4 Tips for Selecting a Pediatrician for Your Newborn

When you’re expecting, you have a lot of plans to make before you even meet your baby. Checking off some of the more important decisions early, like finding your newborn’s doctor, can help you feel settled, even if other plans start to shift.

We compiled four helpful tips for your pediatrician search.

1. Check with Your Community

Several months before your baby’s due date, ask people you trust whether they would recommend their pediatrician. Your family members, friends and obstetrician are likely to have a wealth of knowledge they can pass along to you. 

New to an area? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a search tool that allows you to plug in your location, language requirements and even filter for specific pediatric medical specialties. Then, you can verify the providers’ credentials using The Federation of State Medical Boards’ easy-to-use tool; it can give you information on a provider’s credentials, certifications and history of disciplinary action.

2. Ask the Important Questions Early

Once you’ve made a list of pediatricians, you can narrow down the options by calling and gathering valuable details. First, do they take your insurance? What’s the cost of routine visits and immunizations? 

Then, ask about the patient services that matter to you. For example, you may need to make an appointment on short notice if your baby is sick, at least once. How does the clinic handle appointments for sicknesses? Does the doctor call their patients to talk them through questions that come up? The answers to these questions can tell you a lot about what you can expect from a pediatrician.

3. Get to Know the Doctor

Most pediatricians are happy to set up a short meeting to get to know you before your baby’s birth. If you’re interested in a particular pediatrician, call their clinic to set up an appointment—the earlier, the better! You can use this time to discuss first-year expectations for your baby’s growth and development and learn about the doctor’s philosophy and approach to care, as well as any lingering newborn questions.

Here is a list of questions that can get you started:

• Will the doctor come to the hospital after birth to examine your newborn?

• What are their thoughts on breastfeeding? Circumcision? Antibiotics?

• What will your baby’s vaccination schedule look like?

• Is there a resource—a website, podcast or book—they recommend for parent education?

• Is there an after-hours number to call if a concern arises?

After the appointment, take a moment to gauge how you felt talking with them. Did the pediatrician seem interested in what you said? Did they explain medical situations in a way that you understood? Were they kind? Did you feel rushed? Think about the waiting room, too. Was it clean and well-managed? 

4. Remember You Can Change

If issues arise with your child’s pediatrician, try to resolve any concerns. If problems continue, know that you can seek out another pediatrician to take over your baby’s care. While it’s not a decision to take lightly, it may be smoother in the long run to switch your child’s doctor than stick with someone you don’t trust or feel comfortable with. 

If your baby’s pediatrician is connected to a pediatric clinic you like, you may be able to move seamlessly to another in-clinic doctor. To see if that’s an option for you, give their front desk a call.

For your baby’s first year, you can expect more than a handful of routine pediatric appointments, in addition to the calls or visits you can’t plan for. Finding a good pediatrician ensures that throughout the craziness of taking care of a newborn, there will be a medical professional you can rely on to support their health and growth.

If you are interested in getting to know our providers better, call the clinic today to set up a free consultation appointment.