“Patient” Patients
One thing guaranteed during any pregnancy is lots of doctor’s visits. If your doctor’s office is anything like mine, you’re also guaranteed to spend hours and hours in the waiting room.
Pregnant women are busy–between baby prep, work, (with that maternity leave looming) and taking care of our existing family, we may even be a bit busier than most women!
Don’t sit in the waiting room fretting over all the things you could be doing. Make your wait productive by choosing one or two of the activities from this list. You’ll keep your mind occupied and hopefully cross an item or two off your to-do list–which seems to be growing as fast as your belly!
- Read a book. If old parenting magazines don’t do it for you, bring your own book. Whether it’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting or light-hearted chick-lit, now’s a great time to catch up on your reading. When else do you have 30 or more uninterrupted minutes?
- Write in your journal. If you’re keeping a pregnancy journal, this is a great time to catch up on your entries. With a Blackberry or laptop, you can even keep up on your blog entires. (Where do you think I’m writing this?)
- Write letters. Have tons of baby shower thank you cards to send out? Now’s a great time to compose personalized notes to all those well-wishers and gift-givers.
- Jot down a list of questions for your doctor. I always mean to do this before my appointments, but never take the time! This is a good opportunity to write down everything you want to ask your doctor about, from the finer points of your birthing plan to those leg cramps. (They’re probably nothing to worry about.)
- Do absolutely nothing! Moments of peace and quiet are few and far between, so take advantage of it. Program your iPod with some relaxing music and clear your mind. Daydream about the baby’s nursery, contemplate names, or simply clear your mind and savor the opportunity to do absolutely nothing at all. If you try this, the nurse may even marvel at your “record low” blood pressure.
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Melissa Haynie says...
Yes patience in the OB/GYN waiting room is hard but it is often for a very good reason. With my first pregnancy I would bemoan the wait… but my emergency appt at 12 weeks while I was miscarrying sent it home there may be a reason… my second I miscarried at 10 weeks same emergency appt. My 3rd I went in for an emergency appt and the paramedics took me to the hospital in labor at 23 weeks. My fourth I had my emergency appt at 20 weeks and was taken out by paramedics in labor. I guess for me it is the fifth time that is a charm because I have a healthy baby girl… but I spent many hours in a waiting room for her…. and I learned from my own past that sometimes there is a very good reason for the wait… as I was often the one causing the wait. If you hate waiting though I learned a valuable lesson through it all…. make the first appt of the day. Just don’t be late for it: )