Pregnant? Choose Your Baby's Pediatrician Now

As a pediatrician working with new parents every day, I would argue that one of the most important steps you can take in preparing for your child’s arrival is to plan a prenatal visit with a pediatrician.

These visits offer new parents a chance to sit down with their child’s potential physician, get to know them and the office and understand the healthcare plan from the beginning of the child’s life. Most offices offer prenatal visits free of charge.

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During a prenatal visit, expectant parents will have a multitude of questions, including:

• What is your practice’s philosophy?
• What are your office hours?
• Are you available by phone?
• Do you have after-hours availability?
• Do you have a well-room and a sick-room?
• What hospital are you affiliated with?
• What kind of fees can be expected?
• What are your views on parenting? 

These visits present an opportunity to become familiar with the physician, the practice and the clinic or hospital that physician is affiliated with.

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After the delivery, your child’s physician will play an active role in his or her life. Immediately following birth, your pediatrician will see the baby daily in the hospital and order and supervise all of the general pokes, prods and tests – from performing a hearing screening to checking for jaundice.

Regular checkups

Your child will see the physician within two-five days after discharge to check on feeding, growth and adjustment to being at home.  At one month, your child will see his or her physician for a weight check and developmental observation. Your child’s two-month check-up includes vaccinations. Your child will continue to have appointments at four months, six months, nine months, and one year – and for any health concerns that may come up in between.  

Pediatricians can also coach parents on everything from breast-feeding versus bottle-feeding to issues such as circumcision. For many new mothers, breast-feeding can prove to be the most difficult aspect of caring for a newborn. I often coach new mothers on the Lewis “Two Weeks” rule; a theory that suggests it takes around two weeks for a new mother to finally feel comfortable with the breast-feeding process – a very reasonable time frame, considering it can take up to three to five days after delivery for a woman to even begin lactating.

Your pediatrician will provide health care for your child well into adolescence, but the care provided in that first crucial year will play a vital role in your child’s development. Choosing a physician during pregnancy is one important step in ensuring a long and healthy future for your child.

Joanna Lewis, M.D., is in pediatrics at Advocate Lutheran General Children's Hospital.