No Kids at the OB's Office??

Okay, I have to warn you. This is going to be a rant about what happened to me today. At the OB/GYN's office. It's not too gory or personal, though. I just wanted to warn you. So I have a small cyst in my breast that was discovered 6 months ago. No biggie, the doctor said, but let's keep an eye on it. Let's have a follow-up ultrasound in 6 months. Okay, that sounds fine to me. So that ultrasound was set for today at 2:00. Recently,I've been having some tenderness in that same breast, and now a noticeable lump was there too. (That's the end of the "body talk", no more gory details from here on out.) On Tuesday, I called the doctor's office to tell them about the tenderness and the lump, but to explain that I had an ultrasound scheduled for today. I assumed they would send me to the ultrasound and then call me about the results. That wasn't the case. Yesterday afternoon, they called me to say that the doctor wanted to see me BEFORE the ultrasound to check it himself. Annoying, but okay. They gave me a morning appt at 9:20. So I hop on the phone to the babysitter to see if she can cover me. She is available at 12:00, so that means I won't have child care for the morning appt, but I will have someone to cover me for the afternoon appt. I don't have any family here, so sometimes it is hard to find a babysitter on such short notice (less than 24 hours...). I think, Fine, No problem, I will take the kiddo with me. The doctor and I had a conversation last year about how much he liked seeing the kids he delivered grow up and be happy healthy kids. I'll take snacks and her favorite toys and she'll be an angel. So I arrive today, on time, for my appt at 9:20. Only to see a sign posted that said something to effect of "no children allowed at doctor's visits due to the germs and the health of our pregnant patients". I'm paraphrasing here, because I don't remember the wording exactly. I get up to the registration desk to check in, and I say, Sorry, I had to bring the kid, I didn't have a choice. The receptionist said, OH! I'll have to check with the Manager about this. I'm thinking, WTF?!? My daughter isn't even sick right now. Not even a runny nose!! Okay, I'll wait and see what happens. So she comes back and says, Sorry - we are going to have to reschedule. Is there another day that works for you?? As my jaw hits the ground and my eyes bug out, I tell her that this doctor wanted to see me before my ultrasound, and that sorry, the babysitter couldn't come until 12. She goes back to her Manager, and comes back with the Manager, who tells me in a not-so-nice voice that this policy has been in effect for one year and she's sorry. Can I come back at 1:00 after the babysitter arrives??? Yes, the sign is new, but the policy is not. Are You KIDDING Me? You guys asked me to come in, with less than 24 hours notice, and then you turn me away over this weird new policy concerning kids in the office???? I'm not one to make a scene unless I'm ultra pissed off, which I wasn't. I was still too flabbergasted to be mega pissed. I was mad, yes, but not fly-off-the-handle kind of pissed. I agreed to the 1:00 appt, letting them know by the tone of my voice that I wasn't happy. I was in that office last September, so I know that sign wasn't there then. This couldn't be an old policy. How come I've never heard of this "old" policy of theirs?? Shouldn't they inform patients of such an unusual policy??? After an extensive conversation with my OB at the friggin' 1:00 appt, I found out that basically, this is a case of CYA. They had a patient get very, very sick last year and they thought it was from the office with all the kids in there. They later discovered that the patient got infected at a birthday party, but it was enough of a scare that they put this policy in place. The doctor's wife is a big-time attorney, and I feel certain she advised him to do so, in order to protect himself from lawsuits. But really? At an OB's office? No kids? How is that going to protect anyone, really? You still have to go to the grocery store, and you still have to pump gas and hand money to the parking attendant. Germs are everywhere, on things and in the air. That is why everyone goes crazy with hand-sanitizer, but even then, you can't live in a bubble. It is a sad, sad world we live in when you can't even take kids to the OB's office. It was those doctors that pulled these kids out of our bodies, for crying out loud! Has anyone else every encountered this policy? Have you other mothers out there ever had a problem with kids at your OB's office? I'm tired; its been a long and exhausting day. I couldn't even work in the studio, as I was completely worn out by the days events. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a less stressful day. BTW, all is fine with my health. Nothing to worry about! Yay! That cheers me up, just being thankful for that. I have learned to be very grateful for my good health. Don't take it for granted!