Baby at a coil fitting appointment

[Greendino90]

Hi all

Is it unreasonable to take my baby to a coil fitting appointment tomorrow?

He’s 11 months old. I ordinarily have great support but for a multitude of (very last minute) unfortunate reasons I don’t have childcare for the appointment.

I’ve been waiting ages for it and really don’t want to cancel but of course will if it’s not appropriate.

I’d just plan to keep him in his buggy but have no idea how long the appointment is likely take.

Please could I have your thoughts?

Thank you

The procedure is likely to be fine, but rarely passing the equipment through the cervix can cause the heart rate and BP to drop dramatically. Usually recovery is quick but having had one case of cervical shock recently I wouldn’t have wanted to have had a baby or child in the room as well…

I’ve had two unmediated vaginal births so assumed I’d be ok but hadn’t heard about the involuntary fainting response fro
drop in blood pressure, though imagine it to be rare…

I fit coils. It's not ideal but happens quite often as women have no childcare.

I dont think you should. It can be really upsetting and disturbing for a young child to see their mum in such a vulnerable situation, uncomfortable and out of control.

I've done it for a smear before, chaperone was over the moon he was there tbh 😂

Such mixed replies! Thank you for all of them though

Traumatic??
have you had a coil fitted??
I’ve had them for 40+ years, never had it been traumatic!!
can’t really feel much whilst having it done!

and what would a woman with zero other options do? Just go without healthcare? Another barrier in the way for women to access healthcare and just basically exist day to day.

Call on social services to watch a child for a 15 minute procedure?

Despair at the dismissal of barriers for some women and girls.

You need to ask as they have rules but mine was quick and painless. Seems to vary a bit

This is such a valid point that you make

It’s not pain that makes you faint.
the risk is cervical shock from the procedure - it’s rare but can happen!

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.

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!

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).

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

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'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?

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.

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.

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.

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 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).

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 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.

unlikely to be painful for you if you have birth vaginally