How do I find a ped?

[Amy@STL]

I am looking for some resources to educate me on how I go about finding the right pediatrician for my baby? I have got a dozen recommendations from friends,but I need to know what to ask them? For my birth for example, I realized one can have many options..similarly does it vary a lot from ped to ped, how ur baby is treated?I would like as natural and less medicine possible for my baby.

Thanks Mamas!

[jillmamma]

One suggestion I have to find one that other MDC mamas like is to check your area in FYT for recommendations. That is partly how I found the midwives I am seeing for this pregnancy. (I already have a ped since I have older kids too.) Other than that, make up a list of questions about things that are important to you, and see what their response is. When I was pg with DS, the ped let me schedule an "interview" appointment (no charge) to see if he would be a good match. I would suggest you take some of those names and do just that. Some questions I would ask are:
~ (Depending on your own feelings on this of course) How do you feel about vaccinations...are you okay with delayed or selective vaxes?
~ What are your feelings on breastfeeding...how long? supplementation necessary? When do you suggest we introduce solids?
~ Do you have any after hours appointments?
~ What hospital(s) do you have privileges to? (in case there is a certain one you like or want to avoid)
~ What schedule of well baby/child visits do you suggest?
~ If my child is sick, can I generally get him/her in to see you that same day?
~ Do you have separate waiting areas for sick or well kids?

Talk to your friends too about things like how the staff is...helpful or rude?, how long do you wait once getting there for your appointment (not fun waiting over an hour with a toddler!!), does the ped tend to take a cautious approach to illness/medical conditions or want to aggressively treat them. (One example is my DS (7) has autism...the ped took a wait and see approach for a long time as DS is high-functioning, and then suggested we have him evaluated by the school system)

Good luck!

[Amy@STL]

Thank you jillmama...that's very helpful

[her_story]

Yes, thank you jillmomma!! I was just trying to come up with a list of questions myself...

The only one I'm going to add is if the pediatrician has experience with non-circumcised children... and his/her opinion of this...

[MamaMonica]

Moved to Life with a Babe.

[annekh23]

You don't even need to go with a paediatrican, we settled on having the baby with my doctor and my opinion has gone from this works, to this is marvellous.

I like the paediatrican our older children are with, but because they are a big group if you don need an urgent appointment it's unlikely to be with our named doctor, with our family practioner, she's in a group of 3 doctors and 2 ARNPs, we only don't see her in an emergency if she's on holiday. Similar deal with newborn check, the big group send whoever is on call, our doc came in and did it herself, even though it was a scheduled c-section on the Sunday of memorial day weekend.

[Starcat2]

you can also go to ratemds.com you can pull up all the pedi's in your area and read reviews on them.

[Amy@STL]

When you sat 'my doc' , you mean your OB-GYN?

[annekh23]

Originally Posted by Amy@STL

When you sat 'my doc' , you mean your OB-GYN?

No, my primary care doctor, a family practioner. I know some women do have there OBGYN as their primary care giver, but you can only really do that if you don't have other health issues.

[Amy@STL]

I see. Well,the doc I am going to have at birth is OB-GYN. I do have a family doc, whom I saw many yrs ago once I think.

So, a family practictioner can serve as a ped for new born checkup?