The Voice of Experience

The other day my husband and I were talking about all the ways The Girl suffers from second child syndrome: we don't take enough pictures of her, give her hand-me-down toys from her brother instead of new things we've picked out specifically for her, don't consult the baby book every five minutes to make sure she's doing (and we're doing) all the appropriate things.  Compared to the attention we gave The Boy, it almost feels like neglect.

Then, The Girl fell off the bed. When The Boy had a similar injury, I rushed him to the ER and (if you can believe it) insisted he have a CAT scan, but this time, though I was mortified, I was calm. She wailed and had an ugly looking red spot on her head, but was generally fine within minutes: good color, no vomiting, behaving as though nothing had happened. This seemed to be the upside of second child syndrome: slightly less psychotic parents.

Fast-forward 15 hours: it was the middle of the night and The Girl was inconsolable. She wouldn't sleep, wouldn't take a bottle, and wouldn't nurse, and I thought—no, didn't think but knew without the slightest doubt—that this was all evidence of the traumatic brain injury* she had suffered when she fell and I had been too busy congratulating myself on my accomplished parenting to take her to the ER.

My husband and I tag teamed through the night, but when the sun came out she was no better. My pediatrician's office wouldn’t be open for 3 more hours, and I was in full blown panic mode and doubting anyone would return a call before then so off we went to the ER.

The doctor who saw us was very nice, but when I couldn't even find the spot on her head from the fall, he gave me the look—you hypochondriacal parents out there know the look—that said I was a fool. He did a quick exam, looked in her ears (to make sure last week's ear infection wasn't to blame), and sent us on our way.

The diagnosis? Um, probably teething. 

So much for experienced parenting.

 *Specifically, I believed she had an epidural hematoma, a diagnosis I was qualified to make because I had seen it on Grey’s Anatomy.

Comments

[May]

Oh, good. It's wonderful to hear that I'm not the only one who is (a) currently neglecting child #2, and (b) still a fully psychotic parent. We should form a band.

[snickollet]

I have found that having twins that even though they are both first, they are also both second, and thus they are both victims of second child syndrome.

Also, having been in the Peace Corps, I tend to err on the side of cavalier about illness. It's not really a good thing, but as with many areas in my life, I'm still working to achieve balance.

Love the diagnosing via Grey's. Love that show. Love it!

[Paz]

Ha, ha, ha! Congrats on your TvMD. Are you thinkin' of goin' for your WebPhD?

[Sarah]

My medical licence was revoked when I stopped watching ER. I suppose I could go back in to practice if I watched Grey's Anatomy!

[cat]

Awe... well it's good she's fine and you are um... fine too. ;) Sorry you had to endure the ER.