Would it make a difference to you? (picking a pediatrician)

[kaia.aline]

Interviewed a pediatrician yesterday and I'm not sure if the cons outweigh all the pros or I should just deal with the cons because of all the good.

Pro-
Very well known respected pediatrician recommended by most of the doctors in the med center but is near my house (like 3 min away from me while the other pediatricians recommended were in the med center downtown)

Affiliated with a well know children's hospital so if terra has thyroid problems (my peri is concerned about this) it will be easy to get her into their endocrinology department.

Very pro breastfeeding and has a LC on staff if I need one after I leave the hospital

Leaves 5 appointments open everyday for sick babies so there is a good chance I can get a same day appt even though she is so booked

Has privileges at the hospital I'm delivering at which is not common for most pediatricians around here since I choose a hospital in the med center not one of the hospitals around here

Neutral-
Does not accept patients who don't vax (this doesn't effect me since I'm planning on vaxing but I included this so you can get a better pic of who she is)

Cons-
She does not allow delayed vaxing which I was considering, if you do not vax on schedule she will refer you to another dr

Not very friendly or happy, super blunt to the point which is fine for me but I'm having a hard time getting around the image in my mind that a pediatrician should be super happy and smiling (like arizona Robbins on greys anatomy)

She made it clear that she is very busy which is not a big deal I guess I think this is just her personality

[waterisntsomething]

I delay vaxxing which I'm not willing to compromise on so that would be a deal breaker for me.

[knodceo]

Originally Posted by waterisntsomething I delay vaxxing which I'm not willing to compromise on so that would be a deal breaker for me.

This and the personality thing...that's why we are on our third in 5 years

[knodceo]

Originally Posted by knodceo This and the personality thing...that's why we are on our third in 5 years

Loved our first but he was 45 minutes away. Loved our 2nd until she joined a practice and stopped interacting with out child, sat behind a laptop and asked questions. Like our 3rd...trained under the 1st so similar personality but will tell it like it is...and doesn't like that we delay but is okay with it because we still vax.

[DottieHarley]

The only issue for me would be the personality.
-DH and I discussed the whole vax thing while pg. We planned to vax regular schedule, and DH was very adamant that he did not want a Pedi who allowed no vax (delayed vax would have been okay). He was very concerned about what happens when you mix vax and nonvax kids KWIM?
-same day sick visits are huge. also, is there a nurse you can call for times when you're just not sure, or maybe a chat with a nurse would mean you don't need to go in? what are their after hours policies?
-close by is also huge. taking sick LO to a doctor further away... not for me
-is it just one doc? What happens when she is away? Who will actually do your well baby visits, her or a nurse?
-Can YOU deal with her personality? This is pretty important because you are going to be seeing her a LOT the first month or two (even if LO is 100% healthy) and you will be tired, stressed, and unsure. A jarring personality is not going to help the situation. You really want a doctor that you feel comfortable with.

Keep in mind you can ALWAYS switch after LO arrives, although it's easier to make a decision now.

[kaia.aline]

Originally Posted by DottieHarley The only issue for me would be the personality. -DH and I discussed the whole vax thing while pg. We planned to vax regular schedule, and DH was very adamant that he did not want a Pedi who allowed no vax (delayed vax would have been okay). He was very concerned about what happens when you mix vax and nonvax kids KWIM? -same day sick visits are huge. also, is there a nurse you can call for times when you're just not sure, or maybe a chat with a nurse would mean you don't need to go in? what are their after hours policies? -close by is also huge. taking sick LO to a doctor further away... not for me -is it just one doc? What happens when she is away? Who will actually do your well baby visits, her or a nurse? -Can YOU deal with her personality? This is pretty important because you are going to be seeing her a LOT the first month or two (even if LO is 100% healthy) and you will be tired, stressed, and unsure. A jarring personality is not going to help the situation. You really want a doctor that you feel comfortable with. Keep in mind you can ALWAYS switch after LO arrives, although it's easier to make a decision now.

If I call before 4pm I can either speak with a nurse about a possible sickness, or I can leave a msg for the dr to answer and a nurse will call me back with the answer by 5pm. If it's an emergency the dr will either call me back immediately or tell me to go to the children's hospital downtown (she does not like any of her patients to go to our local hospitals unless it's for minor things like stitches/casts/etc she said that if it's emergent enough to go to the hospital it's important that they go where the drs specialize in children's medicine)

After hours they have a nursing answering service? But I would not get any feedback from a dr until the next day.

It's a 3 dr practice with a 4th job share dr so that they always have 3drs on site. She would actually do the well baby visit as long as you book 1 month in advance otherwise it's whichever dr can fit you in without compromising their sick baby time slots.

I can handle her personality she is very similar to my peri (actually they are friends) but I feel like she should be nice/positive/happy with my lo if that makes sense? I'm not sure if it's really that big of a deal or not and I'm just hormonal

[AnimalHouse]

I wouldn't be able to compromise on the vaccination issue. We follow our own delayed/selective vaccination schedule, so there's no way I'd be able to see a doctor who didn't allow that.

I could get over her lack of personality and bedside manner, though.

[ivparker]

The no delayed vaxing would be a dealbreaker for me even if I fully vaxed on schedule. I think when drs. have a very close minded approach to vaxing, it also may lead to other treatments. I would want a dr that cares and trusts that parents are capable of making decisions for their children.

[jen_batten]

Originally Posted by ivparker The no delayed vaxing would be a dealbreaker for me even if I fully vaxed on schedule. I think when drs. have a very close minded approach to vaxing, it also may lead to other treatments. I would want a dr that cares and trusts that parents are capable of making decisions for their children.

Me too! If she isn't willing to budge on vaxxing, guess what's going to happen when something comes up and you don't agree with her. I mean anything, like you don't want a test she wants for the LO, or you'd rather not do antibotics for a ear infection. This to me says that it's her way, or the highway. I need someone who will listen to me and respect my point of view, even if she doesn't agree. To be honest, it doesn't sound like she would have time to listen to you, and if she did, her personality sounds like she wouldn't exactly be warm and caring about things. I would find somewhere else.

Also...on the vax thing...what if a child in her care has a major reaction? Too bad, you have to vax on schedule anyway? Eek.

[Greenbabybottoms]

Originally Posted by ivparker The no delayed vaxing would be a dealbreaker for me even if I fully vaxed on schedule. I think when drs. have a very close minded approach to vaxing, it also may lead to other treatments. I would want a dr that cares and trusts that parents are capable of making decisions for their children.

I agree with this. My favorite thing about our ped is she asks me if I'm ok with something before she does it (even something small like checking iron levels) and she sits down and talks to me about treatments, allows me to ask questions and if I disagree with her plan of treatment she is fine with it. I think someone who wants to force a vaccine schedule would tend to get kind of huffy about a parent questioning anything.