Selecting a Pediatrician

From Mommyplace.com WiKI Page

Finding the right Pediatrician is extremely important. You should select your Pediatrician about a month before your baby is due since they might meet your newborn before you leave the hospital after the birth.

Here is a plan to help you find the right one.

1) First check with your health insurance to get a list of Pediatricians that are covered/in network. If you have a preference for a Male or Female Pediatrician, you should be able to specify your preference when obtaining the list.

2) Take this list to your Ob/Gyn and see if they have any knowledge of any of the Doctors on the list.

3) Ask friends and families if they know any of the Doctors on the list.

4) Come up with a short list of Doctors to visit and see who is the best fit for you. I recommend visiting at least 3 Doctors.

Here are some questions to ask when you visit the prospective Pediatrician:

a) What is the policy for fitting in appointments for sick children?

I picked my son's Pediatrician based on one comment he said during our meeting. It was "every child who needs to be seen, is seen. We don't go home until that's happened". Three years later I am happy to say, he was not lying.

b) What is the waiting room like?

I visited a Family Doctor office and there was nothing in the waiting room for children to play with. Despite the fact that toys in waiting rooms are probably swimming in germs, it's a nice thing for when you are waiting. Speaking of which...

c) Ask for the typical wait time.

Being kept waiting for a scheduled appointment drives me crazy. I understand it's just a fact of life with the Medical world but it still drives me nuts. You will be kept waiting for an obscene amount of time multiple times during the child rearing years, but try to find a Dr who is at least sensitive about it.

d) Ask where they have hospital priviledges and make sure it's at a hospital that's close to you. Also, check to see if they have priviledges at the hospital where you are delivering. You will most likely prefer your Pediatrican to check your baby before you leave the hospital.

e) Ask what the policy is for when your Doctor is on vacation or sick.

f) If your Doctor has partners in his/her practice, ask about them too because it's likely that your child will see them periodically.

g) If you have any concerns that have arisen during your pregnancy, ask the prospective Pediatrician for how he/she will address them when your child is born. My son had fluid in his kidneys in all of my ultrasounds. When I asked the prospective Dr (who I eventually selected) how he would address this once my son was born he outlined an entire plan for me right then and there. He also was very reassuring that the chance of finding something serious was low (which me and my hormones appreciated very much!). Three years later I can say that our Pediatrician's treatment of this issue was outstanding. He took a cautious approach, was very thorough, and my son is perfectly fine.

Some other things to consider as you select your Pediatrician:

Relationship'

It's important for you to feel comfortable with your Pediatrician. You will be discussing some very sensitive things with them (e.g., breastfeeding). You also will likely be over-reacting about lots of things over the course of your child's life and it's important to feel like your Pediatrican is understanding and does not think you are a freak. It's important that you trust them since they are ultimately going to be advising you about your child's health and well being. Finally, I think it's important to like your Pediatrican. My son's Pediatrician has a good sense of humor and always makes me laugh even when I've been up all night with a sick child.

Small vs Large Practices

The nice thing about a small practice is that you will likely see the same Dr everytime. The bad thing about a small practice is that it might be harder to get in when your child is sick. Talk to your friends and family to see what has worked best for them. My son goes to a large practice and we are able to see his regular doctor for all scheduled appointments and many of his sick visits. But, we do see other doctors for many of the sick visits as well. The great thing is that all of the Doctors are nice and knowledgable and they keep our regular Doctor well informed.

A Practice Website

Our Pediatrician has a website that is a great source of information. I have found this very helpful.