A Drop of Milk

So, today I visited one of the most famous (or infamous, depending on which mom you ask) institutions in Israel: Tipat Chalav.

Tipat Chalav literally means, a drop of milk, and it is the 'well-baby' clinics all over Israel. They are the ones who give your child their vaccinations, checkups, weight-gain, examinations, and so on. Each child has a folder at a Tipat Chalav from when they are born, until they enter into the school system, when the folder is transferred, and the school along with Tipat Chalav work together for the well-being of your child. I think it's a brilliant idea- saving physician labor for when the baby is actually sick, and providing a child with a solid health care plan so the schools and doctors can work together till age 18.

It's done by neighborhood, with a certain nurse working each street in the neighborhood (at least that's how it's done where I live). So, when I finally woke up to the fact that NBD is past a month old- yikes, time flies- I made an appointment nearby.

And then proceeded to ask everyone I know what their experiences were. Most were scary. As Super Raizy describes in her old post, the Tipat Chalav nurses have a reputation of being slightly, well, curmudgeonly. Most who I asked said that the nurses harassed them about their baby's weight incessantly, especially if they were nursing. Some said they expected them to know everything, even if they were a new mother. So, it was no surprise that when I went in, I was slightly nervous.

But, here comes the truth. Honestly- my visit was great! The nurse was a sweet and kind person, who treated me like I had a brain, even though my hebrew wasn't the best. She didn't harass me about anything, asked personal questions in a polite manner, and best of all- interacted with NBD very gently and warmly.
So, here comes one vote pro Tipat Chalav.

And, it got me thinking. Rumors can spread very quickly. One person says they had a bad experience there, then the next will be looking for the bad in her experience, to vilify the first person's statement. And, the vicious cycle continues.

Now, I'm not saying that all nurses might be like mine- and there are definitely obnoxious ones out there, from what I've heard.

But, instead of looking for the bad because the last person told you that there is bad- maybe try objectively? If so, maybe more unbiased opinons, and more honest opinons might result.

So honestly? It went great. And, I will be happy to go back.