How to find a pediatrician for your baby

Choosing the right physician for your baby is an important decision: You'll be visiting the doctor's office at least six times in the first year for routine well-baby visits alone. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the choice, but with a little homework and legwork, you should be able to find a pediatrician you like and trust.

What is a pediatrician?

Pediatricians are physicians who look after children. In addition to completing medical school, pediatricians have an additional three or more years of training about children and the illnesses that often affect them. Focusing on children's health and practicing with kids each day makes pediatricians experts on children's medical issues, development, and behavior.

As a new parent, you'll be seeing your baby's pediatrician often. Babies visit the doctor for at least six scheduled visits during their first year of life. During these visits, your pediatrician and their staff will monitor your baby's progress, track their growth, and administer vaccines. Your baby will also see their pediatrician as needed – for example, if they're sick with a respiratory infection or earache.

Most pediatricians are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. In order to get board certification, pediatricians must take a comprehensive exam that shows their knowledge and skill. When you're researching physicians online, you'll be able to see if a pediatrician you're considering is board certified.

When to find a pediatrician

Ideally, start looking for a physician three to four months before your baby is due. Making a decision well before labor and delivery allows for an informed, well-considered choice. You have plenty of time to find out if your preferred practices are taking new patients, and to keep looking if they're not. It also gives you the time you'll need to narrow down your choices and meet with pediatricians by phone or in person.

Some parents know which physician or practice they want for their baby before they even conceive. But many start the search during pregnancy and arrive at a decision when they're seven or eight months along.

How to find a pediatrician

You can ask your ob-gyn or midwife for recommendations, for starters. Also, check your health insurance provider's website to see which physicians are covered by your health plan.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers referrals to certified practitionersOpens a new window on its HealthyChildren.org website. Certification by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) means that the physician has finished the required medical education and training, completed an accredited residency program, and passed the board exam in pediatrics.

Be sure to ask your local contacts – friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers with kids – for recommendations. People look for different things in physicians, and what's most important for you may not even be on someone else's radar. So rather than just gathering a list of names, try asking some probing questions of whoever makes the recommendation, such as:

• How does your child respond to the physician?
• Does the physician seem to enjoy working with children?
• Does the physician know about the latest medical advances?
• Does the physician welcome questions?
• Does the physician take time to discuss problems and listen to your concerns?
• If it's a group practice, do you know and like the other physicians, PAs, and NPs?
• Is the office staff patient and helpful?
• How long do you usually have to wait?
• Is the waiting room pleasant and kid-friendly?
• Is parking convenient?
• Is there anything you don't like or wish was different about your child's physician or their practice?
• Are you able to get last-minute appointments when your child is sick?
• Does the office return your calls promptly? How do they handle after-hours calls?

The answers you get can help narrow your list to the handful of physicians who seem most promising.

What to consider when choosing your baby's doctor

Before going a step further, make sure all the physicians you're considering are taking new patients and will accept your health insurance. And although this might seem unnecessarily cautious, it's wise to check with your state medical board to find out whether any physician you're interested in has been disciplined for wrongdoing.

Next, look over your list and note which physicians have convenient locations and office hours. The best physician in your area can lose their luster if their office is hard to get to (imagine driving across town at rush hour with a sick and miserable child).

The next step is visiting your top prospects at their offices, if you choose. A face-to-face meeting isn't required, but it may be helpful in showing you whether this doctor has the warmth, sensitivity, and professionalism you're seeking.

Most offices will accommodate your request for an interview with the physician, although some practices charge for it. (If this is the case, find out ahead of time whether your insurance company will pay for the meeting. Some will if it's billed as an office visit.)

Arrive with specific questions about the topics that are most important to you. Here are some questions to consider asking the physician:

• Which hospital are you affiliated with?
• Will you (or someone else in the practice) see my newborn in the hospital, or will the first contact be an office visit?
• What hours are you available to see patients?
• How does your office handle telephone inquiries? Does it set aside specific times for parents to call in with questions, or is there an open advice line during office hours? And if staff members handle the inquiries, do they dispense their own advice or relay the physician's?
• Do you accept and answer questions by email, text, portal, or chat? Offer video visits?
• How long does it take to get a non-emergency appointment?
• How are appointments handled for children who are sick? Is there good chance your child will get to see their own physician?
• Are there separate well-baby and sick-baby waiting rooms?
• What happens if my child gets sick after hours? When you're not on call, who covers? (Some physicians send patients to urgent care clinics, for example, while others will meet you at the office even at night.)
• Do you have a subspecialty or an area of interest? Do you work with a team of specialists if your child needs additional care?
• How does the practice handle payments, billing, laboratory charges, and insurance claims?
• What are your views on topics such as breastfeeding, immunizations, and different parenting styles? Are you open to – and supportive of – other opinions and approaches?

Pay attention to such intangibles as the physician's style. Do you want a doctor who offers choices and lets you decide which one works best for you – or would you be more comfortable with one who gives a lot of direction? Also, take note of the overall atmosphere of the office. Is it clean, warm, and inviting? Is the staff friendly and welcoming?

Do all babies have a pediatrician?

Not all babies see a pediatrician. Some parents prefer a family practitioner, a physician specializing in family medicine who can treat the whole family, from birth to old age. One advantage these parents point to is that the family practitioner will be well versed in health issues that pertain to your entire family (genetic diseases, for example). Plus, family providers can be convenient, since they can treat both you and your child. Overall, they provide many of the same services as pediatricians, including well-child visits, vaccines, and advice when your baby is sick.

In addition to a pediatrician or family practitioner, your child might see other medical providers for both routine care and sick visits. Nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA) are both medical professionals who typically work under a physician's supervision.

If your pediatrician is part of a teaching hospital, you may also see resident physicians. These are physicians who have finished medical school but are undergoing on-the-job training, known as a residency.

Finally, if your baby has a medical condition, they may see a specialist. These are physicians who have additional training in specific areas, like the eyes, the cardiovascular system, or behavioral health. They'll work with your pediatrician to provide care for your baby.

How to set up a pediatrician before your baby is born

Once you've picked a pediatrician (or family physician), ask them about the process for establishing your baby as a new patient. Oftentimes, there's not much you need to do before birth. After birth, it's important to contact your insurance company about adding your baby to your plan.

The hospital will ask you for your physician's name when you check in, and many hospitals notify the physician when your baby's born. Some physicians visit newborns in the hospital (or send another doctor from the practice) while others will see you when you bring your baby in for the first office visit. Oftentimes, you'll be asked to set up this visit before you leave the hospital.

In many instances, the hospital's pediatrician or neonatologist will take care of newborns until they're discharged – either instead of or in addition to the babies' own physician. But before you know it you'll see your own pediatrician for your baby's first visit, and you'll be happy to know you did the leg work ahead of time to find a doctor you trust.