[Belita]

Now that I'm halfway I'm wondering when I should start my pediatrician search. I know I should find one before Sean is born.

Any suggestions for how to find a good pediatrician? I've started asking friends for recommendations since I'm sure that's a good place to start.

[MomtoCarly&Sofia]

I'd go off of recommendations. I didn't ever search, I just decided to use the pediatrician I had when I was younger, she's not that old. She's in her 40s, she was fresh out of med school when she was my doctor.

[Cocoa Sashimi]

I had no clue where to even begin. Luckily, a coworker recommended my son's current pediatrician. She is SUPER retentive, so I knew if she was praising this woman, she must be good. Turns out that the NICU nurses remembered her from her residency there ELEVEN years prior, and they all spoke highly of her.

[Belita]

How important is it that your pediatrician have admitting privileges at your hospital of delivery? The hospital that I usually go to for emergencies doesn't have a L&D unit, so it really limits my search if I go with pediatricians who have admitting privileges to both hospitals.

[MomtoCarly&Sofia]

Originally Posted by Belita

How important is it that your pediatrician have admitting privileges at your hospital of delivery? The hospital that I usually go to for emergencies doesn't have a L&D unit, so it really limits my search if I go with pediatricians who have admitting privileges to both hospitals.

We've never seen their pedi in the hospital, we just see the on call pedi, which has yet to be theirs. Although she is a doctor at the same hospital, just the other campus. I wouldn't think it's a huge deal thoughif you finding you love.

[Belita]

I'll have to try to remember to ask my OB. I like the UMASS group, but I knew several friend who had gone through the St. V's OB office I'm going to and like it so I chose that practice. I'm not opposed to getting St. V's doctors, but the UMASS ones are usually what I know and I've had great experiences so far. I guess it is ultimately most important that I like the ped since I hopefully won't have to end up in the ER too often. (I know with a little boy it's unrealistic to say "never" end up in the ER!)

[MomtoCarly&Sofia]

Ya, I wouldn't worry about the ER thing. It's more important to like the pedi, you'll be spending a lot of time in the doctor office. And random question, but what are you paying for parking at St.Vs? Umass just went up to $3 an hour I believe (DH swears that's what the sign said), so ridiculous!

[Belita]

I don't remember paying anything. They validate at St. V's if you're a patient. I think they validate for the dads as well for birth. That is ridiculous! I hate paying for parking!

[MomtoCarly&Sofia]

Ugh, you're lucky! This alone makes me want to leave umass. It was $2 for the first two hours, so $3 an hour is just outrageous. They used to validate when you went in to have your baby, they better still do that. And considering I'm never out in an hour I'm better off doing valet for the $7 flat fee.

Oh and sorry to hijack your thread with my parking question!

[Belita]

That's okay! It's actually part of my doctor search, anyways. I used to go to a doctor through UMASS on Lincoln Street and had to pay for parking each time we went in. I want a doctor where I don't have to pay to park! That's also a criteria for my search for myself. I have to find a new primary care because mine is moving to Westboro and I don't want to follow her out there.

[MomtoCarly&Sofia]

Between all my appointments and both girls appointments, we're paying a fortune. I tried to street park once, lol. I didn't enjoy my $25 ticket!

[Belita]

I bet!! I won't be asking you for your doctor then!

[fancypants27]

I go by recommendation and then check on ratemds.com. When it comes to pediatricians in Quebec NONE are taking new patients. Better to start finding one earlier than later imo...

[KatherineD]

We went off of recs. I wasn't sure about our office until I went to another office that was rec'd by a friend and had never felt so belittled in my lifetime (I'm the Dr. and I know best and we expect our patients to do whatever I tell them to kinda attitude. No thanks ). Went back to our original ped and have been thrilled ever since. He didn't have the fanciest office or newest of everything, but he had been a ped for over 40 years and knew his stuff and was very much into letting parents do their thing. He has since retired and sold the practice and the docs/PAs are just as awesome.

We only really have 1 hospital here, so I'm sure they have privileges. They only time that my ped has seen the kids in the hospital was when they were first born. Any other time we have gone to the hospital we saw a specialist or the ER docs.

[MoonMom]

I went off recommendations from friends for the practice, and made sure the office I ended up picking was part of my insurance plan. The when DS was born, we liked the pediatrician from that practice who rounded on us in the hospital, so we kept her.

When we moved to AL, I didn't have any friend recommendations, so I picked a practice from reviews on the web (again making sure they were on my insurance) and again ended up liking the first doctor we met. She has privileges at the hospital where I will deliver, so she'll be the pediatrician for the new baby as well.

In general, I like ALL my doctors to be women, for both me and my kids. For the kids, I feel like they have more of an understanding of mom anxiety, and for me, I guess I just trust the medical judgement more when my doctor shares my anatomy.

[kristap4]

I went by recomendations. It is also important you feel comfortable with your pedi because you will be there alot especially in the first year. With my previous 3, their pedi didn't check in with them at the hospital. The NICU dr. was their dr. but they did send reports to their pedi. so for us, it wasn't important that the pedi be associated with the delivery hospital. This time it probably won't be either because our pedi goes to Sturdy in attleboro but they don't have a nicu so if i go early I will go to Providence RI and the pedi doesn't go out of state.....

Also i noticed when we moved in feb. a lot of dr. are not taking new patients so it would probably be a good idea to start looking now. Also the ones that were taking new patients were only taking certain insurances. Good luck in your search. Depending on how far you are from Attleboro, i absolutely love our pedi..

[Belita]

Attleboro is an hour, thanks, though! I've found 4 peds in my area who meet my criteria (I'd rather not drive into Worcester). It's amazing how few are accepting new patients! I'm glad I thought of this and you ladies reassured me I'm not being over the top for thinking of this now!

[turtlefly]

ill be using my sister-in-laws, they are good doctors and that's where her four girls go, and i've met them so im comfortable with them

[Belita]

I'm so glad I'm starting this now!! I have the option of 5 doctors at 2 different practices who are accepting new patients and still the earliest I could get in to ask questions and meet with doctors was September!!!

[MomtoCarly&Sofia]

It is crazy that so few are accepting new patients. Our pedi hasn't accepted new patients for like four years now at least, she only takes former patients children, and siblings. It's smart to look now!