Did you interview a pediatrician?

MrsMaryK2016 · October 2016

The pediatrician's office I am planning on using (my SIL loves them) all but requires that I meet with them before they'll sign LO on as a new patient. I don't really mind and the appointment is next Friday but I don't really have any questions for them at this point. Did anyone do a pediatrician interview? If you did, what kinds of things did you ask? I'm assuming they'll have a bunch of stuff they'll go through but I know they're going to ask me if I have any questions and I don't want to sit there with a blank look on my face lol

Thanks!

Emmaholmes89 · October 2016

Mine did a group thing and gave us so much info I didn't have any questions by the end! But some of the info we found helpful that you could ask about was: what are their hours, is there a doctor / nurse on call if your baby is sick outside their opening hours, if they have any particular affiliation with a hospital, and is there a possibility of the doctor tending to your newborn during their very first in-hospital check up.

I wouldn't have thought have all that stuff either, but it was useful to know when they volunteered the info!

RhodaMorgenstern · October 2016

All the questions @Emmaholmes89 had are great questions. For me, it was important to know that they didn't accept patients whose parents choose not to vaccinate. If you have strong feelings either way, you should ask.

MrsBigTime · October 2016

Great suggestions as above!

its also nice to get a feel for them because I've found both of the pediatricians weve been to to be so encouraging and I never thought that I would appreciate that so much.

Our current one (we switched insurances and had to switch docs) is big on me getting rid of any feelings of guilt over not sending DD to preschool ("you only get 5 years with her!"). I don't think she's opposed to Preschool whatsoever, but she really helped me feel confident in my decision - she helps me trust myself as a mom.

All that to say, as you figure out who you are as a parent, they are a strong advocate for you to feel confident in yourself and if you vibe well with their priorities, it will be easier for you to feel strong in yours.

tigerfish227 · October 2016

We kind of did. DH and I both needed a primary care Dr so when we were in "establishing care" I asked them a few questions about their pediatric care.

Vaccination schedule(they give you a packet once baby is born with a schedule and a bunch of info on newborn care)
After hours/weekend availability(they are actually open Saturday mornings for last minute needs)
Short notice appointments(they reserve a few open slots each day for this purpose)

I can't think of anything else at the moment.

jsmai · October 2016

We asked if they had sometime available 24/7 in case I had a FTM freak out over whether or not baby needs immediate medical care.

I also asked if they had a lactation consultant that they were affiliated with in case there are problems in that department.

hollowway · October 2016

When DD was born the on-call pedi was very professional and proactive. She kept aspirating, even on her own saliva, so he did rays an tests, found her birth defect and told is she needed to go to a bigger hospital with a NICU and have immediate surgery. While she was in the NICU he kept up with her progress. So when we came home, it just made sense to use him. This LO will have him as a pedi as well.

Ash9614 · October 2016

I googled a list of questions a while back and used them as a guide during our pediatric visit. They Actually covered off on most of these before I could ask the questions but it was good to have a checklist just in case. This is from the notepad on my iPhone so excuse any typos!

Questions:
Ok with calls for routine/non-emergent issues? Is email ok? How long is response time? Extra charge for this?

Do you give advice on:

Thoughts on breastfeeding?

Antibiotics?

Immunizations policy?

Parenting/disciplinary methods?

Social/behavioral issues?

Getting babies to sleep?

Affiliated with hospital? Do you go to hospital for any visits? Newborn? ER?

Why did you choose pediatric medicine?

Recommend any books to prepare?

Once we select a doctor, do we move around or only see you?

How long is a typical check up appt?

Will you notify me of baby's missed milestones?

kvruns · October 2016

Mine has the option for it but I just went with the office recommended by a number of people. If for some reason I don't care for the actual Dr I could switch to another in the practice.

whaat · October 2016

We went and just asked him to go over everything. He knew what we wanted to know and was very helpful, but I already went in with the idea that we'd use him unless he was a total weirdo. For me, as long as he seemed competent and requires that his patients be vaccinated, I was good to go.
Also, it's not necessary to do the interviews. As long as you know they're taking new patients, you can just call after the birth and they'll take you. You'll prob see a different one in the hospital anyway.

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