How early should I start talking to pediatricians?

[MrsSlocombe]

I am five months along, and I have a recommendation from a local friend for a pediatrician who has worked well for her.  When should I contact this pediatrician, and/or others?  I know that I'm supposed to have someone lined up by the time of the birth, but I fear that if I start the process now, it will be considered too early.  (I know that's what most doulas thought when I began my search at three months!)

Also, what is considered an appropriate way to determine whether a pediatrician is a good match for my needs?  I caught a few minutes (just a few minutes, I swear!) of a reality show in which the Mom-to-be had a sit-down interview with a pediatrician in late pregnancy.  (She decided against him.)  Do people do this in real life, or would it be more realistic to expect a pediatrician to talk to me by phone...or even just have her receptionist answer my questions that way?

[snugglebug14]

I would definitely do a face to face. For me, personally, I want a pediatrician willing to make time for me as a person. If they can't fit in a consult, how much time will they be willing to spend when your child has a problem? For me it comes down to the pediatrician's willingness to support my (often non-mainstream) choices regarding healthcare and how well I felt like I "clicked" with him/her. So I asked questions such as their opinion on herbal medicine/homeopathy/alternative treatments, co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, homebirth, no/selective/delayed vaccinations, antibiotics, etc. We ended up with a really amazing pediatrician who even came and did a home visit after our homebirth so that we wouldn't have to travel into the office with a newborn baby. It was also really important to me that I felt like the pediatrician listened to me and my perspective as the parent (which was NOT the case with the first pediatrician we were seeing). In the end we felt, and have continued to feel, very happy with our choice. 

I would say 5 months is definitely not too early to start talking to pediatricians. This way here you aren't rushing to make a decision at the end. You have time to look at your options and sit with it after the consults and see who you really feel good about. For me, it was really important to feel like I could trust my pediatrician and that they trusted me as the parent. For what it's worth, I am also close to 5 months along with this one and since it's my current partner's first baby, I called this week to schedule a consult with our pediatrician so that my partner can meet him and ask any questions he wants. The receptionist didn't even bat an eye at the request for an interview/consult when I explained the situation. We scheduled it for mid April, but we aren't really "shopping around" so to speak, it's more for my partner to be able to do a meet and greet before the baby comes.

Best of luck with your search! It can be a really tricky one. It was a rocky road to find the pediatrician we have now, but I couldn't be happier with him :)

[MrsSlocombe]

Thanks, Snugglebug14!  Should I expect any charge for the initial interview, and if so, does insurance typically cover this?

[snugglebug14]

that i cant answer for sure...depends on the practice and/or your insuance. but i would think that they shoudnt charge you. im sure you could ask when you schedule the apt tho

[Nazsmum]

I think it is never to early to interview. It may take you some time to find the right fit.

Try to find a woman with children/and has b/f them....