I went to the doctors today for my six week check. I actually gave birth eight weeks ago tomorrow but we won’t quibble. Yesterday the girls had their BCG injections at a different practice. I couldn’t take the buggy into either surgery. Apparently it is a health and safety issue. What’s the problem? I hear you cry. Well, if you have one baby you can chain your buggy up outside in the specially designated ‘buggy park’ (usually a dark corner or a covered area round the side of the building) and carry them in your arms or pop them in a sling. It is difficult to do this if there is one of you and two (or more) babies.
Dh is working the late shift this week so was able to come along to the injections yesterday morning. However, my appointment was in the afternoon and COULD NOT BE MOVED. I tried to re-arrange it. I telephoned the surgery to explain my predicament, only to be told that they would have to send me another appointment letter. I asked if I could re-arrange it over the telephone so that I could choose a suitable date and time. The automaton posing as a human being informed me that they didn’t arrange the post-natal appointments so would have to send me another letter. I attempted to explain that it was difficult with twins but gave up. I think she (it?) had trouble with the fact that I was speaking in sentences.
I decided to visit the surgery and explain the problem in person. I confess, I played the killer ‘new panicky twin mum’ card and they couldn’t have been nicer. ‘Bring the buggy in and we’ll watch them while you have your appointment, we’re all mums and grannies and are happy to help.’ They smiled. Why couldn’t they have told me this over the phone? It would have saved me a trip.
Despite their assurances of help, I still fretted about the appointment. Would the buggy fit through the door? Would they refuse to help, forcing me into a Basil Fawlty style rant, goose-stepping around the waiting room? Thank heavens for the Nipper 360. It sailed through the front door and the receptionist remembered me. The girls behaved beautifully and slept through the whole experience.
I am pleased that the staff had the common sense to overrule the health and safety issues to help me out. I wonder how many other panicky mums have faced the same problems. It doesn’t just apply to multiple mums either. How do you keep hold of an inquisitive toddler and a fragile newborn while parking your buggy and chaining it up? I appreciate that twenty buggies littering a waiting room could cause problems, particularly to elderly people. However, one or two buggies aren’t that hazardous. Public places have to cater for people with disabilities by providing ramps and widening entrances so why aren’t buggies treated the same way?
We are back at the doctors in a couple of weeks for the girls’ eight week check – at ten weeks. Can you spot the theme here? Once again, dh is doing the late shift, the appointment is in the afternoon and changing it involves another letter and another random date not of my choosing. The receptionists have offered to watch the girls again but they are due to have injections and I don’t want to hand one upset baby to them while the other has her jabs done. I have a feeling I’ll be writing another journal entry about it…