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Post by snippet17 on Feb 15, 2016 19:50:23 GMT -5
I am calling two pediatrician's this week for H and I to visit. Both are within our insurance network and have Saturday hours.
Does any one have any suggestions on any questions to ask?
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Post by snippet17 on Feb 15, 2016 20:28:58 GMT -5
Thank you!!
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Post by gingerlady on Feb 16, 2016 9:06:47 GMT -5
Ask about weekend hours and sick visits. Do they have weekend hours? Are weekend hours sick visits only or do they offer appointments too? Do they offer same-day sick visits? I would ask if there is always a pediatrician on call, 24/7. Are they affiliated with any hospitals, and if so, which one? Is there a policy on vaccinations (do all patients who are medically cleared to need to be vaccinated)? That's all I can think of right now! All of these things. Also evening urgent care clinic is very useful - you want to avoid going to the ER. A pediatrician that is part of a group practice generally has the best coverage. Beyond that you'll get a sense for if their style is right for you after a few newborn visits. Although it's important to have someone set up before delivery so you have a resource for those critical first few weeks it's also totally fine to switch later if you don't feel like it's a good fit.
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Post by gingerlady on Feb 16, 2016 9:43:43 GMT -5
All of these things. Also evening urgent care clinic is very useful - you want to avoid going to the ER. A pediatrician that is part of a group practice generally has the best coverage. Beyond that you'll get a sense for if their style is right for you after a few newborn visits. Although it's important to have someone set up before delivery so you have a resource for those critical first few weeks it's also totally fine to switch later if you don't feel like it's a good fit. First bolded, yes and no. I wouldn't stress too much about having a super solid relationship in place yet, if you don't get around to it. I'd chosen the pedi I wanted ahead of time just based on their website and friends' recommendations, but didn't actually meet them until J's first appointment. She was seen in the hospital by the staff doctor (since the practice we chose doesn't do rounds at the hospital where we delivered). We went home on a Saturday, called on Monday and made a same day appointment. (And I personally feel like any pedi who doesn't make the time for same day newborn appointments isn't worth going to. It's not like you can generally plan those in advance!) Second bolded though, definitely, you can always change if you don't get a good feel for how the doctor and all the staff interact with you and your baby once she's born. My SIL just switched to my office with her 2 month old because she took issue with how a visit was billed (it was a scheduled 1 month wellbaby check which should be free, but he also happened to be sick so they billed her as a sick visit). I guess I should clarify that I meant it's important to have someone set up before you leave the hospital, not before delivery. Actually, the hospital will require it. But I'm honestly not sure I'll meet with/interview a pediatrician before I go to a newborn visit. We're probably moving too, so I'm sure I'll set something up last-minute. When I worked in primary pediatrics I never had a discussion with a family before birth. Most of my patients were from an underserved inner city population though, and I don't think that was emphasized in the community. They all picked the practice because it was close to where they live.
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Post by gingerlady on Feb 16, 2016 10:12:07 GMT -5
The newborn unit in the hospital where I work (also where I plan to deliver) requires you to list a practice, not a specific pediatrician. It also requires that a newborn follow-up appointment has been made. This is an extra safe-guard because there are a good number of high-risk infants delivered here.
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Post by chipmunk on Feb 16, 2016 10:52:53 GMT -5
On my birth center tour this past weekend, the hospital staff provided a list of various pediatric groups and pediatricians across the city that have privileges at the hospitals in this city's group.
I've been looking at that list against those who are in network for my insurance, and questioning my office neighbor, who has two boys.
When I preregistered for the hospital this past weekend, I didn't have to provide the pediatrician's details, or a groups details- just the group info for my OB/GYN. But for all I know, I'll get more paperwork upon arrival at the hospital or prior to discharge, where I need to list a peds group.
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Post by snippet17 on Feb 16, 2016 11:12:11 GMT -5
Med express is a block away and is in my network so luckily I already have that. The local kids urgent care is not in my network.
I know my hospital has in staff pedi that is in my network so luckily if I go early I am not worried about it. And they send all the paperwork to whatever office I want. My hospital doesn't require us to have a pedi setup before we leave.
The only reason I am doing this and calling the three daycares is that I am so fucking bored. This is actually been worse than bedrest. At least with bedrest I had a reason to stay home.
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Post by snippet17 on Feb 16, 2016 12:02:56 GMT -5
I'm sorry you're so bored, snippet17 . I was only home for 3.5 work days before I delivered and was already going stir crazy so I can only imagine. And at least I had nice weather! I'd be looking for a dollar movie theater I could park my ass at for a few hours. There is an ice storm right now. So Its not even like I can take a walk or drive to the mall to walk around there. The only movie places around me are pricey. Sadly a lot of the cheap places around here have closed down. It is sad I am begging H to use up his prescription pain meds so I can go to Rite Aid after my doctor's appointment on Thursday. It should be in the 50s on Friday, so I may go to the mall or take a walk around the neighborhood. It would more likely be a walk around the mall since some of my one neighbor hasn't cleaned their sidewalks yet this winter. So who knows how many other sidewalks are just as bad.
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Post by snippet17 on Feb 16, 2016 14:30:39 GMT -5
Sorry snippet17. I was home for about a week and a half before having G, and that was so boring. I ended up working from home just to have something to do. I was home for 5 days before N, but I had G to keep me busy. We did a looooot of walking up hills lol They had me delete my cad so they could put it on someone else's computer and turned off my work phone. I hope to get my bank of america monthly statement from work to do since that usually takes me a few hours. Plus I will get paid to do it. I feel for my direct coworkers they are busy this week. Both are working 6 days. On some jobs I could easily handle or I could do bid walk throughs for my boss.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2016 10:09:21 GMT -5
I have to be honest, I did not have a pediatrician set up before I had G. I knew which practice we were going with. I just ended up keeping the pediatrician that did her first appointment after we went home. I love him now. When I was pregnant with D, I called our pediatrician and they told me to wait until he was born. The pediatrician that checked on D & C in the hospital was different than our current pedi.
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Post by gingerlady on Feb 18, 2016 12:35:34 GMT -5
I would love to see the medical literature that 1. can define and objectively assess "aggressive personalities" in newborns, especially ones fresh out of the womb; and 2. shows indisputably that aforementioned aggressive babies cannot breastfeed. UGH! Wow, I've never seen that kind of B.S., and I've seen a lot of B.S. A lot of larger hospitals (including mine) work under a model where they have general pediatricians that cover the newborn nursery exclusively. These docs don't ever see patients for follow-up in clinic. Maybe that's how someone as exceptionally rude and misinformed managed to make his way into practicing medicine... there's no way he'd keep a successful outpatient practice with that kind of attitude!
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Post by snippet17 on Feb 18, 2016 13:22:58 GMT -5
Yes, ours too. I stayed 2 days with G, and we had two different pedis, because I think they do 12 or 24 hour rotations, like the OBs. I remember the pediatrician who checked on G had bright red pants on. I couldn't even guess who the other pediatricians were. I remember the assmunch pedi at my hospital telling me within 30 seconds of meeting J that I'd need to formula feed because she was crying and therefore had an aggressive personality or some shit. Wouldn't have chosen him as our doc in a million years. I wanna go back there and shove her 75th percentile thigh rolls and elbow dimples in his face. What an ass hole.
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