Finding the right pediatrician for your baby and your family can be very stressful. There are so many factors, and truthfully, it all depends on what you feel is most important. Every parent has their own method, this is mine. I hope it helps guide you in the right direction as you look for the pediatrician that best fits your wants and needs.
Step 1:
Make a quick list of what you are looking for in a pediatrician. I call this the list of musts. My list of musts is below – in no specific order. You can use it as is, or let it inspire your own.
Mommy Lexi List of Musts:
- Close proximity to my home
- 4-5 star reviews on yelp
- Great reviews on doctor websites
- Referrals from friends and colleagues
- Relationship with delivery hospital and/or OBGYN
- Accepting patients
- Great bedside manner (makes me feel comfortable, is caring, listens, asks questions, doesn’t rush me, etc.)
- Easy to get in touch with via phone and email
- Has after hours contacts for emergencies
Step 2:
Ask your network (friends, close colleagues, neighbors who have kids) for their pediatrician of choice. Facebook and Nextdoor are my personal faves for this task. Will they all meet your list of musts? Most likely not. Will it give you a great list to work off of? Absolutely!
Step 3:
Look at Yelp reviews. Is Yelp the most reliable source in the world? No. Does it help in this process? Yes! I think parents take things very seriously (myself included). Reviews by parents are often times emotional and have a lot of extra detail. That helps when looking at pediatricians (and other kid related things like schools, daycares, play places, dentists, etc.). Yelp is a great place to look at pediatricians in the area very quickly. You can do a search based on your current location (home) which I love because I don’t want to travel far with my kiddos if I don’t have to. Close to home is best as it means there is less of a chance we’ll be late or miss appointments! A MUST! 🙂
Step 4:
Look at doctor review sites like the ones listed below. It’s worth looking at more than one for more perspective.
Please be careful when it comes to reading through the reviews on these sites as well as on Yelp. As previously mentioned, parents can be emotional about things that involve their kids ( yes…I am part of that group). Read the reviews and take them with a grain of salt. Each pediatrician has their strengths, and as a parent, it is up to you to figure out what is most important to you. For example, if promptness ranks at the top of your list, keep that in mind if there are bad reviews about wait times. If bedside manner is #1, keep that in mind as you read reviews about how the doctors interacted with the parents and kids.
Our pediatrician has a great bedside manner and we adore her. The practice overall has mixed reviews when it comes to wait times / promptness. That has nothing to do with our specific doctor, but it is something that was in her reviews as part of the overall practice. She is very prompt but other doctors in the practice can run behind. Keep things like that in mind as you review these doctors, and if you got a referral, ask your friends about their personal experiences. It makes a big difference when you know who is giving the review.
Step 5:
Cross off the pediatricians that you didn’t like from your research to form your short list. Call your short list to see who is taking new patients. That will further shorten your list. Some practices that are very full do a lottery system to keep it fair. We experienced this first hand and got picked right away (at random)! It was so worth it and I would not let something like a lottery of sorts detour you. Give it a go – you may win a fantastic pediatrician!
Step 6:
Of the remaining pediatricians who came recommended, passed your online research, and are taking patients – see what their process is before and after delivery. Our pediatrician has a great relationship with the hospital where we had our kids. She showed up the day our son was born, did the same when our daughter was born, and has been a fantastic doctor to us for the last 4 years. She knows our kids well and I love how much she cares about our family.
Step 7:
Trust your gut. At the end of the day – this doctor has to fit your family and you. If you feel like they are too structured, not holistic enough, running late all the time, bedside manner could use work, or anything else – decide if you can live with it and move on if you can’t. Find the right pediatrician and trust that you know who that person is. It is a process – but it is well worth it!
I hope this helps and that you find the best pediatrician possible for your family! XOXO