Better Safe Than Sorry
We had a small scare at our house today. I was sitting crossed legged on the floor watching TV with Elli. She decided she wanted to sit in my lap and I never turn down an opportunity to snuggle with her. Somewhere along the way though, she decided she wanted to jump instead of sit. Before I knew it, Elli jumped as hard as her 30 pounds could jump right on top of my belly (she isn’t quite big enough to understand why she needs to be careful). I’m not going to lie – it hurt.
A weird pain shot all the way through my stomach and I started worrying. I try to keep my obnoxious worries in check, but this time things felt a bit different. I decided the best thing to do would be to take some time on the couch and see if I could feel the baby move. Once I started feeling light movement I decided things were fine. I went over for a play date at my friend’s house who happens to be an ER nurse and she encouraged me to go ahead and call the doctor even though I was feeling light movement.
I resisted because I felt silly calling the doctor and saying something along the lines of, “my two year old jumped on my belly.” I always have trouble calling the doctor because I worry that I might be overreacting or that I might be bothering the medical office when they have patients with serious problems. When I finally did call they were extremely comforting and asked me to come in just for peace of mind. I went in and they checked the heartbeat and movement and everything sounded great. The doctor told me what to look out for and even told me my belly might be sore for a few days. Never once, and I mean never, did they make me feel silly or feel as though I was bothering them.
This insecurity about calling the doctor is completely in my mind and yet I always struggle with it. What I know logically is that this child inside of me is the most important thing going on right now and it is always important to call with any questions – no matter who I am bothering! The doctor is there for me and it is her job to answer questions and calm fears; that is why they do what they do. It is better to be safe than sorry and it is better to go to sleep tonight with peace of mind. I will remember this next time I hesitate to pick up the phone!
Have you ever felt like you had too many silly questions? Do you struggle with calling the doctor with problems or concerns?
