As your pregnancy comes to a close it’s important to find a good pediatrician for your baby. It’s not only acceptable, but it’s important that you shop around for a care provider that you feel completely comfortable with. You can make informational appointments with three or four doctors and find the one that’s perfect for your family. After all, you wouldn’t hire a babysitter without interviewing her first. Why would you choose a doctor that way?
There are several different types of doctor that you can choose as your child’s primary care provider. Pediatricians complete four years of medical school, followed by three years of pediatric residency. A Family Physician also has four years of medical school, but her three years of residency are spread out over several fields, like pediatrics, internal medicine and obstetrics. A Pediatric Nurse Practioner is someone with at least a master’s degree in nursing who has advanced training in pediatrics. Each of these three options is well trained and regulated and they all require continuing education to keep their licenses current.
With all of these options, it can seem overwhelming to think of choosing a care provider for your baby. A good place to start is to ask friends and family for references. You can also ask your obstetrician, who will work closely with the pediatrician in the days following your baby’s birth. You can also call your insurance provider and ask for a list of pediatricians in your area that accept your health plan. Many of these lists can be found online, too.
When you go in to interview the care provider, there are several things to pay attention to. Does she listen carefully and let you fully ask every question, or does she cut you off? If she doesn’t listen now, she might not listen when you have a concern about your baby’s health. Also, check in with yourself: do you feel comfortable with this person? Is this someone you would invite into your home to share a meal? It’s very important that you feel at ease with your child’s doctor.
Here’s a list of questions you might consider asking a pediatrician.
1. What hospital are you affiliated with? If my baby has to go into the hospital, will you attend her or will she have different doctors in the hospital?
2. Do you have a 24-hour advice nurse line? If not, how available are you by phone? What if there’s an emergency in the night?
3. Are you available for routine questions by email?
4. What do you charge for care? Are there any services that aren’t covered by my insurance?
5. What are your philosophies around vaccinations? The use of antibiotics? Other medical interventions?
6. What are routine child-care checks and when are they scheduled?
7. Do you work alone, or is this a group practice? If it's a solo practice and you’re not available on weekends or evenings, what are your coverage arrangements? If it's a group practice, what are the qualifications of the other doctors in the office? Who will see my child if you’re on vacation or otherwise unavailable?
8. What are your policies regarding referrals to specialists if my child needs additional care? Are you financially penalized by my health plan for referring patients to specialists, and if so, does this influence your referral practices?
If you schedule multiple interviews, make sure you take notes on the different answers so you’ll be armed with great information to make the perfect decision for your baby. With all of these issues, the most important things are that you feel really comfortable with the doctor and that you see eye-to-eye about medical philosophies. For example, many pediatricians won’t take a patient who refuses vaccinations, so if you have questions about vaccines, it’s important that you ask them early on in the relationship.
Once you choose a pediatrician, you don’t have to stay with her. Most insurance plans allow you to change the provider if it isn’t working out. So take the time to make sure your pediatrician is a great fit for your family. Does she spend time with you? Does she seem to enjoy working with children? Does she listen to every single concern you have and respond with respect and quality information? Does she seem to be up-to-date in the medical field and knowledgeable about new ideas and treatments?
Also consider the location of her office. You will make many a scheduled and spontaneous trip to the office over the next few years. Make sure it’s convenient for your family.
Your child’s pediatrician should feel like part of the family. After all, she’s going to be your child’s doctor for many happy years to come. If there’s anything that just doesn’t feel right about your child’s care provider, consider finding a new one.
My son’s first pediatrician was a delight: she was cheerful, she obviously loved children, she took time with me every single visit to make sure that I was healthy, too, not just my baby. I actually looked forward to our well-baby check-ups, almost like I was going out for tea with a friend! When we moved, I was heart-broken to leave this important piece of my child’s life behind.
Since then, we’ve found a wonderful new pediatrician who has a group practice. We know every single doctor in the practice and we are comfortable and confident with all of them. There’s one doctor who is especially delightful: Dr. Hartman. Dr. Hartman is about a hundred years old, and he has hair growing out his ears, but he takes such care of my children!
We’ll miss him desperately when he retires (soon)! But there’s a new, young doctor, fresh out of residency, who is just as special. The way she sits down with my toddler and connects with her before she examines her is precious to me. And she’s also extra-careful whenever she has to touch any “sacred” place on my daughter’s body to ask for permission first – not from me, but from my girl! I think it’s a wonderful way of helping my daughter learn about healthy boundaries.
So whether it’s a male or female, young or old, doctor or nurse practioner, your child’s care provider is an important part of his health. Do whatever it takes to find the perfect fit for your family.
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