Not All Pediatricians Are Created Equal
/Tips For Selecting a Pediatrician
Selecting your family’s pediatrician will be one of your first “gut instinct” decisions as a parent. Ultimately, LISTEN TO THAT GUT!!! You want to be able to form a relationship with this person (or persons within a practice) and feel comfortable enough to ask them questions when its needed and trust the advice they provide. Below are some things to think about when making your decision.
When to Select Your Pediatrician
You need to select a pediatrician before your baby is born. You won’t spend a ton of time with a particular pediatric provider or practice before your birth, but it’s important to know what practice you will use because they may come see you at the hospital after the birth to check on the baby and verify that everything is a-okay. Its also not unusual for a pediatric practice to rely on in-hospital pediatricians to complete your baby’s initial assessment. if this is the case with the practice you select be sure to schedule your first trip to the pediatrician by one week of life.
Who Do You Recommend?
This piece of advice seems obvious, but so many of my clients and patients forget to do this. Ask your prenatal provider who they recommend. In their role they work with pediatricians on a regular basis. They know who the good ones are and who you should avoid. Your prenatal care provider has also been caring for you and your child and can make a recommendation based on the course of your care.
Also, ask your friends who they use and trust with the care of their children. They’ll help you identify more choices and be able to give you firsthand recommendations of how their pediatricians dealt with any health issues or illnesses their children have had and how well the office is run.
How to Sort the Recommendations
Now you have a deadline for making your selection and a healthy set of recommendations from your provider, family and friends. How are you going to sort through all of them and hone in on your family’s best choice? Step one should be to call the office and find out if they are taking new patients and if they accept your insurance. Next, exclude the offices that are geographically too far away. You will be going to this office frequently with a new baby who may or may not be sick and may or may not like car rides.
To sort through the remaining options, consider scheduling a prenatal consultation. Consider this a job interview for the pediatrician as well as some get to know you time. Come prepared to ask questions and be prepared to answer questions about your pregnancy and relevant family medical history. For this consultation/interview, you will want to ask questions that help you get to know the provider and make a decision about who to choose. Below are some important questions to consider asking:
What do you enjoy about being a pediatrician and what is the hardest part?
How much time is allocated for each patient visit?
How are after-hours calls handled by your office?
Are same-day sick visits available?
Do you have privileges at the hospital where I am delivering?
Do you accept my insurance?
Selecting a pediatrician for your baby can seem like a daunting task. This is the person who could potentially be taking care of your child for many years and through many early milestones. The decision doesn’t have to be a stressful. By asking yourself and others a few questions, and trusting your gut, you can make the right choice for you and your family.
