Choosing a pediatrician for my baby.?

Question

What questions should I ask?

I know I need to have one ASAP, before my baby is born.
I Just dont want to choose anyone.

What should I ask them, and what should I look for ?

Answer 1

A good pediatrician will let you set up an interview. Just ask about things that are important to you. If you strongly want to breast feed choose a doctor who supports that. If you strongly do not want to breast feed you need a doctor will not try and make you feel guilty and support you in that decision. There are also websites that give reports on physicians so you know if they've ever been sued or anything like that. It's so important that you feel comfortable with your baby's doctor. Remember....he/she works for you!

Good luck!

Answer 2

I revealed all obtainable medical doctors on my coverage and then set up appointments with all of them... in many situations they'd have a weekly scheduled "New dad and mom Day" so as that they are in a position to furnish anybody the schpeel at as quickly as. The pediatrician we ended up choosing did no longer look ahead to us to have questions, he had a presentation that he gave us in my view that addressed all our concerns. yet diverse the issues i might talk approximately is.... decide in case you will vaccinate or no longer and in case you're going breastfeed or no longer and then make effective that your pediatrician is on an identical internet site as you're on those 2 matters ( i think those are the two greatest matters for mothers now a days) examine out the board of medicine, you will desire to have the means to work out how long they have been authorized and if any significant courtroom circumstances have been filed against them. Ask the different dad and mom in the waiting room what they think of with reference to the pediatrician. those are the 1st issues that spring to recommendations for me...

Answer 3

Convenience most of all. If you have to drive an hour to the office with a sick kid, you're not going to be happy.

You want to ask about the office hours, night time coverage, call-in hours (do you get the doctor on the phone during that time or do you need to leave a message?), what hospitals they have privildges at. Ask them their philsophy on certain things that matter to you - vaccines, breastfeeding vs. formula, home care for minor illnesses, things like that. You want to get a feel for the office - does the staff look stressed out? If that's normal, you may not be happy. Does the doctor rush you? Again, if that's normal - might not be to your liking.

I can tell you, the practice I work for is open 365 days year - one office or the other. We have both MDs and Nurse Practitioners - you can pick whomever you want to see for pre-scheduled appointments - everyone has their own preference. (Same day sick appointments, because we don't want you to wait if you don't have to, so you'd see whomever is available for you, since we often have anywhere from two to four practitioners in the office at any given time.) We recommend you meet everyone at least once before you pick your favorite - for the same-day sick reason. There is always a doctor on call at night - they may not be from our practice, but it's someone we know and trust. (Their primary function is to assess how emergent your ailment is and direct you for proper care - either something to try at home to get you thru the night, or the ER - whichever is necessary.) We have early morning walk-in sick hours and two evenings a week for walk-in sick visits. (No appointment - you just show up during the specified time and you'll be seen.) Our phone staff is trained in triaging calls and to give home care advice for minor things like stomach bugs, Tylenol doses, etc. We don't have phone-in hours, but if you request a call back from a doctor, you WILL get a call back from the doctor. If you call before noon, you get the call at lunchtime. After lunchtime, you'll get the call probably at the end of the day, unless the doctor has a break in the patient appointment load. If you're REALLY nervous, you can ask the person on the phone to try to catch the doctor in between patients to call you. The docs encourage you to vaccinate, but don't force you. They provide you the information necessary to make an informed decison, and let you decide for yourself. They are also pro-breastfeeding, but know that it's not feasible for everyone, they won't make you feel like a bad parent for it.

We're in Orange and Rockland counties in New York if you're local. =)

Answer 4

Start by asking your friends if they have someone to refer to you. Maybe some of them had already chosen a pediatrician for their family. If they do, check the background of the reffered pedia if it is OK for you. A specialist pedia will do best for you. But be sure you'll feel at ease and comfortable with your pediatrician.

Goodluck!