Selecting a pediatrician?

Question

I'm 37 weeks pregnant with my first child and should be selecting a pediatrician before the birth of my baby. Any tips on finding a good one? Should I call them and ask them questions? If so what questions should I ask. How did you select your pediatrician? Please tell me about your experience. I would really appreciate it. Thank you all in advance!

Answer 1

Definitely find someone with board certification, they get one chance every 10 years for that, so I think it's important.

Here's a link to my daughters pediatrician(s). They are the best I've seen. Look for something similar in your area, where they provide extra for you and your family.

www.fspkids.com

Answer 2

first you should get suggestions from friends or co-workers.  and you need to do that ASAP! since you could have your baby any time now it's better to have one before the baby is born rather than after. most offices will schedule a time for you to come in and meet with the doctor and ask all of the questions you may have. research issues that are important to you and write down your questions.

Answer 3

Definitely call around or ask for recommendations in your area. Not all pediatricians have the same ideas, and you want to find someone with the same values as you. Things like vaccinations, and just whether they are old fashioned or do they keep up to date on new research. We picked ours because she practices at the same clinic that my husband and I go to, but also because she has 3 kids of her own and they are still relatively young - so I felt comfortable that she is not too far removed from the experience of being a parent and going through the same things we will be, and she was easy to talk to. Also, our personalities seem to work together - we have very relaxed visits. I have heard of some of my friends not liking their pediatricians and have stressful visits - if you don't like the person you choose you can always switch!

Not all doctors make time to visit with prospective patients, so getting referrals from other parents you know that you think would have a similar parenting style as you would be a good idea.