Child attending hospital - what do we take?

ganderson1804

Thanks so much for the advice everyone! I don’t think we have a pre-op appointment. We were at the hospital last week to see the consultant and he said then that he wanted to do the surgery and I signed the consent form etc. I guess I expected to get a little guidance from them when the appointment letter came through but all it said was we had to attend at 8am for a morning surgery, no food or milk after 3am and no water after 7am. The consultant said we’d get home around tea time so we’d be in the whole day.

Really appreciate your advice on the toys / books though. She loves books and has a few definite favourites so I will definitely take a couple with us. She has a comforter rabbit so will make sure we have that with us too. She is potty trained but still in pull ups during the night so will def take a few with me. Wouldn’t have thought about that.

The consultant did say that I’d maybe have to hold her in my arms when they put her under and then I’ll just pass her to them and they take her away. I think that will be the hardest part! Thanks also for the advice on the snacks and juice for both of us. I will make sure I take her favourite juice cup and a few snacks I know she’ll eat and will have a bottle of water a book for myself. Will also make sure I have an overnight bag ready just in case that someone can bring in for us.

It’s going to be just me in the hospital, my husband will drop us off and pick us up. He’d be no good to either of us in the hospital as he’s already a nervous wreck about her being put to sleep. He wanted me to ask the consultant for an alternative and there is one! Hearing aids… Eh no, I am not putting hearing aids on a 2 year old! Maybe when she’s 92…

Anyway thanks so much for everyones time in replying x

j.e.j.

Adults certainly get a pre-op appointment, in fact you can't usually have a planned operation without having had one. I would think it's the same for children, - they need to know her weight, possible health issues, and bloods are sometimes taken (though not for every procedure). I think you should really have been given more information by the hospital.

barbiedoll

Watching your child go under the anaesthetic is absolutely horrid, I'm normally quite hard-faced about these things (I work in healthcare) and can quite happily watch my kid having injections etc, but that moment when they suddenly go "under" is just awful! (They don't usually remember a thing though, it's not as horrible for them! )

Some children (and adults) do react quite strongly when they come round from anaesthesia, so be prepared for a screaming fit (her, not you!) This will settle quite quickly and she will probably go back off to sleep for a while.

My son had an eye op when he was 3, he woke up screaming, he then settled down for another short sleep, and then woke up and asked "Where's my present?"...we had promised him a new (small) toy for afterwards, as long as he had been a "brave boy" He still has it, an Incredible Hulk figure, he calls it his "brave boy toy". (He's now 16 lol!)