How to choose the perfect pediatrician for your baby.

 

At some point in the third trimester, you will have to start the important mission of finding the pediatrician for your baby. This task, although it may sound easy, is not. Remember that in the first years on the life of your baby, you will visit this doctor many times. Therefore you need a doctor who is accredited, with whom you have full confidence and trust, and that is accessible and convenient for your baby’s needs. In this post, I will give you important information about How to choose the perfect pediatrician for your baby. Ready? Let’s begin. 

How to choose the perfect pediatrician for your baby.

1. Let’s start with one of the most important thing, What a pediatrician training should look like?

Pediatric doctors graduate from medical school and then must complete the specialty in pediatrics. This specialty includes 3 more years of study. This part of the career is called “Residency”. Under the supervision of another doctor, this pediatrician-in-training doctor will acquire the knowledge necessary to treat from the most frequent cold in an infant to the most complicated disease. Upon completion of the Residency, the pediatrician will be eligible to take the exam given by the American board of pediatrics. After passing this exam, this pediatrician will be registered to practice as a doctor.

About the pediatrician credentials.

If you see the letters FAAP after the doctor’s name in the graduate diploma of this pediatrician, it means that he is now a full fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Therefore he has reached the highest status of membership in this professional organization.
Some pediatricians after completing this part of their career may choose to obtain a subspecialty (this step is optional), which involves 1 to 3 more years of studies. This subspecialty can be neonatology, pediatric cardiology, etc.

2. Finding a pediatrician.

When the pediatrician’s search begins, you should always start by asking people who know you. Family or friends who have babies, they will have a better idea of what you need and/or your preferences.

If you do not have on hand information from friends and/or family, don’t worry. You can then contact the nearest hospital or the hospital where you are going to give birth, for recommendations. Or you can also call your health insurance to get pediatrician in-network from your insurance.

3. Once you have a list of possible pediatricians, you should consider a few things like:

• Is this pediatrician accepting new patients and taking the current medical insurance you have?
• What is the office work schedule? Do they work after hours? Or at the weekends?
• What is the best time to call with questions? Is this doctor accessible to talk to you in case you need advice for your baby’s health? If not, who can you talk to?
• How do the office handle payments and billing with insurance?
• You prefer a pediatrician who works alone or a pediatrician who belongs to practice with several other doctors?
• The office is located in a convenient area for you?
• Do you prefer Female or Male doctors?

4. Choosing the pediatrician.

For the process of finally choosing the pediatrician for your baby, both parents should go to an interview with at least a few of these doctors. The 2 parents should feel comfortable with the doctor’s policies, the office staff, the location, the doctor’s credentials, his approach to topics like parenting, breastfeeding, solid food, circumcision in case of boys, etc.

5. Here are some of the questions you can ask the pediatrician to make an informed decision.

After giving birth, what is the earliest time the doctor can see your baby?

During admission to the hospital, at the time of delivery, the hospital will always obtain information about the baby’s pediatrician. If the baby was born prematurely or with any other complication, the pediatrician from the hospital will examine the baby. But the hospital will always contact the chosen pediatrician immediately, to let him know that the baby is being born and the complications that exist.

In case of complications, the baby must visit the pediatrician in a period no longer than 24 to 72 hours after birth. The presence of the pediatrician chosen by the parents in the initial examination will be very important. So that the doctor becomes familiar with the situation of your baby. After that, in the first months, your baby will require routine exams for hearing, jaundice, congenital heart diseases, thyroid, metabolic disorders, immunizations and more, so the sooner you see the pediatrician to exam the baby, the better.

What is the best way to communicate with the pediatrician? by phone, or by email?

Especially if you are a first-time mom, and if you don’t have a person close by to give you advice, most likely, you’ll have questions in the beginning.

Clarify with the pediatrician if he is accessible to your consultations, and at what times. And get clear about the better way to contact him? or otherwise, if someone else is in charge of taking the message, what are the credentials of this other person.

Example: My children’s pediatrician is difficult to contact. Because she may not be in the office or be in the hospital. But the clinic has registered nurses and nurse practitioners who answer my calls every time I have a question, and I am comfortable with that.

What hospital does this pediatrician use and why?

