Intro & picking a pediatrician

spartybride3 · January 2014

Hi

Finally joining 3rd tri (ignore my ticker...it is wrong) and am excited for the next 3 months to go by quickly! This is our first child & we are expecting a little girl.

I have a question about picking a pediatrician. Our OB gave us a list and recommended a couple practices. I am starting to do my research on them, but what should I look for in a pediatrician? Is there a guide or list of questions to ask? Can I visit the office & speak to the doctor's beforehand?

I just don't know where to begin with this process. Thank you!

RebeccaY1 · January 2014

We're interviewing one in a couple of weeks. We have a list of questions to ask. I don't want to wait until the baby is born and be given a list of people to choose from. I'd like to know what to expect from the doctor we choose.

ASmallWonder · January 2014

A lot of what you'll find is important you won't really know until your baby is sick for the first time. I don't say that in "wait and see way" but you learn a lot about your doctor, their staff and their policies when your emotions are high because your baby is sick. That said, I chose ours based on: "off hour" appointment schedules (i.e. evenings & Saturday because, without fail, that's when a kid always gets sick and nobody wants a trip to the ER for something easily handled at the office) and an after hours line. Again, you don't want to have to take more extreme measures just because you have a concern and no one is there to answer your questions and guide you.

Chichigo · January 2014

We went with the recommendation from our primary physician, but still interviewed her. The office is very close to home, and they have an onsite lab for X-rays, blood work, ultrasound, etc, which limits the need to go to the hospital. She supports breastfeeding (at our initial interview, she recommended a lactation consultant at the hospital I delivered at).

Although there aren't separate sick/well waiting rooms, the staff put infants in exam rooms ASAP to avoid germ exposure. There are separate exam rooms for wellness visits. Most impressive: I called at 8 AM for an appointment and was seen at 9 AM.