Pediatricians

ashleymn-2

When did/are you picking your pediatrician?
How did/will you decide that this is the pediatrician for you?



(Side note: I am super curious about this as I know nothing when it comes to picking a pediatrician (I've been trying to research) so I will be eagerly waiting and stalking this thread :O)

MRSCORKER

I'm going to follow to see what the BTDT mamas suggest. I will say that my OB said we would discuss pediatricians at my next appt so I'm assuming she will give me either a list of ones she recommends or a list of things to look for in my research so maybe asking your OB for his/her input might be a good place to start.

ibabyloveb87

We haven't officially picked yet, but as we live in a small town, there are only 3 choices. One is great but he's older and I don't know where his practice will go when he retires so he is out.

The other two are both great, but with talking to my mommy friends, one you see the doctor every time and the other you usually see a PA. I don't really have a problem with a PA, but I feel like we should be able to see the actual Doctor if we want to....so I've kind of picked one unofficially? 

Talking to other moms really has been how I've figured it all out. I met the pediatrician I think we will go with and he is a really nice guy. Plus his PA is also a lactation consultant so I feel like that's a win-win. I am planning to still go to both of the offices to see what I think pretty soon. 

ashleymn-2

@MRSCORKER I didn't even think about asking my OB but one pediatrician I was looking at does work in the same network as her so that is some solid advice you have.

@ibabyloveb97 , I live in a small town too; unfortunately, it's a small town with a whole lot of pediatricians ( we have 2-3 different childrens group practices in town, don't ask me why) lol I defiantly feel like the lactation consultant is a plus and so convenient that it will be there for you if you have any questions if you go with that dr. 

kmalls

We have a wonderful pediatric practice in our town, and there are 12 pediatricians to choose from. What surprised me to find out with DS is that you cannot officially choose a pediatrician until after the baby is born. While at the hospital, we had to say "we're going with xyz practice" when we were asked who the baby's pediatrician was. Nobody had any issue with that whatsoever.

Things to consider when choosing a pediatrician/practice: 
- How many doctors are on staff? If your doctor is not available in an emergency, how easy will it be to see someone else?
- Is there a 24 hour nurse's line? You have no idea how many times this saved me from making unnecessary trips when DS was a newborn. Seriously, it was a lifesaver. 
- Do they see patients on weekends? That was huge for me, saving us a few trips to urgent care.
-  Do they allow drop ins? Our practice has a drop in waiting list, so there is usually an option to be seen the same day if needed. 

I'm sure I will think of more later, but that's what I've got for now! 

LizaKate1213

Ask around your local area, especially any friends or family about their choices and, more specifically, what they like about the one they chose. Most pedis will schedule a meet up or phone interview so you can ask them questions, such as how they feel about vaccinations, circumcision care (or intact penis care) if you have a boy, what hospital they have privileges at, etc. 

F47

We planned to meet with several pediatricians in the area for our first LO. I had asked on Facebook for recommendations from friends, and picked three of the most popular responses I got. Well, we had our first meeting with a ped and LOVED her and the practice. So, we cancelled the others.

Things I love about my son's pediatrician/office:
- I can always get an appointment day of (occasionally with another doctor in the practice, but usually with his primary).
- The nurses are fabulous. He had to have several blood draws as a baby and they were quick and efficient.
- Early on, when my son was dealing with extreme reflux, his pediatrician called me personally to deliver test results/check on him (vs. going through a nurse) and that made me feel like my son was a priority.
- They have a 24 hour nurse line that is answered by a nurse in the practice (my nephew's pediatrician's office goes through a third party for their 24-hour line, which I think is odd).
- I've had prescriptions filled in a pinch while on vacation (my son got pink eye in Disney World. Because, of course).
- They have Saturday hours which can't be booked in advance, but if your child is sick you can call that morning. We've used this numerous times and I'm always in before 10 a.m. In fact, we were just there for an ear infection this past weekend.
- The office has an email service for non-urgent medical questions. His pediatrician always gets back to me in 24 hours with a detailed response, which is so nice. And, helpful to them. Because, some things just don't require an immediate phone call.

TurtleMomma

We're going with the same pedi DS has. She was our second choice with DS because our first choice, an older NP who is also a lactation consultant, wasn't accepting new patients at the time. We chose the one we did because she was a recent grad and, in my mind, more likely to be up to date on current medical practices. 

The practice she's at doesn't do interviews before babe arrives but it wasn't a problem. I pick the pedi's brain every time we're there and I'm still very happy we went with her. 

PeggyOlsonFTW

When I was pregnant with DS, my OB gave me a list and I picked one that was in the same building as her, was close to the hospital and was young. I hated her. She had no personality, pushed me to let DS CIO at two months old and just seemed really "by the book".

