Osteopaths: planning baby and pregnancy appointments

Baby and pregnancy consultations work best as their own services, with their own slot lengths and their own place in your week. Infants come with a parent, a pram and a feeding rhythm that doesn't care about your schedule, so short slots with some margin, at quieter times of day, make the visit easier. Pregnant patients need a comfortable position, time to settle and as little waiting as possible, so avoid putting them right after consultations that tend to run over. Describe each service clearly so parents and pregnant patients book the right one.

If an infant consultation is booked in your standard adult slot, you either leave a gap in your day or squeeze the baby between two adults with no margin. Neither works well. A separate service lets you set the right length and price, and lets you choose exactly when those consultations are offered.

On Book, each consultation type is a service with its own price and an optional description, and you open slots for each at the length it takes. Parents pick "Infant consultation", see its price and length, and choose one of its free slots. Pregnant patients do the same with "Pregnancy consultation".

The lengths above are examples. Open the length that matches how you work, and adjust after a few weeks.

A baby can fall asleep in the car, wake up hungry in your waiting room or need changing just as you start. Parents often arrive a little late for exactly these reasons. Build the margin into the slot rather than into your stress levels: if the treatment itself is short, a 30-minute slot leaves room to undress, feed if needed and answer questions.

Think about when you open these slots. Late morning and early afternoon are often calmer in a practice than the evening rush, and a parent on leave can come during the day. Evening slots are useful for working parents who want to come together, so keep one or two if you can.

Depending on your country, rules may apply to treating young infants, such as a doctor's certificate before certain techniques. Check what applies where you practise, and if a document is required, say so in the service description so parents bring it on the day. That's more reliable than hoping to catch it on the phone.

Later in pregnancy, sitting in a waiting room is uncomfortable, and getting on and off the table takes time. Two simple choices help: give the slot enough length for the patient to settle and get up slowly, and place it where it is least likely to start late, for example the first slot of a half-day or after a follow-up rather than after a first consultation.

Use the service description to cover the practical side: comfortable clothes, recent pregnancy documents if you want to see them, and a reminder to follow the advice of their midwife or doctor. Keep medical content for the consultation itself; the booking page is there to help them come on the right day, prepared.

After the birth, a parent may want a consultation for themselves and one for the baby. They can book two services one after the other, or you can create a combined service if you offer one, with its own length and price. If they come with the baby for their own consultation, a slightly longer slot saves everyone a rushed appointment.

The booking form includes an optional note. Parents can use it to tell you the baby's age or the reason for the visit, which helps you prepare.

Babies get sick and due dates move. When a parent or pregnant patient needs to change an appointment, you reschedule or cancel it from your bookings list, and the slot is free again for someone else. Book doesn't email the patient when you move or cancel a booking, so let them know directly.