How to Choose a Pediatrician for Your Baby
How to Choose Your Child's Pediatrician
This is a common question during pregnancy. Here in Wichita there are not very many pediatricians and well-known ones get booked up, so if you prefer to take your child to a pediatrician rather than a family doctor, it’s best to find, interview, and select the one you want earlier on in the process. Also, this will ideally enable you to have your pediatrician come to the hospital to do your baby’s initial checkups after birth.
Everyone is different and thankfully there are all different personalities and practice styles when it comes to pediatricians, so just like OB-GYNs, midwives, and doulas, there’s the perfect one out there for everyone!
First, think about what qualities would be ideal in your child’s pediatrician.
Do you prefer to visit a male or female doctor? Since your child would ideally see the same doctor throughout their childhood, some parents believe their child would feel most comfortable with a physician of the same sex once they get into their tween/teen years.
Is the physician a good listener? While they are certainly knowledgeable and educated in their field of pediatric medicine, the parent is the one who lives with the child day in and day out and their instincts can tell them when something is “off” even if the child appears to be fine. The physician should trust a parent’s instincts and be willing to work together for the child’s best interests.
Next, some people only want medical advice at their child’s doctor visits, and no parenting advice. Some are the opposite. What do you want?
If there are any special circumstances in your family, such as genetic disorders and special needs, or you are a home birthing family, or your child has suffered trauma, find out how experienced and comfortable the physician is with these circumstances and if they are happy to support your family as part of a collaborative team with you.
Does the pediatrician know their limits when necessary?
There are several different areas where parents expect their pediatrician to call the shots or have all the answers. After all, that’s why they chose a specialist! However, a pediatrician specializes in childhood development and the identification and treatment of disease. Many non medical or medical-adjacent topics are not taught to pediatricians in school and they do not specialize in them (unless due to personal interest they sought out their own continuing education). They should be okay with referring out to someone who is an expert in a different area rather than potentially giving out misguided or outdated advice, or using their own personal experience rather than the current best practices. These are a few of those areas:
lactation
tongue ties (oral restrictions)
speech and language pathology
sleep training
Logistics of pediatrician visits
When considering a pediatrician, you might like to inquire how much time they spend in visits. If you have questions during a routine well check, you don’t want to feel rushed. You can inquire into what to expect if your child is sick or has an emergency, as well.
Inquire as to the physician’s appointment policies - can you make a same day appointment if your child is sick? Is there a nurse hotline? What if your child is sick in the middle of the night?
Are there separate waiting rooms for sick and well children?
Does the practice take your insurance?
Are there other pediatricians in the practice? If so, can you meet them? How likely is it that you would not see your chosen pediatrician at scheduled appointments?
When deciding between a couple different pediatricians, it’s a great idea to go with one that is located between their daycare and home. As a parent you will get calls from daycare to come pick up your sick child. You can take your child to the doctor and then go home. Based on where you live, will it be easy and safe to go to the pediatrician’s location if it is dark, raining/flooded, or snowing/ice?
Ultimately, it all comes down to finding the right person you can trust with your child and feel totally comfortable asking all of your questions! I would love to know, who is a pediatrician you take your child to that you absolutely love? Comment below!