The American Optometric Association recommends taking children to the eye doctor when they're just six months old. While an early visit to the optometrist is good for your infant's eyes, it could cause you stress. Here are three tips to ensure that your baby's first eye doctor appointment goes well.

Schedule the Appointment for After a Nap

By six months, most children are following a regular napping routine. Pay attention to when your baby naps and when they wake up, and make the appointment for soon after they wake up. They're likely to be happiest immediately following a nap since they're rested.

Some babies eat immediately after a nap. If your infant follows this pattern, you should still schedule the appointment for immediately after a nap. You can give them a bottle or nurse in the waiting room while you're waiting for the eye doctor.

Stand Up and Hold Your Baby During the Appointment

Usually, patients sit when they're seeing an eye doctor. If you'd like to stand and hold your infant while you talk with the optometrist, though, they won't mind. At some points, you may have to sit down so the eye doctor can perform some tests. When you're talking, though, standing and holding your baby may help keep them calm. You can walk around with them or gently rock them.

Bring a Favorite Toy for the Eye Doctor to Use

As BabyCenter explains, eye doctors often check a baby's vision by having them track an object. They cover one eye and watch the uncovered eye follow an object as they move it. Then, they switch which eye is covered and which is uncovered.

The eye doctor you see will have something to use for this part of the exam, but the object usually isn't anything special. It may be a pen, light, or small toy.

Your optometrist might be willing to use an object that you bring in. If your child has a favorite toy, or even a loved pacifier, bring it with you and ask the doctor whether they are willing to use it for the eye-tracking test. Your baby might be more willing to follow it than an object they're unfamiliar with, and it may give them a sense of security during the exam.

If you have a baby, make sure to schedule a six-month visit with an eye doctor like De Venuto Joseph J for them. Plan it for after naptime, stand up and bring a toy, and the appointment should go fine for both you and your baby.

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