How do u know when you have found the right pediatrician???

Question

my due date is coming soon and i have not yet found a pediatrician im scared that i might not know when a doc is good enough for my baby help plz!!!!

Thanks for the advice i really appreciate all the hlp i know see things in a different way

Answer 1

If you do not have a ped by the time baby comes, a resident will take a look at baby. So don't worry. The Residents in some cases are better than the private practicing physiscians as they work and spend more time with the patients then the Private practioners.

For a private prac. Referrals are good. Ask some of your freinds. You also don't have to go to a Ped. You can go to a General Prac. They are just as good and if you think of it this way, a GP Can treat the whole family. less hassles figuring which doctor to go to etc etc etc.

Answer 2

i got lucky in that my doc who delivered my daughter was a family practitioner, she was wonderful, answered all my questions, didn't treat me like i didn't know anything, and respected the wishes of my husband and i. to find a good ped...1) ask your obgyn, they are a good source because if a doc doesn't like another doc you will know (that's how i found my doc, by asking a friend who is also a doc) 2) ask your friends/family in your area if they have kids who they use. 3) ask your insurance provider because they may cover only certain ones.
now you know when your doc is good, when they treat you and your sig other with respect, the nurses treat you with respect, they answer your questions no matter how silly they seem, take time to answer them in a away that you can understand, and seem generally concerned about the well being of your child, even if it is just for a 2 week or 2 month well baby check up. my daughter has not been sick, but another sign of a good doc is if you can reach them easily when your child is sick, or make appointments at last min for such reasons. Take care and Good Luck. also Congrats on the new baby.

Answer 3

We went in with a list of questions that would help us figure out if the doctor was on the same page as us. We wanted to know how supportive he was of breastfeeding, what he would suggest if I had problems (the answer should NOT be "use formula" but to refer you to a LC or LLL Leader), were his/her children breastfed, his thoughts on circumcision, what he recommended reguarding vaccines, how often he would want to see the baby the first year, his thoughts on treating infant jaundice, his thoughts about prescribing medications (especially antibiotics) to children, etc.

If you find a doctor who has answers that match up with how you feel about most of that stuff and you feel comfortable, then that's the one. Ours had good answers to our questions and also had a personality that really cliqued with us.

Don't discount family doctors. We ended up with a FP instead of a ped and it was a great fit for us. He sees our WHOLE family so he knows all of us well and is concerned about how ALL of us are doing when we come in instead of just the child. Also, FP's are usually a little more willing to "think outside the box" than a ped.

Answer 4

I think people get too freaked out about having to have a "pediatrician". A family practitioner is just as good, unless your child has a condition that a pediatrician might be more familiar with.

Answer 5

I had the same fears when my baby was born. I thought I wanted him to see a certian peditrician that I had picked out and kenw well. Later when that dr. came to the hospital to check my son out I decided that I did not like him as much as I thought I would. Later I was told about a great dr. from a parent at my daycare. When I took my son in for his 2 month shots and a check up and the dr. sat in the floor with him and did the whole checkup! It was great and my son was so comfortable with him. My son is now 6 and we still go to that same dr. I think you just have to trust your instinct and trust your children. You will know if they are confortable with teh dr. and that is what really matters.

Answer 6

congratulations on the baby to be, from my own experience. I would find a family member or friend that works at the hospital you'll be having your bundle of joy at and go from there. I picked one for my little boy and he wasn't that great, I found one now and hes wonderful, make sure you know the do stores background, call around to difference offices and ask questions before you make your final choice. good luck

Answer 7

You can try to ask parents that you know who they go to.Also,go to some daycares around you and talk to some of the people that work there.There might be an employee there that has their child in the same day care,so ask them who they go to.Also,make sure of how long the DOc has been in business,what the lobby looks like,what kinds of ins do they take.Good luck.

Answer 8

Besides the advice that others have given, I made appointments with a few recommended pediatricians to talk with them. If they appeared bored or rushed me through my questions, even though I know they are busy, I didn't use them.

Answer 9

The best way to do it is to ask people with young children that have similar ideas as yourself about children. The biggest issues you'll have is finding a doctor that has the same Ideas as you do about children. If you are going to breastfeed then you need to make sure that they support that , and if you are going to bottle feed, then you need one that doesnt guilt trip you for it. I breastfed, but Im not a thumper...and I dont like people who are. Everyone knows its best, but its each womans decision. If you have certain beliefs, for instance, about cicumcision or holistic therapy, or discipline, then your pediatrician should be unbiased so that they dont encourage unfounded beliefs, but support those that are open to interpretation. I go to a group practice and have had only one bad experience. My daughter was 6 months old and teething, and I was breastfeeding. I was very adamant about continuing until atleast one year and the male doctor I went to that time completely brow beat me for breastfeeding after six months because he didnt think it was physiologically normal to do so, because teeth came in and therefore should signify the lack of need of milk. I was horrified not only by his completely weird and unfounded medical advice, but also by the fact that he believed that only corporal punishment was acceptable and in fact the only way he believed, and that despite the fact that I had no extra room for my child to sleep alone (she was in a crib in mine and my husbands room because my sister moved back home) that I was causing irreperable damage to the baby by being nearby and not letting her cry it out. Needless to say, his beliefs and mine didnt mesh and I never scheduled with him again. The best thing you can do is go in to a potential doctor/pediatrician and discuss what you believe and what you intend to do and if they are supportive, and make you comfortable then go with it. Of course thats not to say that if you do illegal or immoral things to go find one that looks the other way...but you understand what I mean. Good luck, and just know that its one more trial and error situation that comes with mommy hood. And dont forget...if it turns out you dont like them...you can always switch doctors. Even medicaid allows doctor switches if its needed.

Answer 10

Ask your O.B doc and see if they can recommend someone. Or you can check around with some friends and find out who the use. You will know when you find the right doc. Keep looking until you do.