First, should you even use a pediatrician? Can't you just use your family practitioner?
Well, yes, you can use your family practitioner. If you feel comfortable with them and comfortable having your child cared by them, then sure! Of course your family practitioner's have been trained and have degrees to be doing what they are doing. One thing to consider, though, is that family practitioners see a wide range of patients. They can see infants all the way to the elderly. Because of that, they may not see as many children and subsequently may not be as "up to date" on what to look for in children.
Pediatricians see children from birth through 18 years. They have extensive training specifically in the pediatric population. They know what to look for in pediatric patients, they see the same age range every single day, similar childhood diseases, outbreaks, etc. and may diagnose pediatric illnesses quicker because of that.
Neither is right or wrong. If you trust your family practitioner enough to care for your newborn, that's great! I would just caution you to at least give some thought to using a pediatric office.
You've decided to find a pediatrician. Now what?
One thing I get all of my expectant moms to do is create a list of things that are important to them regarding their child's care. Things like:
- circumcision: do you want it done in the hospital or after discharge in the office? No circumcision at all?
- vaccines: if we don't want vaccines, will you take us as patients? Would you be willing to do a delay or space out vaccines if that's what we want?
- same-day sick appointments?
- Weekend hours?
- After-hour hours? After-hour phone number?
- Support for breastfeeding moms? Support for formula feeding moms?
Once you've got your list, talk to friends, family, and co-workers to get trusted opinions on pediatrician's they use. Word of mouth is generally a great way to find good pediatricians. People are not typically shy in giving you honest thoughts on any subject and if they have negatives, they'll let you know!
When you have your list of pediatricians to check out, call them and make sure they take your insurance. The last thing you want is to pick a pediatrician you love, just to find they don't accept your insurance! When you call to ask, take note of the staff. Are they friendly? Did you get put on hold? How long? *All offices have busy days, so don't use this as your sole reason for discarding a certain pediatric office.*
As you go through your list, which ones are close to your home? You may be willing to drive farther for well-visits, but what happens when your baby wakes up sick in the night? Do you want to be traveling 30 minutes to a sick visit or would you rather be closer to home?
Hopefully, you've narrowed your list down to a few pediatric offices and at this point, my suggestion is to go visit them. Set up a time to meet with one (or a few!) of the care providers in the office, take your list, and get face-to-face with them. This is your chance to see how they respond to parents, how they align with your thoughts, and if there are any red flags.
Other thoughts to consider when choosing a pediatrician:
- are they AAP certified?
- how long have they been practicing?
- do they have Nurse Practitioners, Physician's Assistants, or other doctors in the group?
- how long do appointments typically last?
- is the practice affiliated with a hospital? (if your child ended up in the hospital, would they be rounding at the hospital to see your child)
- any specialists at the office?
- how do they stay up-to-date on current practices?
- do you feel like they listened to your concerns or questions?
You, as the parent, are an advocate for your child. It's important that you find someone who will care for your child and advocate for them as well. Choosing a pediatrician doesn't have to be stressful and taking a few preparation steps before baby is born can help with this important decision!
What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear whether you chose a family physician or pediatrician for your littles and why!
