How to Find and Interview a Pediatrician!

Hi everyone! I found this pretty helpful article on How to Find and Interview a Pediatrician. I hope you all find some good tips in there. Thank you to Elaine Barber for sending in the article. I will be posting more articles from her in future blog entries. =)

How to Find and Interview a Pediatrician by Elaine Farber

Please welcome our Guest Contributor, Elaine Farber, Newborn/Specialist/Consultant and author of Baby Lists: What to Do and What to Get to Prepare for Baby, who joins us today to lend a hand in finding and interviewing a pediatrician.

Choosing the right pediatrician is one of the most important decisions you make for your children. You want to find a pediatrician in a practice that makes you feel confident and comfortable. Your pediatrician should also be warm, compassionate, and open to your thoughts and feelings, and you should share similar views on child rearing. If you know the sex of your children you might want to consider choosing a pediatrician of the same gender if you are having same-sex twins, or a group of pediatricians with both genders, if you are having boy-girl twins. When children become teenagers, they often feel more comfortable with a doctor of the same sex. Another thing to think about is the age of the doctor. If you choose an older doctor, ask whether retirement is in the near future and, if so, who will take over the practice. Choose the right pediatrician, and he/she might be able to treat your children from birth through adolescence.
It’s a good idea to begin your search for a pediatrician during your sixth month of pregnancy. This will give you plenty of time to decide on the right pediatrician before your babies are born. Compile a list of candidates by asking friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, and your obstetrician for recommendations.
After you’ve compiled your list of candidates set up appointments with several pediatricians. Different doctors have different approaches to child rearing. You want to make sure you select the one that best suits your family’s needs. Arrange to meet pediatricians individually and in person. If possible, both parents should attend the first meeting. Don’t interview pediatricians over the phone. Only a face-to-face meeting will let you know whether a pediatrician has the type of personality and philosophy about child rearing that you are seeking. It is very important to feel comfortable with the pediatrician you choose.
When interviewing a prospective pediatrician never feel afraid or embarrassed to ask questions. Remember; you children are your most precious gifts. Here are some specific questions you will want to ask.
• How long have you been in practice?
• Do you have any subspecialties?
• What are your office hours?
• How can I reach you in an emergency?
• If you can’t be reached in an emergency, what procedure should I follow?
• Is there an after-hours clinic and, if so, when is it open?
• What are your feelings regarding breastfeeding, bottle feeding, starting solid foods, circumcision, getting the babies to sleep, vitamins, immunizations, taking the babies out in public, traveling with baby.
• What child-care books do you recommend?
When you’re expecting multiples, twins, triplets or quads there are a few added questions to ask a perspective pediatrician. First, you want to find out if the pediatrician has experience taking care of multiples. How many sets of multiples are patients in his practice? If the pediatrician has experience taking care of multiples he will have a better understanding of things particular to multiples. He will probably have more experience with premature babies, as multiples often come early. Multiples are individuals and should be treated as such. The pediatrician you choose should be able to reassure you about each baby’s individual growth and developmental patterns.

In addition to talking with the pediatrician, you’ll want to ask the doctor’s staff some questions. When you make your appointment, be sure to ask whether there will be a staff member available to answer questions. Here are a few pertinent questions to ask the staff.
• How does the office handle phone inquiries?
• Is there an advice nurse available to answer questions?
• Is there a 24-hour answering service that will connect to a doctor?
• How far in advance do I have to schedule appointments?
• If I have multiples will the doctor be able to see all the babies at the same appointment?
• If my child is sick, can I get an appointment that same day?
• How often are well-baby visits?
• Do newborns and well children have to wait in the same waiting room with sick children?
• When we arrive for our appointment, what is the typical waiting time before we see the doctor?
• What happens if we miss a scheduled visit?
After you’ve interviewed both the pediatrician and the staff ask yourself a few questions.
• Do you and this pediatrician share similar views on topics such as breastfeeding, circumcision, working mothers, day care, and so on?
• If not, is the pediatrician open to different opinions or other approaches?
• Does the pediatrician seem to be up on the latest medical advances?
• Did the doctor welcome questions and take the time to address your concerns?
• Did the pediatrician and office staff treat you courteously or curtly?
• Is the office conveniently located?
• Is there ample parking?
• If you have multiples are the examination rooms big enough to accommodate multiple children?
• Did the waiting room and the examination rooms have toys and books?
• Was everything clean?

If you were happy with the interview and satisfied with the answers to the questions you’ve asked yourself, you’ve probably found the right pediatrician for your family.

Elaine Farber is a Newborn/Specialist/Consultant and author of Baby Lists: What to Do and What to Get to Prepare for Baby. Elaine has over thirty years experience caring for single and multiple birth babies. She has made a career of loving and nurturing babies in a variety of environments. Elaine’s love for children has prompted her to investigate and review a multitude of products in real-world conditions. Elaine has coached families through every aspect of early parenting, from selecting the right hospital to choosing the proper diapers. She knows firsthand which items are the easiest to use, and the safest for baby. Baby Lists is a great baby registry resource and how to prepare guide for expectant parents before baby arrives.

Visit Elaine’s website at www.babylistsbook.com or contact her directly at babylists@aol.com. Baby Lists is available at www.amazon.com and in local book stores.