules are they giving Receptionists or are the Receptionists making their own rules?

If the OP had rung the surgery I worked in at that time I would have checked with the GP best course of action for the best care but as my surgery has an urgent session from about 3.30pm and GPs are on call until 6.30pm when it's handover to Out of Hours the baby would have been seen straight away.

@troysmammy I'm a GP receptionist and we HAVE to inform the on call GP if we have a child that is 5 or under that needs to be seen. The GP then decides whether to bring them in or they do a telephone consultation with the parent. Yesterday our on call GP saw 6 extra pts because of this.

Sounds like this receptionist makes up her own rules!

YANBU I’m a gp and would always see a child that age same day.

We would always be seen on the day for kids

YANBU. I had an appointment two hours after I called my GP yesterday for my 3 month old who was sounding raspy. I thought all surgeries tried to accommodate an on the day appointment for tiny babies! Sounds like the receptionist was at fault rather than GP though.
Glad you've been seen over night. Do hope everything is okay. So hard to tell when they're at that age, you did the right thing x

Thanks everyone. He's fine but hardly fed the past 24 hours and my boobs are now huge and rock solid. Never mind!

Just glad he's alright and was seen and happy my sanity has now returned! (Partially)

LeonMighty Well thats good to know:)

As you can see from other medic posters what you did was the right thing and I'd urge anyone with a babe that sort of age to agitate to get them seen.

I could tell you a story of one that didn't get seen soon enough.