Choose Your Child’s Pediatrician

Choosing your child’s pediatrician is a very complex task. Some parents decide to take the baby to the family doctor and others ask the gynecologist who is treating the mother for advice. Despite the advice received, some aspects must be taken into account.

You can’t rely on positive comments about a doctor alone, but take the time to evaluate your child’s future pediatrician. You must think that he will visit him from birth to adulthood. Below we present the factors not to be ignored when choosing your child’s pediatrician.

How to choose your child’s pediatrician

Confidence

It is one of the most complicated points when choosing a pediatrician. It is not enough to turn to the specialist with the highest reputation and number of certifications. While these two points are important, you must  go to a doctor who inspires you with confidence.

It is important that you feel comfortable so that you ask him any questions and that you feel that you can consult him when you need them. You have to think that it will be your ally in caring for the baby. Ask yourself:

• Can I ask this pediatrician everything? You must feel that you can ask the doctor anything. Don’t think that some questions are stupid and don’t let any doctor give you that feeling. It is very common among mothers to have doubts, especially among first-time mothers.

• Is he kind and loving to you and your baby? It is important that you both feel comfortable with your pediatrician at all times. He must treat his patients with respect and care.

• Do you visit the little one with patience, kindness and affection? A distracted or nervous doctor will make you feel insecure and uncomfortable.

Expenses

You have to be honest and accept that you cannot choose your child’s pediatrician just because they are the most expensive. Some parents believe that the more they spend, the better the services they will receive. This is not entirely true and you may not always be able to pay for a routine visit to an overpriced specialist.

Analyze your finances and define the budget that you can allocate to this expense. Keep in mind that visits may be very frequent in the first years of life and you cannot change doctors all the time.

Another factor to consider is the need to travel a lot to reach the pediatrician and the expenses that this entails. Petrol? Public transport? How much will you spend in total? Can you afford these expenses or do they represent a great sacrifice?

Availability

Do you think a well-known pediatrician is the best option? Maybe yes, but you need to be sure of its availability when you need it. A sick child or a child with some special needs will need more care than a child in excellent health.

Primiparous mothers, moreover, will probably have many doubts, so it is necessary to choose the pediatrician of your child also thinking about the time he will have to devote to his questions. Speak honestly with your doctor about these needs; if he confirms that his time will not allow him to give you the attention you need, ask him to recommend a colleague.

Experience

Doctors spend a lot of time studying and exercising. This guarantees them a good level of knowledge. However, you should opt for the experience factor when choosing your child’s pediatrician. Look for a doctor who has been practicing for at least 5 years and who specializes in pediatrics.   

These two elements will ensure the best preparedness in an emergency. Remember that babies and children have very different special needs than adults. For this reason, it is not recommended to have them examined by a general practitioner or with little experience with children.

Take the time to choose your child’s pediatrician

Don’t be in a hurry and don’t choose just any pediatrician. Give yourself time to evaluate, get to know and ask everything you need from your child’s possible doctor. A well-thought-out decision will make your entire life as a mom easier.