Newborn Pediatrician

egraves4 · August 2015

This morning I called the pediatrician that I want my LO to go to (it was the one I went to for 20 years) and the lady told me that since they don't travel to the hospital I'm delivering at, I need to call them within 24 hours of delivering. I just thought that sounded so strange, since things like child care have to be set up so far in advance.

STM's how soon before your LO was born did you choose a pediatrician? Or does anyone anyone have experience with this that I should potentially find a backup?

FreshBakedBrownies · August 2015

We went and toured the pediatrician office and met the doctor ahead of time.
Our pediatrician didn't go to the hospital where we delivered either. The pediatrician on staff at the hospital examined him prior to our discharge. We called the pediatrician and got in the day after we left the hospital. It wasn't a problem.

tdoswell1 · August 2015

I picked a Ped and they also didnt come to the hospital I was delivering at. So my son saw a Ped who was assigned to that hospital and then soon after discharge we went to the Ped of my choice.

egraves4 · August 2015

Ahhh good to hear! I wasn't sure if it was a normal thing. The hospital and pediatrician are less than 15 miles away from each other so that blows my mind that they don't, but I toured the hospital on Sunday and they said something about having their house pediatricians check out the baby in those instances.

22snc12 · August 2015

We picked one (wrote it on the sheet I filled out during labor), who never came to the hospital. He saw whoever was at the hospital. Then called and scheduled his first appointment the day after we went home.

SoSweetTea1124 · August 2015

Its a super normal thing. The Pedi that we chose for DS didn't have privileges at the hospital I delivered at so as soon as I was released to go home I called and they got me in the very next day.

gollymrsmolly · August 2015

The hospital I was supposed to deliver at was full and the hospital I delivered at our pediatrician didn't go to. The hospital had the on call resident pediatrician come check out our LO and we went to our pediatricians office when LO was 4 days old.

All sounds great, right? Until, I got a bill for that on call resident for almost $700 and insurance didn't cover a dime of it! I would just check and double check what your insurance will cover.

Achae · August 2015

We picked one once our daughter was born. They gave me a list of providers that were accepting new applicants and just went with one that seemed convenient. I later switched to a different provider since I liked the place we picked, but not the doctor's office. I never heard of pediatricians checking out the baby at the hospital?

Monkeybutt80 · August 2015

I met with the pedi prior to my first. Ours specifically wasn't at the hospital on the day of the birth, but the practice always has someone who goes and makes the rounds at the hospital every morning. So the pedi on call examined my baby the next morning and came and talked to me that morning. I don't think we had to notify the practice, but did notify the hospital which pedi practice we will be going with.

funkypineapple · August 2015

I was actually reading about this this morning on the pedi office website that I'm considering.

In the instance of this particular one, they do rounds at the hospital I'll be at and as long as I include their info on my paperwork, they'll send the on call pedi around to check on you and the baby each day you're admitted to the hospital.

MrsJG3 · August 2015

With my first two I used the on call pedi. With my son I intentionally picked one that would come to the hospital too. I wanted someone from the very beginning that shared my beliefs as far as breastfeeding etc. She also preformed the circumcision and revised my sons tongue tie while we were still in the hospital. It was a really good experience.

egraves4 · August 2015

gollymrsmolly said:

All sounds great, right? Until, I got a bill for that on call resident for almost $700 and insurance didn't cover a dime of it! I would just check and double check what your insurance will cover.

That sounds awful. I'm already terrified about hidden costs.

If I wasn't so connected already to the doctor I have I would totally choose a pedi that does rounds at the hospital in delivering at! I just figured pedis were like childcare where you had to book it months in advance lol.

VitaLuna · August 2015

I chose a pedi prior to delivery, but he did not visit the hospital we delivered at. It was no big deal, used the peds hospitalist while we were there and followed up at his office after we were discharged.

CuriousKiddosMama · August 2015

That was pretty much how it worked for us . Our pedi didn't come to the hospital, instead once we got released we called. And I needed an appointment within 2 days of our release due to weight concerns. They fit you in. I wouldn't worry about having a backup unless it's a super small office or something like that. For us, the office had several other pediatrician so if we hadn't been able to get in with our dr, we could still see someone.

pettycrocker · August 2015

I picked on when I was in my 3rd tri with my daughter, and they did come to the hospital. We recently switched to one that doesn't come to the hospital, I didn't even bother to ask what the protocol is? I'm assuming, I give them a call when this one is born and set up an appt for after we get home.

pbtoast · August 2015

Is this something you have to do ahead of time? How soon do you have to take a baby to the pediatrician? And once I choose a place, do I call ahead and tell them I have a baby due in Feb, or just call after the baby is born? God, I have so much to learn.

pettycrocker · August 2015

pbtoast said:

Is this something you have to do ahead of time? How soon do you have to take a baby to the pediatrician? And once I choose a place, do I call ahead and tell them I have a baby due in Feb, or just call after the baby is born? God, I have so much to learn.

Usually within a week of being discharged from the hospital, but some pediatricians will come to the hospital daily to check on LO. They will ask to see baby sooner if there are any issues. Then if I recall correctly it's weekly growth checks for the first month or so, or more if LO is losing too much or having trouble gaining, etc. It's good to have one lined up before LO is born, that gives you a chance to make sure you are comfortable with the Dr you choose. You can set up a meet and greet any time, I think most women do it in the 3rd tri.

SoSweetTea1124 · August 2015

@pbtoast

Each person is different. I wanted to sit down and meet with a few pediatricians because not all share my beliefs and so we interviewed a few before the baby was born. Once we settled on one we just waited until DS arrived and I called them up to let them know I had just had a baby and needed to make an appointment. I waited until we were on the way home from the hospital before I called to schedule. You never know how long they might hold you hostage. The pedi got us in the very next day.

PedsIsHardcore · August 2015

My DD's Ped has privileges at the hospital I'm delivering at. I always make sure of that ahead of time.

RissKay · August 2015

Typically, if your pedi doesn't come to the hospital you're at, they want to see you three days after being discharged, then a week later, then a month, then 3 months, then 6.

BabySeaTurtles · August 2015

RissKay said:
Typically, if your pedi doesn't come to the hospital you're at, they want to see you three days after being discharged, then a week later, then a month, then 3 months, then 6.

This has been my experience as well.

kateryna72 · August 2015

We just went with the pedi that our OB suggested who was affiliated with our hospital. We didn't really research pedis too much and just figured if we ended up liking that one we would just stick with her, and if not we had plenty of time to switch afterwards. We ended up switching, because that pedi was just too far for us to drive, but otherwise we probably would have stayed with her.

lilqt3929 · August 2015

We just choose to use the same practice that DH and I use for baby's doctor (so not a pediatrician, a family doctor). They would not "assign" a doctor for her before birth but just accept her as a new patient and we could see who ever we would prefer when we had to bring her in (big practice with over 10 doctors). They also had privileges at the hospital I delivered at and always had someone there to check on new babies so we ended up seeing the same doctor we've stuck with so far the entire last 2 years. He came up every morning to check on her that we were there and then we had to bring her in first thing in the morning the day after we were dicharged, then again 2 days later, again at 1 week old, 2 weeks old, then monthly for a while. I believe that's not a normal visitation schedule but I think it was due to DD having quite a high bilirubin level, they wanted to be sure it was decreasing on its own.

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