Before your baby arrives, it’s important that you get all things ready. Aside from buying infant clothes, diapers and feeding bottles for your baby, you need to find the best pediatrician that will attend to your baby’s needs.
When it comes to choosing the right pediatrician, you need to consider many things before you settle with your option to make sure that the doctor you choose is qualified. You need to conduct a background check with regard to their education and certifications.
For example, your pediatrician must have completed 4 years in medical school and 3 years of experience in pediatric residency and she must be successful in passing the written examination provided by the ABP or American Board of Pediatrics.
It is also a plus factor if your doctor has undergone training in special areas such as hematology, cardiology, and emergency medicine. These essential qualifications are things that you must not overlook to ensure that your child is in good hands.
You must keep in mind that the pediatrician will be caring for your child from birth onwards and she will be in charge in carrying out the important health tests before your child turns two. These tests must be done properly to detect early symptoms of possible defects in your child's physical and mental development.
How to Begin Your Search
On your 28 weeks of pregnancy, you can start looking for a pediatrician. You can start by creating your own list of doctors. If you have relatives or friends who have babies, you can ask them for a referral or you can ask your doctor and insurance provider if they know doctors who can give the best care for your child that are affiliated with the hospital where you will be confined when you give birth.
Once you come up with the list, you can set an appointment to meet the doctor one by one. You can ask relevant questions about the initial vaccines for your child or their stand on breastfeeding. These starter questions will test their knowledge and it will help you decide whether you can start a patient-doctor relationship with them.
In addition to this, you also need to see how they are when it comes to handling their patients. A random visit will allow you to see their office and the advance tools which they use when providing patient care. Remember, you don't need to watch them in action, observing their availability and their skills in handling their patients on a daily basis will do.
Links:
AAFP: http://www.aafp.org/afp/2015/0101/p38.html
HealthFusion: https://www.healthfusion.com/ehr-software/