At an appointment, you may be settling your baby, finding documents and answering questions at once. Preparing a few things beforehand makes the information easier to find.
Start with the reason for the visit, your questions and any documents the clinic has requested.
Write down what you want to discuss
One or two sentences can describe the main issue. If you noticed a change, add when it started and what happened afterwards.
Keep questions in one place and put the most important first. Our guide to preparing questions gives examples.
Check documents and medicines
Have relevant health records, test results, discharge information and previous instructions available. Document requirements vary between services, so check with the clinic.
Keep exact medicine and supplement names, doses and instructions. Packaging or a clear photograph can help identify a product and its concentration.
Choose records related to the question
For bottle feeding, record times and amounts actually drunk, separating expressed milk and formula. Do not guess volumes for direct breastfeeding. For sleep, start and end times are useful; for nappies, record the change time and type.
Keep weight and length results with dates and units. Use available measurements; keeping a journal does not itself require more frequent weighing.
If your baby has been unwell, bring symptom notes, temperature measurements and medicine times.
All entries from the period on one time axis, with weight and length since birth below.
You do not need every category. Tell the doctor if records are incomplete or partly reconstructed from memory.
Prepare a summary you can open easily
You can review the free history in Pola or create a PDF in Pola Plus. Select a preset period, one day or custom dates, then choose sections relevant to the visit.
Pick the range first, then what to include.
Open the file before leaving to check the dates and contents. Show it on your phone or print it.
Record the agreed next steps
Before the appointment ends, note what to observe, how to follow any treatment instructions and when to make contact again. Ask for clarification if anything is unclear.
Preparing records should never delay getting help when your baby needs attention sooner.
