Are you looking to find a pediatrician for your child? Depending on where you live and how many options are available, it’s a good idea to look for a pediatrician three months before your baby is born.
A pediatrician is a doctor who specialises in the health and wellbeing of infants, children, and adolescents. They play a huge role in treating illnesses and ensuring your child is developing properly.
It’s important to find the right pediatrician to provide the utmost care for your child.
If you’re not sure how to choose a good pediatrician for your child, see how I looked for a new pediatrician for Luka when we moved.
How to Choose a Pediatrician
Get Referrals
When it comes to picking a pediatrician, it’s important to reach out to others for referrals and recommendations. Your OB-GYN is one of the greatest sources to receive referrals because they will likely know many highly regarded pediatricians.
You could also ask friends and family members what pediatrician they send their children to.
If you’ve moved and are in a new area, it’s also a great question to ask other mums around you. It helps break the ice and meet new people while getting valuable insight.
Research Pediatricians
Another way to find the best doctor for your child is to research local pediatricians online. Be sure to read through the reviews of each pediatrician to gain insight into other people’s experiences.
Take note of what you like about a specific pediatrician. While a few negative reviews are inevitable for most places of business, if you see a consistent pattern of complaints, you should probably steer clear.
If holistic health is important to you, call pediatricians on the phone and ask them if they just treat sickness, or if they look at health as a whole. Check out my article about holistic care for children.
Bedside Manners
It’s always important for those in the medical field to have good bedside manners. This is even more true when it comes to pediatricians who are dealing with babies and children.
When meeting your pediatrician, watch how they speak and handle your child. If they are empathetic, gentle, nurturing, and overall good with kids, they are probably a good fit.
If it seems as though they are just going through the motions with little interest in getting to know your child, move on to your other options.
Kid-Friendly Office
The pediatrician’s office plays a huge role in your child’s comfort. Going to the doctor can be intimidating for young children, and an office that is cold and uninviting surely won’t calm their nerves.
The office should be kid-friendly with toys, books, movies, colourful decorations, fish tanks, etc. Likewise, the office staff should be warm, cheerful, and inviting.
The best pediatrician will go above and beyond to make his patients feel safe and comfortable, and this starts the moment the child walks through the door.
A Good Pediatrician is an Advisor
The last word of advice, your pediatrician is an advisor. You’re the parent and you get to decide what is best for your child. If something feels wrong or you are unsure about procedures or vaccines, get a second opinion and do your own research.
I hope these tips for parents on how to choose a pediatrician will be helpful. All in all, a pediatrician plays a major role in your child’s life, so it’s essential you take your time to find the best fit.
In the meantime it’s summer, so don’t forget to protect your baby from the heat.
Until next time, Tania xx
*This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not intend to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.