So, you are looking for a pediatrician for your kids. If you have tried to ask your friends to offer you advice on how to choose one, you may have noticed that they tend to go to extremes when they tell you what factors are important. Some parents do not do research, they simply go to the pediatrician who is closer to their house. They select the doctor random, and without asking themselves if the person is a professional or not. Others do a detailed research, and before picking a doctor they search to find out what college the person graduated, what experience they have and they even contact other patients to find out their opinions. You should avoid these extremes, but you should make sure that an expert is the one who supervises your kids’ health. Here is a guide that will help you understand better what aspects are truly important when you are looking for a new doctor.
Why is it essential to collaborate with an experienced pediatrician?
Finding the right pediatrician will bring you peace of mind because they will be the one who will offer you support during the following years. They will inform you of how you should breastfeed your baby, when you should give them medicines, and when you should vaccinate them. Your doctor is the first expert who checks your baby’s state when they are sick, and it is essential they have experience and knowledge because they make life-changing decisions. For specialized care, such as childrens physiotherapy, they can refer you to the appropriate services. Here are some questions that will help you understand what you are looking for when you try to find a pediatrician.
- Do you want to find a doctor who treats only kids, or do you want one who can check the health state of your entire family?
- Do you want a doctor who works during weekends and nighttime?
- Do you want a man or woman doctor?
- Does your baby need to be seen by a specialist?
Ask for recommendations
As we already have stated, your friends have already chosen their pediatricians, so you can ask them to share you some opinions. They will definitely tell you if they are satisfied with the way their doctors act when their children have health issues, or when they go for a check. If they recommend you a certain specialist, you should ask them why they prefer them and not follow them blindly to the office. For example, your friends may like their doctors because they do not have to spend a lot of time when they go for a check because the doctor moves quickly. But you may want to have a pediatrician who spends more time in checking your children’s health state.
Before choosing a doctor recommended by one of your friends, you should find out why they take their children to their office.
Visit the doctor’s office
When you have a list with a few doctors who are great candidates, you should try to contact them or visit them to see what feeling you have when you talk to them. In case you do not have time to visit their offices you can call them, and ask them questions. But it is advisable to visit their office, and even take the little ones with you because it is important they feel comfortable when you take them to the doctor. Some children simply do not like a person, even if they may be the best paediatrician in your area. And in this case, it is not advisable to choose that person.
When should you start looking for a pediatrician?
The majority of people start looking for a pediatrician as soon as they find out that they are expecting a baby. Others wait to welcome the baby and then they start searching for a doctor. It is up to you, but it is recommended to start sooner because it may take some time. Parents start looking for a pediatrician during the month 5 or 6 of pregnancy because they ask their obstetrician-gynecologist to offer them recommendations.
But there are also cases when a parent chooses a certain doctor, and they are not happy with the services they receive, and in this case, they start looking for a new specialist when their baby is already a few months old. If you want to make sure that your next doctor is an experienced professional you should use a platform that offers people search services. In this way, you will find complete information about the candidates.
Other important aspects
Some parents prefer to see a doctor who is affiliated with a hospital, because children use to get sick often, and you have to make sure that the doctor can send you to a reputable hospital when your baby will not feel so well.
Ask if the office has two different rooms for the sick and well-waiting children. And do not forget to check if the doctor and nurses from the office are board certified.
