How to make a doctor's visit less horrible.

I didn't really know much about infant doctor visits before. What I knew was that sometimes, they are exciting. You get to find out hight and weight, see you baby on that little baby scale and go home and record the details in your baby book. And then sometimes, there's shots. And anxious parents. And crying babies. Etc.

Now, after my many visits (three) and extensive knowledge, I think this check list will make those doctor's visits less horrible during the horrible moments and get us in and out as quickly as possible.

- Try to get into a room as fast as possible, so you don't wait with your child next to the sneezy gross sick person in the waiting room. And once you are in that room, make sure they don't forget that you're waiting in there.

- Strip baby down to clean diaper before the nurse or doctor enters the room. Don't waste time doing this after the doctor gets into the room. Baby will need a clean diaper at the start to get an accurate weight. Bring a blanket to wrap baby in while you wait.

- Get the diaper changing gear out and organized on the patient table. At our first visit, we went through six diapers in one hour. We didn't expect any of them and had to dig around in the diaper bag each time. Don't waste time!!

- Even if you don't think you need a pacifier, bring a freakin' pacifier.

- Make a list of your questions. I keep mine in the reminders app on my iPhone, so when I think of something, I add it to the list right then. Spend your time on the questions!

- If both parents are at the visit, one parent checks out while the other parent takes baby to the car.

- Feed baby right before you leave the house.

- Wear a nursing shirt or dress and a nursing bra if breast feeding. Or take a bottle. Sometimes these things last so long that it's time for baby to eat again while you are there, or you can nurse to comfort baby after shots during the ten minute waiting time. See if you can feed baby in the room before you leave.

- The first set of shots was hard to watch, but not as hard as I thought it would be (again) based on what I've heard from other people or seen on TV. We brought a favorite toy that sings, thinking it would comfort Charlie during the shots, but he didn't even notice it.

- Take a snack and a drink. Take a snack and a drink!! If your partner is attending as well, but doesn't think he/she will need a snack and a drink, bring them a snack and a drink anyway.

I'm sure there is more, but you know, I haven't figured that part out yet. I do know that the less time I spend wasting time, the more time I can spend on questions.