The best thing I did was ask on a local moms group on Facebook. I got so many recommendations. I switched to our current pediatrician when DS was 9 months and I love him and the practice because:
1) there's two locations and it's a big practice so I can always get a same day appointment
2) it's affiliated with one of the best hospitals in the state and that hospital has a branch right next door in case anything went horribly wrong
3) there's a lab and xray on site so we don't have to go to the hospital for that stuff
4) there's two separate waiting rooms: healthy and sick. I don't have to worry about DS sitting around sick kids when he's there for a well visit
5) his pediatrician is amazing. He's young, has a child around DS's age so he gets all the crazy parental worries, he's not judgmental about my parenting choices and he has a great big personality and will do silly things like sing the Elmo's world song in Elmo voice when DS is panicking.

SuperNerd42

We love our pediatrician, it's so important to find someone you trust and are comfortable with. 

We we liked that she belongs to a very large practice. They have tons of on site resources, and if she specifically isn't available they can always find us a spot with a PA or even a different doctor. 

I also like that she is a fellow parent. I'm sure a doctor with no children would be just as capable, but our ped has a very down to earth, beentheredonethat mentality that I love. 

duckmay

I second @PeggyOlsonFTW's recommendation to ask a local mom group. We have a pediatrician we love (whom I'm always recommending to the local mom group) who was recommended by the midwife who delivered our son, but I don't think that method would work with most OBs.

Edited to add that the decision process basically went, "Well, we've never picked a pediatrician before and we trust Sharon, so why not?" What we like about our pediatrician:
- She's down with crunchy stuff, sometimes more than we are (for instance, I'm fine with just buying Eucerin for my son's eczema; there's no need to tell me where to buy melaleuca oil)
- She's not judgmental
- She's really gentle and always seems delighted to see our son
- The nurses in the practice are great, and I've never seen anyone give injections more quickly or smoothly than they do there

ashleyp625

Along with the packet of info at our first OB appointment, there was a list of pediatricians included. I asked some moms who they use, and they all agreed on the same one, so we are going to set up a visit over the summer to make sure we like them. 

ignoscemihi

Our hospital offers a session called "baby needs a doctor" in which they bring in two or three doctors to interview as a good start for finding a doctor.  We used this to choose the doctor for our first and we were really happy with her.  Unfortunately, she's moving out of state before new baby is born, so we're going to go through the same process again this time around.

One note: we don't have a pediatrician.  We have a general practitioner who specializes in family care and pediatric care.  A benefit to this is that she's my doctor now as well.  Another thing we like about her is that she's part of a large practice, so if she isn't available, we can still almost always get in same day to see another doctor in the practice.

Something to think about: our doctor explained to us that pediatricians in our city tend to specialize in pediatric complications as opposed to general care and they may be a bit more interventionist because of this, so if you prefer early intervention with medication, you may prefer a pediatrician but if you take a more wait-and-see approach, you may prefer a general practitioner.  This obviously varies by city and even by doctor, but it's something you could ask when interviewing a doctor. 

Kaytee1087

I asked our family doctor if she would act as pediatrician for DD and now again for this little bean.

My whole life my mom took me and my brother to the family doctor, so they always knew the medical histories of our parents and if the grown ups in our family were sick it was easier to get the kids in and treated. Actually just in March I sort of did that with DD. She was feeling pretty crappy and so was I, so I booked us back to back appointments on the same day so we only had to go once and she evaluated us both at the same time. I also love knowing that I won't have switch the kiddos to a different doctor when they outgrow the pediatrician.

Plus she's part of a practice of about 5 or 6 six doctors so we are always able to get in within 24 hours (and worst case we have an urgent care that's in the same network so although we haven't had to use them, I'm glad they're available).

Lauren0216

We have a CHOP (Children's Hospital of Pediatrics) doctors office in the same complex as my OBGYN.  CHOP is known around the Philadelphia area to be wonderful for children.  One day I asked my OBGYN if she knew anything about that practice and she said that all 4 of her children go there as do all the other children of the Dr.'s at my practice.  That pretty much sealed the deal for me.  If other Dr.'s trust the location to see their children, I decided to try it and am so glad I did.  Ask any local friends who they use.  

ByeBabyBunting

I love our pediatrician because he's not an alarmist, and I need someone to tell me everything is ok on a regular basis  

NoraAurora

When DS was born, all our local peds docs were booked & not taking new patients. So DS saw our family doc who is great. We switched to a pedi though because since our PCP has lots of littles at home, she's only in office 1-2 days a week, and I only like one other provider at the family practice (who is usually booked). I've only seen the peds doc once, but hopefully we like the her as much as our PCP- time will tell (and we can always switch back). 

Other reasons on convincing us to make the switch:
1) 24 hour nurse line
2) evening and weekend drop ins
3) my general belief that specialists are (often but not always) better for specialized patient populations. I.E.: pediatrician for pediatric patients. Obvi. 
4) they have an in house pharmacy which is lovely. 

