Iatrophobia. The fear of doctors, also known as white coat syndrome or white coat phobia. Can a 15 month old even have a phobia? I don't know, but I have my suspicions.
Today I took C for his 15 month check up at the pediatrician. I get it - he's been there a lot over the past six months, but I did not expect this kind of reaction. He was fine in the waiting room - played with toys, flirted with other babies, normal stuff. The second we walked into the patient room and he saw the nurse he absolutely. lost. his. shit.
Screaming, (real) tears, turning red, and clawing to me for dear life.
Part of it has got to be stranger anxiety because he is well, 15 months old, but he does great when random people talk to him or wave at him. Unless you have scrubs on, apparently. All she did was weigh him and take his height and you would have thought she was amputating a limb.
Then the doctor walked in. Holy crap.
I tried giving him cookies, toys, even my cell phone - no dice. It took two of us to hold him down to check his ears and I have no earthly idea how she heard anything useful when she tried listening to his heart. He was legitimately trying to get away from her the entire time.
Apparently, his social development (aka age appropriate stranger anxiety) is excellent. Thanks, doc.
My phobia theory was solidified this afternoon. I had to go to the doctor because I feel like death. Well, even when my doctor (who he had never met) came in and tried to check MY ears and MY throat and listen to MY chest, he was going ballistic.
Though I still feel like death, the good news from today was C is healthy, putting on weight and inches, and still has a massive 3 year old sized noggin'. Seriously, that thing is 20 1/2 inches around. Huge.
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