Your child is sick, but there’s something different this time around. Perhaps it’s the way they’re breathing that makes you nervous…or just a gut feeling you can’t explain. Should I take my child to see a doctor?
Before you take action, you look up information frantically on the internet. You call friends for advice. They tell you not to panic and that the same thing happened to their kid (and it turned out to be nothing serious). But your intuition is telling you something’s off. Often times, parents fight hard to avoid overreacting, so they deny their instincts. Parents aren’t always accurate, but we should definitely pay attention to that voice inside.
When Should I Take My Child to See a Doctor?
Parents are the experts on their children. You share the same DNA, and you’ve had a front seat to all their illnesses, quirks, and behaviors. Mothers in particular have a strong survival intuition because of their role in protecting an infant from the environment. So if you have a feeling that something isn’t right, ask the doctor to double or triple check your child. Your child is a part of you more than you know. In fact, fetal cells of children have been found in their mother’s brains, according to autopsy studies.
It’s Better to Be Safe Than Sorry.
There are countless stories of mothers who saved their child’s life simply from listening to their gut. From checking on their baby in the nick of time to urging doctors for medical tests, a mother’s intuition shouldn’t be ignored. Victor Shamas, a psychologist at the University of Arizona, found that a mother’s intuition starts as early as pregnancy. Although your instinct may be off at times, it’s better to overreact than under-react, especially when a life-threatening or life-changing situation could have been avoided. For instance, if your child’s fever isn’t that high, but they’re acting out of the norm, you should call a doctor.
Visit our blog page on the most up-to-date topics on health, parenting, and community happenings.