Honestly so far ive only really utilized the nurse phone line, but I've used it 3 times & saved us from going in every time. Worth it. 

blaf322

Thank you to all the BTDT moms for posting what they love about their peds office/questions to ask!

dillybean2

My daughter was a preemie and we chose a doc that her NICU doctors recommended.  She had a very good reputation and lots of experience with preemies.  We were not able to do any kind of meet and greet or interview first, which was scary, but it worked out.  We lived over an hour from her practice, so at my daughter's first birthday appointment we said goodbye and just transferred her records to our family doc.
Some things to keep in mind when you do talk to doctors or parents who use those doctors (if these things are pertinent to your situation or important to you) are their opinions on vaccines, caring for intact penises, experience with any childhood illnesses that run in your family, willingness to listen to your concerns, are there separate waiting areas for well children vs sick children, are they knowledgeable about breastfeeding/breastmilk, do they support parents who parent based on instincts or do they want to have a one-size-fits-all approach to how children are reared, do they prescribe a lot of antibiotics? 
I'm sure there's plenty more, but that's all I can think of right now.  Good luck.  It's impossible to find a doc that you'll agree with 100% of the time.  Just be sure to be an advocate for your child and seek a second opinion if you really think something is wrong.

kmvisioli

Just adding to what the other mamas have said: ask around to your friends/relatives who have little ones, and ask your OB and the hospital you deliver at if they suggest anyone (usually they will be in the same insurance network). The hospital will most likely have their own pediatric person come in to check on you/baby, so they could be a good resource.

Good questions: What hospital are they affiliated with? Do they have after hours and weekend availability or contact? How many doctors and local offices do they have? (Ours is Texas Children's Pediatrics, so there are always lots of options if your usual dr is unavailable). If "crunchy" stuff matters to you: How do they feel about some homeopathic remedies instead of jumping to medicine? Are they flexible with vaccine schedules? Personally I also like that my dr offers good support or outside resources for breastfeeding, and is always very open and helpful with tips for dietary and developmental stuff. I also appreciate that they have a separate baby waiting room, sick child waiting room, and well child waiting room.

UponAStar16

I have a question for those BTDT moms who were able to "interview" pediatricians before the baby arrived...did you go with your SO, and (I know it depends on the practice's office hours but asking bc I'm just curious how people manage) did you have to take time off work to go to these doctor shopping appts? At the childcare class we were told our hospital won't allow us to take the baby home until we have a weight check appt with the pediatrician scheduled for 3-5 days (I'm guessing after discharge)...so def can't wait too much longer but, unless they can all be after work it seems kinda crazy to have to take time off not only for my many appts but just to find a ped!

Kc0825

Being first time parents we listened to our friends a lot. Thinking they had experience with stuff like this and would be able to help. We heard not so good things about the staff at the pediatricians in our town so we knew we wanted someone from a surrounding town. Our first pediatrician was like 200 years old but our friends had said great things about him and his staff. Yet with us he kept calling our son a girl and misdiagnosed his jaundice. Finally when our son was a few months old we found our pediatrician we see now. He's awesome. But I regret not interviewing or visiting pediatricians on our own and relying so much on other people and their opinions. Hope that helps! 

MrsHudson2014

My OB said we would discuss that at my next appointment (32 weeks). I'm already 99% positive I am going to go with the gent who was MY pediatrician as a kid. I liked him alot as a patient, and that's important to me. 

jbal918

I'm going to start meeting with Drs in the area and pick who we like. My aunt goes to one with her kid (where my sister used to go) and my sister to another with her two kids.
Both offices offer consultations in the third trimester but since I'm delivering in a hospital by my OB 45 mins away, the first dr will be a hospital dr anyways 

UponAStar16

If anyone wants, when I get home from work I can upload a pic of the list of example questions for pediatrician interviews that they gave us at our first class.

klv

With my first, I knew nothing. We went with the peds department at the hospital where I delivered. I hated it. While the hospital has one of the best pediatric  care in the nation, they were always packed. There was a sick side and a well side but most people just sat where there was space. We would often wait over an hour before we actually saw the Dr. We switched after a year

Now we go to a small practice with 4 docs. Love them all. I can always get an appointment when I need, physically separated well/sick waiting rooms.  Usually in and out in 30 min or less. It's great!

kelliott09

Echoing a lot of what @kmalls and @PeggyOlsonFTW said. We've used the same pediatricians since my first was born in 2003. They're great! We chose them from a recommendation from a friend. They're affiliated with my hospital that I deliver at, so they just pop over because they're right down the road, to check baby out. Children's Hospital is right next door, should I need them. They have a great website with helpful question and answers as far as when should I call or what should I do ifs. They also have an email link. I'm always able to get in that day or the next if I need to. They have 3 different locations and one is always open late or on weekends. They have lab and X-ray on site. They have a lactation consultant on site. When there was talk of tongue and lip ties, I noticed a lot were being sent to specialists. Our office has a dr at one of the locations that was able to do that for us in office. And my personal favorite, two separate waiting rooms for sick and well! Nobody wants to take their brand new baby into a waiting room full of sick, coughing, sneezing kids. No thank you.