Feeling comfortable with the hospital that your child should be treated in case of being seriously injured or ill, is although something that we mothers do not like to anticipate, but is very important thing to consider as well. And the reason is this: many hospitals are for medical students, or for research, or simply are not specialized in pediatric patients.

Example: The pediatrician of my children attend a regular hospital. But some appointments with specialists I prefer to take my children to the pediatric hospital in my local area. And that is something with which my pediatrician agrees, just like me. When it comes to something more serious, I prefer that my children have the best attention of the most specialized professionals.

Does this pediatrician or practice work after hours and/or the weekends?

Very important pointe to consider when you are choosing your baby’s pediatrician. The reason is very simple, the convenience of taking your baby to the doctor after hours or on weekends may be the difference between many hours of waiting time in an emergency center, or losing workdays in case you are a working mom like me.

Example: The office of pediatricians where my children go, opens 3 days a week until 10 at night. Which means that, if I have a sick child, I can take it to the doctor after work. Also, this office takes appointments on Saturdays as well, which means that routine check-ups or follow-up visits, I prefer to do them on weekends and so I don’t need to request time off.

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Who covers the practice when the pediatrician is unavailable? 

Let’s face it, we are all humans. Doctors have a family too, and they need vacations too, it is understandable. Now, who is in charge of patients when the pediatrician is not there?. Usually, pediatric practices have several doctors or other health professionals, if that is the case, it is advisable to find out the credentials of all doctors, nurse practitioners or physician assistants who work in the practice. So in case of emergency or illness, you can always make an appointment and take your baby to be examined by a health professional in the same practice, who has access to the clinical history of your baby.

If the pediatrician practices alone, he’ll probably have some arrangements in place, in case he is not available with other doctors in the community. In this case, is good to have the other doctor’s information as well, in case you need it one day.

How often the pediatrician see your baby for regular check-ups and immunizations? 

Based on the guidelines of the pediatrics academy, the first recommended visit with the pediatrician is between 48 to 72 hours after the baby has been discharged from the hospital. This visit is more important for babies who are exclusively breastfeeding to track the weight and jaundice if any.

During the first year of your baby’s life, additional visits are recommended by the pediatric academy, at 2 to 4 weeks of age, then at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 months as well. and finally, routine visits continue annually until 5 years of age.
Obviously, additional visits may be necessary each time the baby is sick.

Where are the labs completed?

There are offices that offer convenient service for doing laboratories in the same office. This is a plus considering that you will be driving around with a newborn. Instead of other practices, you must go to the laboratory and do everything at another time.

Do they take sick babies before healthy ones?

Very important, mainly if your baby is sick. It means less waiting time and faster relieves for your baby.

Related posts you might like to check after.

How to boost your baby’s brain growth and development.

How to prevent preterm labor naturally.

Baby sleep training. The complete guide.

Newborn developmental milestones, first 3 months.

6. Other additional, but as equally important things to look for on the interview in the office:

• Look if the rooms are separated for every patient: When you are carrying around a newborn you don’t want to be in the same rooms with other sick babies.
• Is the waiting room spacious? Very important, when you go for a follow-up visit. You can stay away from sick babies.
• Is the staff friendly, welcoming, and open to cooperate or help you?
• Is the office clean? This point is usually underestimated but it’s really important. If the office is clean and organized, it means that the staff follows the rules and regulations from OSHA and other government organizations that protect not only patients but also staff against the spread of diseases.

Final thoughts about How to choose the perfect pediatrician for your baby.

As you can see the responsibility of how to choose the perfect pediatrician for your baby seems easy but, it is not. Especially when your maternal instinct is going to be at it’s finest. You will need a doctor who is trained, but also meets all the requirements for you to feel calm and confident, and for your baby to grow healthy.

When you talk to the pediatrician, don’t forget to write things down and touch on important topics such as:

• Advice about breastfeeding? Do you offer breastfeeding classes?
• What is your opinion about sleeping methods?
• Recommendations about the use of pacifiers?
• What do you think of co-sleeping?
• Any advice when making the transition to solid food?

Feel free to add other questions you might have doubts or questions. Ask, Don’t be shy. After all, you and your baby are going to be seeing this doctor for the next years to come.

I hope this article has helped you. Feel free to comment, or send me an email if you have any questions.

Zadi, xo