Monday, 14 May 2012

Dietitian Time Coming Up!

It's dietitian time again soon. I must not forget to... hmm! Now let me see... I know I was supposed to challenge her again, but was there something else? 

And did she say to challenge Baby three or four weeks before I went or leave it three or four weeks before trying again? Rats! I've forgotten! Where's my notes? Surely I wrote it all down? What about my notebook on the iphone? Nope! Oh well! At least I wrote the date and time for the next appointment on the calendar. 

Such was the state of my mind one Saturday morning! 

Sometimes going to the dietitian's is a bit like going to college - you get homework!! It's fine remembering it all, if it's something to start straight away and keep going with, but it's much harder to remember when it's a few months down the line!!

So I've come up with a little check list to run through, before my next appointment:

  • Write down any questions I want to ask the dietitian before I go, otherwise, in the bustle of going out, I'll probably forget them!
  • Take plenty of coins - the car park charges at hospitals are atrocious - £4 last time. And now there is a Costa in the lobby, (what a shame) so of course I'll want a few extra coins there!
  • Take snacks and drinks for Baby - they'll keep her happy for a bit and she's bound to get hungry & thirsty at some point (especially if we're kept waiting).
  • Baby will need some form of entertainment - there's nothing worse than trying to hold a conversation with the dietitian whilst Baby's getting bored and restless. These days a Night Garden comic (they have loads of good stickers that she can do without too much help) and a few crayons usually does the trick.
  • Take a notebook and pen (must remember to do this) as otherwise it's easy to forget what we've discussed and decided upon.
  • Take a diary, in order to plan the next appointment - no good just writing it down on a scrap of paper, as it might clash with something else and scraps of paper get lost in my bag anyway.
  • Try to calculate how much milk she is getting daily before the appointment, as they're bound to ask! Me saying: 'Hmm! Well... may be a cup at bedtime and some in her mashed potato...' etc. isn't much use to anyone! Cup sizes vary, so 'a cup' could mean anything!
  • Take a rough meal plan for a 'normal' week - so I don't have to try and think back and list everything we ate!

Hopefully, if I follow my own advice, the next visit will all go swimmingly!

2 comments:

  1. About to visit the hospital about Ruby's eye and this checklist is fab.....why are the car parks sooo expensive? x

    ReplyDelete
  2. dairyfreebabyandme14 May 2012 at 21:06

    Shocking isn't it? I think it's called helping to fund the NHS!! Hope Ruby's appointment goes well xx

    ReplyDelete