Two Kids at One Pedratric Appt?

They may refuse to see the second child without a separate appointment. When you make an appointment with a doctor a certain amount of time is allotted for the specific problem, if you run over it puts everyone behind, which is not fair to the other patients waiting. You will need to call for a second appointment, or to get an appointment time when they have a longer period open.

"Hey... both my boys... the 3yo & the baby are both sick now. Do I need to reschedule for a longer appointment, or can I just bring them both in?"

Nope- call and schedule appropriately. Plus if you have a co-pay, they need to charge one for each kid. I have asked questions about one during the other's appointment (with or without them present) but I have never asked for them to be seen without advising the doctor. It is unfair to the office staff, doctor and the people with the appointments behind you that will be waiting their turns....

The courteous thing to do is let them know in advance.

That said, we've asked our good doctors over the year to see one or more of us in a single visit. They are awfully good about these things but it all depends on the relationship you have with that doctor.

Don't do it without an appointment. Each patient needs their own time. Call the doctor and ask if they can accomodate both kids. Otherwise, you are putting the doctor's schedule aside and therefore interrupting the other parents that have made their appointments (ie - if you brought your son in with one appointment, and one mom ahead of you brought both children in without an appointment...you would be frusterated in the waiting room wondering what the hold up is).

I would call the doc and just let them know that you will be having your 10 month old seen too. I have done it before and they have moved my time to accommodate both of them. That way the appointment doesn't overrun and delay those after you.

I would call and find out if they can add 15 minutes to the appt. My ped will not just add a child unless there is an illness and to play safe checks the other. For my older kids, I always make 2 appts back to back--I used to take all 3 when they were really small.

Call and let them know. Every office is different, but in most cases it is not a problem. Most doctors won't mind seeing the younger child after finishing with the older child's follow up visit. The doctor's do however, like to have each child's chart available. If they know ahead of time they are seeing both, it is easier and quicker to have all the information already gathered. Even if it's nothing serious they want to at least note the chart for future reference.

I've done it a bunch of times. My doc is always willing to give a quick check to help.

Good luck!

My ped's office is very adamant about NOT asking that another child be seen unless arranged in advance. Call first.

It would be great to see call them and say "Bobby has an appt for 3 PM and Tommy is sick too. Can you see him while I am there?" They can then plan and have your files ready. At the very least, tell them when you sign your other son in.

Wellllll...hmmmm....if you ask they may say no....so bring him and just be sure to have an extra co-payment handy. also...I have 4 kids and they most certainly will give me same appointment time for their well checkup visits.

let them know in advance. they have to have his chart with doc. when he sees your child.

Hi S. - if you want to have your youngest evaluated, then yes you need to let them know. He has a separate chart and the doc needs to be able to allow enough time for both kids. When scheduling, tell them you what you want to do.

It depends on your doctors office. Our's is fairly open and we have had a couple of occasions were either myself or my daughter had an appointment and they had no trouble getting us both seen at the same time (for example I scheduled a well child appt and when I got there I asked if I could also get a flu shot for myself... I had changed my mind about it last minute and it was not a problem).
Since you already know that both kids need to be seen, just give them a call and have them put your second child on the schedule as well. that way your doctor will be prepared for both kids when you get there.
Good luck.

Yes.
You alert them that you need an appointment for your baby too.
It is just courtesy... then an office does not have to squeeze in another child and make everyone late... too. Which is then aggravating for all the other Moms/children waiting for their appointment. Too.

Every Dr.'s office has a different policy on this. They will usually see two children, but not more, and sometimes they won't see a second child at all. You would most likely need to ask before hand so they can create the time on the schedule.

double check with them before the appt, i asked for the same thing for me and my daughter to be checked at the same time, they considered that double booking the dr, and normally is not acceptable sometimes is but have to pay for 2 seperate visits, etc

on normal check up's i take my entire family in on the same appt to make it more convient for me (annual eye exams and dentist appts) but i tell them ahaead of time that i need to book an appt for me, hubby, and kiddo's, and usually it's all back to back

I've been in that situation too. When I called and explained my second child was sick too, I was told they would not schedule siblings back to back. The sibling's appt had to be an hour apart. What?! So my only choice was to spend hours waiting at the drs. office with 2 sick kids. I did not have anyone to help care for the kids, just me. Highly irritated, I scheduled my younger DD's appt at the much further back time and went with both kids expecting to spend the better part of the day at the clinic. Now their pediatrician (same doctor) noticed right away my younger was sick too, and treated her immediately following my oldest's follow up. Seems the doctor thought that scheduling rule was ridiculous. The kids are both in the little room with me, our pediatrician prefers to see us as a family without all the back and forth. Now I just bring both kids in, and if I need to and follow with the check in/insurance afterwards if the other is seen/treated.

You'll have to see if he doc has enough time to see both. They cannot see both if time is tight. You'll have to make another appointment.

Insurance won't pay for it if there isn't a regular appointment scheduled, odd, I know but that's how my doc explained it to me. But they are very good about seeing both kids at the same time, in the same room, when I schedule it that way. We always do the same appointments for well check ups.

I think you should definitely ask the doctor what you should do in the future for situations like this. For their annual check-ups, I always schedule separate appointments for my kids... but if it's something like just asking the doctor to evaluate a cough or sore throat or rash, my doctor doesn't mind at ALL if she looks at more than one child at a time. She even requests that I bring them all together, so she can peek at one during the other's appointment. Really, it only takes a few extra minutes! So it totally depends on the individual doctor.

My kids doc will usually fit in the time to see the 2nd one if you call ahead and let her know. Good luck!