Criteria for choosing a pediatrician??

[Neve]

I forgot that I am supposed to choose a pediatrician BEFORE the baby arrives. LOL. Any idea on basic questions to ask?? I know that I want to have any and all immunizations, but beyond that??? Is it more of a rapport & location thing and am I just overthinking it??

Thanks to all you pros out there!

[Marvelleaux]

Take a peek at this thread.

[torio]

We considered the kind of medical care we want for ourselves and translated that into issues that would be relevant for infants and children.

Vaccination policy
Caring for uncircumcised penis
exclusive and extended breastfeeding support
questioning of 'routine' procedures
knowledge and support of alternative medicine
attitude toward use of antibiotics, steroids and other common meds
support of parent's rights to decide about children's medical care
knowledge of diet/lifestyle approaches to health
willingness to support alternative approaches to post-natal care
support for attachment parenting practices

Then there are logistics like:
a) how easy is it to get advice over the phone or a last minute appointment
b) distance
c) insurance compatibility

We ultimately decided on a ped who is a long drive away, but is by far the most in line with our belief system. Our guy not only answers my questions openly and honestly, but provides me with additional resources and info about issues of concern to me.

[Shell_Ell]

I took the easy way out last time and chose who our midwife chose for her kids. It worked out great... we'll have the same Dr for both of our kids.

[onelilguysmommy]

i havent taken my son to a doc until last week in 2 years. (almost to the day, he hadnt been since 6 weeks)
i took him to where my 8yo brother used to go, though this dude creeped me out when my brother as little... and he hasnt gone in a while, either, lol since the doc me and him had was a general/family practice doc. she was sweet, even referred me to the birth center (i only went to her being pregnant, started at 27 weeks)

she did try to push vax though, the full 2 month ones at 6 weeks, veen by trying to scare me but othr than that she was lovely. :sigh:


BUT anyway when i took my son, he asked me if hed had any baby shots. i said no. he then continured his exam and then asked me if i wanted him to get any of them, and i said nope and he saiod okay and was fine with it
and im still bfing my 25mo and am 7.5mo pregnant, and he said he was proud of me, and that his youngest was bf until almost 4 (as was i) and how great it is.
so well....im taking my new baby to him, too. i as rather worried, because he does do circs, and his office definitely does vax, but apaprently theyre okay if you dont, which i was overjoyed with, but because of that i was worried theyd try to force it, but nope.

do you have anything you will refuse? if not, just find a ped who youre comfy with, as far as personalities, its a lot harder to find one whos okay with non vax rather than one who will try to get you not to, or not recommend them, or not do them, so no worries there for you.

good luck in your search

[willoLevin]

I'll second the PP who mentioned location being a factor.

We've just switched from the family doc that we loved to two different doctors for myself and my son/husband. I came to realize that, when *I* needed care, I simply never went to the doctor anymore because those times were when I was least likely to have the energy to drive 40+ minutes into the city.

For my son, now that he is in preschool, it is required to get a doctor's note clearing him to go back to school after any little illness (we've had pinkeye, etc.), so location is a bigger factor than it was when he just went for pre-arranged well baby visits.

So I chose a doc about 20 minutes away for my son who is a homeopath as well as an MD. He does support doing some vax, and agrees that others are probably more bad than good, but he will treat patients who refuse them. Basically, he tolerates a friend of mine who is WAAAAY more "crunchy" than I am, so I knew he would work for us. I love that, when we call about a minor illness, he will prescribe homeopathic treatment first thing over the phone. Our old doc was supportive of using complementary therapies, but not a homeopath herself.

For myself, I switched to a totally mainstream practice that is a five minute WALK from my house and also has a walk-in urgent care center (they can do x-rays, etc.) It is so much easier to refuse unwanted interventions for oneself (as an adult) than for one's child--no risk f being reported as neglectful, etc. But I feel so much more secure now, knowing that, if I am sick, I can get myself care with almost no trouble or stress.

--willo

[jstar]

i had no idea and picked mostly on location. i asked on a portland livejournal community for peds that people loved. some got a lot of mentions but weren't taking new patients. i never did an interview or anything and she has turned out to be great. we're still seeing her 3 years later and i will use her for the new babe too. she's been pro-breastfeeding, aok with cosleeping, and very laid back in her approach. like 'you could do X if you want' we do vax so that wasn't an issue for us. i delayed the MMR and declined the flu and varicella and she didn't mind.

she's also not an abx at at the drop of a hat person so i like that. i took isaac in once after he had thick green green snot for almost 3 weeks straight. he had a sinus infection and she prescribed abx but said she wouldn't have if we had come in earlier. she likes to see if it is still a problem after a couple of weeks to be sure it is a real infection. i'm not opposed to abx when necessary but i wouldn't want someone who would say 'oh there's a little cloudyness in the ear lets do abx' kinda thing.

so i basically took the gamble approach and it worked out her office is really convenient to our house and although she is only there 3 days a week we have seen other peds in the group when isaac has gotten sick. they're all helpful

[Ks Mama]

I think the MOST important thing is availability. When you talk to the office ask:
Can the pediatrician be reached at any time - by phone?
Can you make an appointment at any time of the week, even weekends.
Can you actually talk to the DOCTOR - not just a nurse at a phone triage... ask if the DOCTOR will call you back, even outside of office hours.

Second most important is being nearby, so you don't have to haul your sick baby miles away by car - particularly if you have a baby who doesn't like the car. There are a lot of well visits in the first year... you don't want to have to be travelling all over creation.

I personally feel that you DO NOT have to agree with everything your pediatrician says, or recommends, and you don't have to fill all prescriptions, etc. You can ALWAYS get a 2nd opinion. A pediatrician isn't an expert on anything except for basic child well/sick care. They aren't an expert on child sleep. They aren't an expert on breastfeeding. They aren't an expert on discipline, etc. And for any major issues, you can always consult a specialist. IMHO & experience, most things can be taken care of at home, with a little research. The Dr. Sears Baby Book is a wonderful infant care guide, written by a pediatrician.

Certainly, it's nice to agree on most things, but it's NOT necessary. Remember that YOU are your child's primary caregiver, and primarily in charge of your child's health, not your child's ped... so if they ever say something you don't agree with, you can just thank them for their advice, then research it, or get a second opinion later.

But what is most important is that when you feel like you NEED a doctor, they are reachable, and you don't have to make a trip to the ER.