How to avoid annoying a pediatrician?

[PollyC]

Dear Dr Sears,

this may sound like a foolish question, but how can I avoid annoying my baby's pediatrician?  In particular, what are the top things that annoy you in parents.  I am a somewhat nervous first-time mom, and I'm afraid that the doctor dreads my arrival in her office.  She is always very professional and indeed very nice, but I think I have done some irritating things and wish to avoid doing so again if I can. 

This doctor is a very sympathetic, progressive doctor who has no problem with selective/delayed vaccinations (which I have chosen for my baby...a couple of other mothers I know who use her don't vaccinate at all).  Her focus is on mind-body connection as well as basic pediatric care.  So, she is not a conservative fuddy-duddy.  Her big drawback is that she doesn't have a nurse's hotline you can call with off-hours questions--you actually have to call her on her cell phone.  This is frustrating for me since it seems so intrusive, and I have felt bad in the past when I've called (especially since she is not prone to worry over symptoms and has never really seemed alarmed about anything).  

Sorry for the long background story!  Please, if you have some general etiquette tips for me I would be eternally grateful.

thank you!

Polycarpia 

[DrBobSears]

I'd say the most annoying thing for me as a pediatrician is getting an after-hours call for a mild to moderate problem that we've given very clear directions for on our website or in The Portable Pediatrician (answers virtually EVERY urgent medican question). But beyond that, I can't really say what would be annoying to a doctor - we're all different.

[PollyC]

Thank you for the great answer.  I'm actually thinking of switching to another practice so I can have a nurse's hotline to call in case of (possibly unimportant) questions, instead of the doctor's cell phone.  Like I said, I'm a first-time mother and I can't always tell the difference.  Is The Portable Pediatrician a book I can get?  It sounds very helpful.

Thanks again, Doctor!