How To Choose Your Baby’s Pediatrician
Choosing the baby’s pediatrician is quite a complex task. Some parents choose to take their baby to the family doctor and others ask the gynecologist who treats the mother for a recommendation. Although there may be many recommendations around, there are certain aspects that you must take into account.
You should go beyond raving reviews about a pediatrician and take the time to evaluate your baby’s future pediatrician. Take into account that your child will visit him from the day of his birth until adulthood. These are the factors that you cannot ignore when choosing your baby’s pediatrician:
Confidence
This is one of the most difficult points to meet when choosing a baby’s pediatrician. The point is that it should not be enough for you to visit the most renowned specialist with the highest number of certifications. Although these two points are important, you should make sure you go to the doctor who generates the most confidence in you.
It is important that you feel comfortable asking anything and that you have the feeling that you can really go to him when you need to. Think that he will be your ally in the care of your baby’s health. Ask yourself:
- Can I ask the pediatrician anything? It is important that you feel the confidence to ask the doctor anything. Don’t think there are silly questions or let any doctor make you feel that way. It is very common for moms to have doubts, especially new ones.
- Is your attitude kind and close to me and the baby? It is important that you and your baby feel comfortable with the pediatrician at all times. He must treat his patients with respect and care.
- Do you take care of the baby with patience, kindness and affection? A distracted or always upset doctor will make you feel insecure and your baby uncomfortable.
Costs
We must be honest and accept that we cannot choose the baby’s pediatrician because he is the most expensive. Some parents have the idea that the more we spend, the better the services will be. But this is not entirely true and you may not always be able to pay for a regular visit to an overpriced specialist.
Analyze the finances of your home and define the budget that can be allocated to this expense. Keep in mind that visits could be very frequent in the first years of life and cannot make constant changes.
In addition, they must analyze whether to visit the pediatrician they will need to move to areas far from their home and the expenses that this entails. Gasoline? Public transport? How much will they spend in total? Is this expense possible or does it involve great sacrifices?
Availability
Do you think that a well-known pediatrician is the best option? Maybe it is, but you need to make sure it will be available when you need it. A baby who is too sick or has special needs will need more constant care than a healthy baby.
In addition, if you are a new mother, you probably have many doubts so it is also necessary to choose the baby’s pediatrician who has time for you. Talk honestly with your prospective pediatrician about these needs. If he indicates that his time will not allow him to give you all the attention you need, ask him to recommend a colleague.
Experience
Doctors spend a lot of time studying and practicing. This gives them a good level of knowledge. However, when choosing your baby’s pediatrician, we recommend choosing one with experience. Look for a doctor who is at least 5 years old treating infants and children and specializes in pediatrics.
These two things will ensure that you are better prepared to deal with an emergency. Take into consideration that a baby or child has very different special needs than an adult. For this reason, it is not advisable to take it for consultation with a general practitioner or with little experience in children.
Take your time choosing your baby’s pediatrician
Don’t be in a rush or pick the first pediatrician just for the sake of it. Take time to evaluate, meet and ask everything you need to your baby’s possible doctor. You will see that a well-informed decision makes your whole life as a mom easier.
