Lily goes to the dentist

This week I went to the dentist. It was hard to not think of my last appointment. Lily was one month old, and I must have been severely sleep deprived when I made the decision to take her with me to my appointment. What was I thinking—that I would nurse her while the hygienist flossed away?

As fate would have it, that’s almost exactly what did happen. And I was not sleep deprived enough to fail to recognize the awkwardness of that situation.

Lily made it through the hygienist part and decided to be inconsolable right after the hygienist left to go get the dentist. I picked her up and began to nurse her. And who knew, but that mauve-colored dental bibs double for nursing aprons!? A minute or so later the dentist came bustling in. He was busy assessing my cavity-ridden x-rays and I don’t think he noticed the bundle under my bib.

He took a minute to discuss my options (which were get the cavity filled or get the cavity filled). Then, just as I was contemplating bringing Lily out of hiding the dentist stepped on his pedal and my chair began to recline till I was staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes. I think Lily has a bright future as an astronaut because she totally multi-tasked during that roller-coaster-like ride and she nursed away without a hiccup.

Now that I was fully reclined I felt much less inclined to unlatch Lily, since I no longer had gravity on my side in the modesty battle. And the dentist’s mouth was moving again. It was hard to pay attention to what he was saying, since my mind was racing with the possible explanations I could offer if (or when) my mid-section began to cry or hiccup or even squirm.

Thankfully Lily was just happy to fill the canteen quietly while the dentist worked. I was almost giddy with relief when the dentist declared me finished (for now) and the chair began to move again.

They are right when they say to not bring your kids in for dental checkups until they’re two. Or at least until they’re done nursing, I’d say.