Hi all. I am 6 months pregnant, but wondering about pediatritians. I am newer to my area and I only know one person here with kids. I got lucky when I randomly chose a OBGYN and got a really good one. Is it a good idea to ask my OBGYN for a pediatrition recommendation? I think I would trust his opinion the most.
We have had good and bad ones. My best advice is to write down the questions that are most important to you and start interviewing Peds in your area. You can call to set up a short meeting with them before the baby is born and choose from there. Different parents have different priorities so I will just give you questions that I want answered when I talk to a Ped.
1.Is it usually possible to get an appt on the same day as your call?
2.How long is the typical waiting room time?
3.What is the referral policy? I like a Dr who is quick to notice that a problem is out of her scope of knowledge and will refer to a specialist when needed. Some Dr's have ego or insurance issues and won't refer you to a specialist unless the problem is drastic.
4.If there are multiple offices, how often is the Dr in the office closest to my home?
5.If the problem is serious, is it possible to call and speak directly with the Dr?
6.How open is the Dr to your opinions say on immunizations and such?
7.Does the Dr contract with the hospital you use? We live in a large city where there are quite a few major hospitals. We found that not every Dr contracts with every hospital.
8. Are most of the Dr's patients very young? Some Peds only deal with older children
These are just things that are important to me. By all means, ask the OB whom he would go with. Good luck to you and Congratulations on your baby
Another thing you may want to consider is going through your insurance company, of course that is if you have health insurance. Most insurance companies offer that benefit as well............they can give you a list of all of the doctors in their area as well as their credentials. Or you can choose the route that you were questioning.......ask your OB/GYN for a referral.
Get your list of who is covered by insurance then start asking other people who they prefer- then ask your OB, that will help you narrow it down.
Good Luck!
When my first son was born,our regular family doc did not have privledges at this particular hospital so my OB asked one of the pediatricians to be my sons doc during our stay there.I liked her so much that i asked her if she had a regular practice and she actually had her prctice right in the same city that we lived in.I stayed with her until my kids got much older.I would ask your OB or when you are in the hospital, talk with the nurses there as they definitely know who the 'good" ones are.good luck
