Selecting a Pediatrician

• Hospitals require that your pediatrician examine your baby within 24 hours of delivery.     • Choose a pediatrician during your pregnancy.     • Find a doctor on your insurance plan, or ask them about their payment policy.     • Ask your doctor his/her philosophy on immunizations, feeding, sleeping, and diet.

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our pediatrician will be a big part of your child’s life. The visits you make to the doctor during your child’s first year can be an exciting time tracking changes, monitoring growth, and learning about your child’s development. Your pediatrician is also your guide for helping your child get through viral illnesses and is trained to provide information and education about everything from colic to immunizations and more.

But before you start planning those first year’s visits, all hospitals require that your family doctor or pediatrician examine your baby within 24 hours of delivery (before you are discharged from the hospital), and again within 24 hours of discharge (if your stay is longer than 2 days). Rules may vary from state to state, so contact your hospital to find out their specific rules and regulations.

Note: Don't panic if you don't find a pediatrician before giving birth. According to pediatrician JJ Levenstein, hospitals will assign a pediatrician if no one is chosen, either from the ER's pediatric panel or one of the NICU staff.

Some expectant parents pick their prospective pediatrician from their list of MNO doctors; others take the recommendation of close friends. But if you’re one of many expectant parents who plan on interviewing one or more pediatricians, there are a few things you will probably want to review and discuss before, and during, your meeting.

SCHEDULING AN INTERVIEW
When you call to schedule an interview, you can first ask some questions of the office staff. What you learn from the receptionist or nurse can either reinforce your decision to meet with the doctor, or possibly exclude that doctor. Your list of questions for office staff should be short and to the point:

Insurance
Office Hours
Interview Fee
Private Interview or Group Interview
After-Hours Questions
Lactation Specialist 

Insurance

If the doctor does not take insurance – or your insurance – and you would still like to move forward with the practice, you should ask them about their payment policy. Most likely, the office will require full payment at the time of each visit and after services are rendered; paperwork will be given to you to send to your insurance company.

Office Hours
If you are a working parent, extended or flexible hours will be important to you. Ask the office staff about evening and weekend hours.

Interview Fee
Some doctors charge for the interview. Ask up front if you must pay and whether that payment is applied to a future visit. Most physicians will see you for this consultation gratis.

Private Interview or Group Interview
Some doctors schedule group interviews with 4-5 parents, while others will see you privately. As most physicians are busy seeing patients during the day, group interviews can be a way for the physician to grab needed free time for either patient care or family life. It’s not necessarily a negative.

After Hours Questions
New parents have more than a few questions. Knowing that your doctor is just a phone call away is reassuring. Ask about who answers questions during office hours (generally it will be the nurse for routine newborn issues). The majority of physicians prefer that nighttime calls are for true medical emergencies only.

Lactation Specialist
If you are planning on breastfeeding, having access to a lactation specialist can be an invaluable resource. If the office does not have one on staff, knowing your doctor has a specialist to refer to is important.