My younger daughter gave birth on Nov. 6th to a little girl. So just 7 months after becoming a grandmother, I’ve been blessed again. Now six weeks old, little Vered is already beginning to smile
and hold her head up. Suddenly, Orly at 8 months seems so much more grown up. She is babbling, picking up Cheerios to eat, and pulling up to standing. I am amazed to see how quickly babies grow and learn, so obvious on those rare occasions when we get to see them together!Things weren’t so smooth at the beginning. Vered developed an infection from a blocked tear duct within the first two weeks. Off went the parents to a pediatric ophthalmologist who suggested they could try to massage the area and use a warm compress, but scheduled an appointment for surgery. My daughter commented to me, “She’s barely two weeks old and I already had to take her to a specialist!”
This comment resonated with me – so many parents whose children I taught had talked to me of the difficulties involved with the logistical and psychological difficulties of having to take their young children to specialists. The problems they faced seemed so much worse when their own pediatrician referred them to a specialist. How were these parents supposed to handle their child on a minute to minute, day to day basis when even their pediatrician wasn’t able to handle the baby’s problem? They told me it made them feel less competent as parents when they had to take their child to appointments with various specialists (e.g., neurologists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists).
Luckily the massaging and warm compresses did the trick on Vered’s eye and the surgery was avoided, much to the surprise of the ophthalmologist!
Let’s hope we can help empower parents of ALL children to have the competence and confidence to support their children as they develop. What kinds of experiences have you had with specialists?
