When you’re pregnant, the list of things you need to get done before your baby’s arrival is more than likely growing. One of those things you might be contemplating is which pediatrician to choose. Choosing the right pediatrician before your baby arrives can bring peace of mind and ensure a smooth start to your child’s healthcare journey.
But how do you decide? Some things to consider as you are making your decision are availability, approach to care, office policies and communication style.
Availability
As you are looking into different pediatricians, check to see what their office hours are and if they line up with your family’s schedule. For example, if you work outside of the home and have a strict schedule, you might want to find a pediatrician that opens early or stays late. In the first year, your baby will have a lot of well check-ups scheduled, so it’s important to find an office that fits your schedule.
Here are some other things to consider:
- Are you looking for an office that is open at all on the weekend?
- What are the policies when the office is closed?
- Do they have a doctor on-call that you can speak to when your child is sick?
- How far away is the office located? And is the location greatly affected by traffic? If you live in a busy area, the last thing you want is to be stuck in traffic with a sick, unhappy little one.
Approach to Care
Find out the pediatrician’s approach to care, to make sure it aligns with your vision for what you want for your child as they grow.
Some things to consider:
- Do they offer a separate waiting room for babies under 12 months who are arriving for their well check-up?
- Do they offer telehealth visits?
- What is their medication policy? If one child tests positive for the flu or strep and your other child becomes ill, do they need to be tested, too, prior to receiving treatment?
In the initial meeting, consider whether you feel like the doctors and staff were willing to spend time with you and answer your questions. Did you feel comfortable and relaxed? This is someone you will be seeing regularly over the years and you want to be sure you have a good rapport. Also, if you aren’t comfortable, there is a good chance your child won’t be, either.
If you know the sex of your child, consider if you want a doctor who is the same sex. This might not feel important when they are little, but as they hit the teenage years, this might help them to feel more comfortable during examinations.
Office Policies
When children are little, their immune systems are developing, which means there might be a few years where you feel like your child is sick all the time. Even though that is normal, and good for them in the long run, it still isn’t easy.
When you are searching for a pediatrician, you aren’t just choosing the doctor, you are choosing the office, too. You will be interacting with the front desk staff, nurses, nurse practitioners and possibly other pediatricians, too — maybe more than you would imagine. So, the office policies and office relationships do matter.
Some things to consider:
- Do they accept your insurance?
- What happens if you accidentally miss an appointment? Are they gracious or will they charge you a fee?
- What if your doctor isn’t available? Will you see another doctor or a nurse practitioner?
- Do they have a patient portal where you can email questions and find information you need?
Communication Style
It is very important that you feel comfortable and at ease with your child’s doctor. This is someone who will care for your child, and you want to be sure you can ask the questions you need to ask and feel like you will be heard and respected. Trust your gut. If you get a good feeling, trust that feeling. And on the contrary, if something doesn’t feel quite right, trust that feeling, too.
Some things to consider:
- Do you feel like you are being rushed out of the room?
- Do you feel like you can easily ask questions?
- Are they available to answer questions via email on a patient portal if you need to reach them?
- Does their communication style line up with yours?
In addition to the things mentioned here, another wonderful resource is your community. Talk to friends, family members and neighbors who live nearby and ask for their recommendations. Or, you can check on local online parenting groups and see if there is a pediatrician that is highly recommended.
Choosing a pediatrician can feel like an overwhelming task, but remember – this doesn’t have to be forever. If you get started down a road that doesn’t feel right for one reason or another, you can always find another doctor.
