So I finally set up a couple consultations with prospective pediatricians for Matilda. Both are in my good graces so far for not making snide comments about me taking care of this the same week as my due date. They also both seem to have friendly staff. One put me off slightly by having the "If you speak English press 1" menu, followed by the "What do you want?" menu, and then keeping me on hold for about 3 minutes. The person who answered the phone was really nice, though, and I need to meet with more than one doctor for the sake of comparison (and this is one that came highly recommended), so I went with it.
I just need a list of questions to ask. Here is what I have so far, and am hoping for some help filling in the blanks:
*What if the baby is sick at night and we need advice? Is there a line to call? What is the response time? (This is a question courtesy of my midwife... I would probably just call grandma or auntie, LOL. They aren't always awake, though, so this is important).
*Do you offer same day appointments if the baby is sick?
*How long is your wait time in the office, and will an emergency appointment bump my pre-scheduled appointment and cause a wait?
*Views on feeding: breastfeeding vs. formula, etc.
*Views on shots (of course we are still working out our own views on shots and scheduling them, so I am not really sure what I am looking for with this question other than a willingness on the doctor's part to be flexible with our decisions).
Are there any other really important questions I am overlooking?
Right now I am leaning towards the doctor whose office did not put me on hold, because she has a website with lots of newborn Q and A's on it, as well as safety tips. It talks about what to expect at each one of the visits, and it says if you have trouble with certain things (like breastfeeding, for example) to call them and get help rather than getting discouraged. I really like that willingness to help even if it's not a true illness. She gets very good recommendations, also, but my midwife doesn't know her as well as she knows the other doctor. I got both names from the midwife, though, so at least I know that I won't get criticized the second I walk in for doing a home birth.
So I guess we'll see how the consultations go!
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