Pediatrician before birth?

If you don't have a pediatrician before your baby's birth, someone from the hospital's staff will hcek out the baby while you and the baby are still in the hospital. At least that's what would happen in the hospital where we had our daughter.

Now on to your search for a pediatrician... We had trouble finding a pediatrician. We asked everyone we know in our area about their pediatricians, their cousins pediatrician, the pediatrician of the people who live around the corner from them... we asked everyone who they used, the good and bad points of who they use, if they would recommend the people they used, and so on. We bugged everyone we knew for a couple of months before I was due. Then when it was getting close to crunch time (my due date) we went in and interviewed the people that we'd heard the best things about. We chose them on the spot.

I would suggest that you start asking anyone and everyone that you know for their recommendations. Put feelers out (your husband or partner, your family, your friends)... get them asking people about pediatricians. Our childbirth educator was a wonderful source of information for us. Give yours a call if you have one, I'm sure they would be happy to help you.

Then start calling doctors. A good doctor should be willing to sit down with you and talk to you about their practice. We had a good talk with our future pediatrician and decided that we liked the way that she thought and the person that she was. We reserved the right to switch peds if at any point we wanted someone different, but with all the recommendations we got and with the talk that we had with her, we were pretty confident that she would be fine for our family.

It's worked out wonderfully for us.

Even if you don't find someone by the time the baby is born, keep looking. Even if you choose someone that you're not entirely sure about, you are not stuck with that person. You can always choose another.

Keep hunting until you find someone you would trust your child's life with, because one day you just might have to.

Good luck.

I found mine before the birth of both children. If you have a c-section the pediatrician may be in the room with you to care for the baby right after birth. It's important that you have the person you want to care for the baby in there and not just some staff doctor. I'm sure the staff doc will be qualified, but is that good enough for you? I wanted someone who I had spoken with in there and that's what I had. By the way, I did have a c-section and it was a pleasure to know that my baby was handed off to someone that I chose to care for her. I do suggest setting up a few meetings with some peds docs. You'll be happier for it.

There are pediatricians that will be at the hospital where you give birth, they will be able to let you know if they will take you as a patient also there are cousolars that will visit you in the hospital that can assist you, don't worry though you will be able to get a pediatrc by the time you leave the hospital or shortly after.

You use the "house" doctor - meaning whichever one of the local pediatric groups is covering the hospital that day. Same goes if the pediatrician you pick doesn't have privlidges at the hospital you deliver at.

My advice: ask around to your friends and neighbors as to whom they use and if they're happy with them. Then see if they're on your insurance plan. See if you can go in to the office to meet with either a staff member or one of the doctors (this time of year, it might be easier to meet with a staff member) so you can get a sense of what the office is like. Good luck!!

when you give birth if you have not chosen a pediatrician they will use the one that is on call. and you can always change it after the baby is born.

I still have problems with that one because we live in a small town where their isn't much choice mostly family doctors after my son was born i took him to my family doctor that took care of me for most of my pregnancy but have switched three times. Ask friends and family who they use and if they like them. It will be fine, you can use a family doctor tell you find a pediatrician. We don't have peditricians in our area only two hours away so i use family practice doctors.

Then whichever one makes hospital rounds will see to your baby while in the hospital, but then you'd better get on the horn, because most docs want to see a baby within 1-2 weeks of birth.

It is nice to have someone you know and have picked out before the birth but is time runs out and you haven't chosen one there will be one at the hospital to check out your baby but you should get on the ball for all those well baby checks your baby will need.

You will use the hospital on-call pediatrician. and then when you both are released you need to find your own.

Your baby would have to see the ped on call at the hospital.

Don't rule out family practice docs. We were much happier with that option than with the peds we interviewed.