Tips for Finding a Good Pediatrician

Whether you're about to have your first baby or are moving to a new city and need to find a doctor, finding the right pediatrician can be a daunting task. Though asking around for recommendations is a good idea, you may be limited in your choices of pediatricians by your health insurance. Here are some tips to help you find the right pediatrician for your family.

Most people are limited to pediatricians who are covered by their insurance. So getting a list of doctors covered by your insurance is the first place to start. Usually, the only time an insurance company will cover an out-of-network pediatrician is if your child has special medical needs and there is a certain pediatrician who can meet your child's needs. In this case, you'll need to contact your insurance company before you see the pediatrician to make sure they will cover the out-of-network doctor.

You can often choose between a group of pediatricians or a pediatrician who is in his own practice. There are advantages to both. A group of pediatricians will be able to schedule an appointment for your child on the same day if your child is sick. Even if the pediatrician you normally see is unavailable, they can fit you in with another doctor. A pediatrician practicing without any partners might not be able to accommodate a last minute appointment for an ear infection or other illness. Then you would be forced to go to the ER or another outpatient clinic and you will likely have to pay a higher out-of-pocket expense.

When you're trying to find a pediatrician, it's often recommended that you should call and set up an appointment with several doctors so you can get to know them and find out whether you like them. I would suggest calling the receptionist with some of the questions first. Make a list of questions to ask - decide ahead of time what is important to you. You'll want to know things like whether the pediatrician charges for after hours calls, some offices do and others don't. Find out whether the doctor's office has a separate waiting area for sick and well children. You might even ask if they will see the actual pediatrician during an appointment because some offices will have the child see a nurse practitioner only, unless your child is sick.

Once you've narrowed down your list of pediatricians, it may be worth your time to schedule an appointment for an interview. If you do this, you can find out whether the pediatrician has the same philosophies about parenting as you. Do they support breastfeeding if you will be breastfeeding? What if you chose to formula feed your baby? Will the pediatrician make you feel guilty for not trying to nurse your baby? Will they prescribe antibiotics at the first sign of an ear infection or will they use the "wait and see" approach? Not much can be more frustrating than going to the pediatrician and having them give you a guilt trip for something you chose to do as a parent.

If you bring your child to their first few appointments and are not happy with the pediatrician, find another doctor. We switched pediatricians when my son was only a few weeks old because the pediatrician we were seeing ended up being much different than what we had expected. I felt bad about it, but once we found a new doctor, it was worth the embarrassment of having to let the first pediatrician know that we weren't coming back. Your child will be seeing this doctor for several years and you don't want to be stuck with someone you or your child won't like.

Finding a pediatrician is not always easy, but finding one you are happy with is worth the effort you have to put into it. You'll know when you see how your pediatrician is treating you and your child that you made the right decision.