When You Know Something Isn't Right With Your Child's Health
Maybe your child has symptoms that don’t seem to make sense.
They’re more tired than usual. They’re complaining about pain. They’re having headaches, stomach problems, dizziness, rashes, joint problems, or symptoms that keep coming and going.
Maybe you’ve noticed changes in their sleep, appetite, energy, school performance, activities, or behavior.
Or maybe you can’t point to one specific thing.
You just know:
Something has changed.
You don’t need to know what’s wrong before you start looking for answers.
Start With Your Child's Doctor
If you’ve noticed a change in your child’s health, a good first step is usually to make an appointment with their pediatrician or primary care provider.
You don’t need to know what specialist your child needs or what tests should be ordered.
Start with what you know.
What changed?
When did you first notice it?
Is it happening occasionally or repeatedly?
Is it affecting sleep, school, eating, activity, or everyday life?
Are there other symptoms happening too?
Listen to how your child describes what they’re feeling, too. Their words may give the healthcare team information you can’t observe from the outside.
Bring those observations—and your child’s experience—to the appointment.
Your child’s doctor can evaluate what’s happening and determine whether testing, follow-up, or another type of healthcare professional may be appropriate.
What If Your Child Has Symptoms but No Diagnosis?
Sometimes the first appointment doesn’t provide an answer.
Maybe testing comes back normal.
Maybe you’re asked to watch and wait.
Maybe one symptom improves but another appears.
Or maybe your child continues telling you that something doesn’t feel right.
This is where your observations become especially important.
You see what happens between appointments.
You know what your child’s normal looks like. You may notice when they stop doing something they used to do, when the same complaint keeps coming back, or when several symptoms begin appearing over time.
You don’t have to figure out what those symptoms mean.
Your job is to notice, listen, and communicate what you’re seeing.
What If the Tests Are Normal but Your Child Still Has Symptoms?
Normal test results can provide useful information. But if your child’s symptoms continue, change, or interfere with everyday life, it’s reasonable to keep the conversation going with their healthcare team.
You might ask:
“What should we do if this continues?”
“What changes should I watch for?”
“When should we follow up?”
“Is there anything else that should be evaluated?”
“At what point would another type of specialist be appropriate?”
Depending on the situation, continued follow-up, additional evaluation, or a second opinion may sometimes be appropriate.
You aren’t responsible for solving the medical mystery.
But you can help make sure your child’s changing health story doesn’t get lost.
You Don't Have to Be a Medical Expert to Advocate for Your Child
For some parents, the word advocacy sounds like fighting with doctors.
That’s not what it has to mean.
Advocacy can begin with simply being able to say:
“This is what I’m seeing.”
“This is what my child is telling me.”
“This is what has changed.”
“This is how it’s affecting their everyday life.”
“What should we do next?”
Your child’s healthcare professionals bring medical knowledge and experience.
You bring something they don’t have: the day-to-day view of your child.
Both matter.
Becoming Your Child's Best Advocate
Get the Free Resource
If you’re thinking:
I know something isn’t right, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.
I created a free resource for you.
Becoming Your Child’s Best Advocate
This short resource explains why your observations matter, the role you can play when your child has unexplained or changing symptoms, and how advocacy can begin—even when you don’t have a diagnosis.
When There Are Too Many Pieces to Explain
Sometimes the problem isn’t that you haven’t been paying attention.
It’s that there’s too much to explain.
Symptoms started at different times.
You’ve seen different healthcare providers.
Tests were done months apart.
One symptom improved while another appeared.
Something happened at school that never happened during an appointment.
And now you’re sitting in an exam room trying to explain months—or even years—of your child’s health in a few minutes.
That’s where organization can help.
Not because you need to prove that something is wrong.
But because the healthcare team needs a clear picture of:
What was normal before.
What changed.
When it changed.
What’s happening now.
How it’s affecting your child’s life.
Something Has Changed
That’s why I created Something Has Changed.
It’s for parents who need help taking everything they’ve been noticing and organizing it into a clearer story for their child’s healthcare team.
It’s not about diagnosing your child.
It’s about helping you walk into an appointment better prepared to explain what you’ve been seeing and why you’re concerned.
From Jody
This part of my website is personal to me.
I live with chronic illness myself, but I’m also the parent of a child who has had medical complications since birth. I’ve spent years navigating healthcare from both sides—trying to explain symptoms as a patient and trying to make sure important information was heard as a parent.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is this:
You don’t have to know what’s wrong to know that something has changed.
Your job isn’t to diagnose your child.
It’s to pay attention, listen to what they’re telling you, communicate what you’re seeing, ask questions, and keep the conversation going when something still isn’t right.
Sometimes finding answers begins with something as simple as being able to clearly say:
“This is what has changed.”
Disclaimer:
This section is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and cannot diagnose or treat a health condition. Every child’s situation is different. Please discuss your child’s symptoms and care with a qualified healthcare professional. Do not use this information to delay or replace medical care.