I need to have a bit of a rant here, one of these niggly things that has been rattling around my head for a while.
I love the NHS, do not doubt me when I say that. It’s a bloody wonderful service and we are super lucky to have it. However, some of the people within it are (I guess as is any percentage of a large workforce) decidedly unrepresentative of their professional body.
Over the course of the last year or so my GP has seen myself and my two boys a number of times due to various things and each time I have found him very dismissive. I’m not the type of person to hurry to the doctor unless it’s something I feel is serious and now I’m a much more confident parent, second time around, I also know that if I’m taking my kids there it’s because I’m genuinely concerned and not just over anxious.
Each time he has left me feeling like some silly girl who’s wasting his time with my concerns – this is so unacceptable! Imagine I allowed his behaviour to put me off going in and my child’s cough or upset stomach turned out to be something far more serious?
My other bug bear is judgy health visitors. Actually I get quite wound up by anyone judging my parenting choices but your HV especially is meant to support you and advise you. Not judge and make you feel shit. The most recent example I have seen was from Megan of It’s The Mother – she had been given a bit of a stern chat from her HV after revealing that she had been cosleeping with her baby girl in order to get some reasonable rest whilst solo parenting for a few weeks. Seriously?! A genuinely sleep deprived parent who isn’t taking any opportunities to get a decent sleep is more of a concern than one who allows their 8 month old to come into bed for a rest. We have H in our bed loads and all the chat I get is “oh you have made a rod for your own back” – come back and tell me that again if he’s still sleeping in my bed at 14 Mavis!! I could go on and on about the whole cosleeping thing because the UK is one of the few countries who really is against it and having read (thoroughly!!) up on it, I am a big advocate if it’s what you wish to do and do it safely.
Enjoying a wee snuggle before bedtime in the big bed!
Anyway, this was a far longer rant than planned but clearly I had some chat to get off my chest! Thanks, as always, for reading along. Please share your moan of the week with me so I know I’m not the only grump out there!!
K x
Mama Says... 
I was so against co sleeping with my oldest because of all the ‘advice’ given by health visitors. But then all I cared about was getting some sleep when my youngest arrived. I had a snuzpod but he didn’t want to sleep in that so I decided it was safer to plan on coalescing rather than accidentally falling asleep with him.
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There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re being got at by a doctor. Not just when it comes to your kids but when you go to see them because you need help and they almost laugh you out the door. Your boys a wonderful as they are weather they sleep in your bed till 14, preferably not though right, I mean they already take up enough room! Cosleeping, is as you said almost universally accepted and it’s just old codgers giving us grief for hugging our kids too much. Keep doing you my love xo
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I don’t have kids but I do believe in parents having the basic right to determine what’s best for their child in most situations. Sadly we live in a very judgey world and you’re probably going to have to learn to brush it off and continue doing your best for your kids despite what anyone else thinks! As for the doctor, do you always see the same person? Could you switch to another at your GP surgery if you’re unhappy with his standard of care? x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
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Hi Sophie, I do not to badly to shake off the judging etc but it’s more new parents that I worry for being led down paths that don’t suit them just because of pressure from HV or docs. I am going to see a diff GP now as a few people suggested that too. Thank you x
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That’s so frustrating, I feel more doctors need to be taught not to take their patients worries lightly and make them feel as they are silly, I can totally understand your frustration as I would be equally annoyed! xx
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