Many expecting parents do not realize they can meet with pediatricians before their baby is born. Setting up a prenatal consultation is a great way to choose a doctor you trust, rather than waiting until the last minute or having a pediatrician assigned to you at the hospital. These visits give you a chance to ask questions, get a feel for the practice, and decide who you want caring for your baby over the next 18 years.

Most consultations last between fifteen and thirty minutes. Before you go, it can help to call ahead and check whether the doctor is running on time. When you arrive, take note of the waiting room, how the staff interacts with families, and even ask other parents about their experiences. You can learn a lot from the atmosphere of a practice and the way the team responds to patients.

Questions to Ask When Interviewing Pediatricians

Choosing your baby’s doctor is an important decision. These questions will help you compare practices, understand each doctor’s style, and find someone who feels like the right fit for your family.

1. What are your medical education, training, and certifications?

2. Why did you choose pediatrics? Why do you love your job? Open-ended questions like this can reveal a great deal about the physician’s personality and attitudes. Can you ask a silly question, or does the doctor intimidate you? They shouldn’t be impatient or condescending with you, either.

3. How long have you been in practice?

4. Will you examine my newborn infant in the hospital? How often?

5. Where do you stand on the issue of _______? This is your opportunity to see if the pediatrician’s philosophy aligns with yours. You might ask about things like:

• Allowing your baby to sleep in your bed
• Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding
• Circumcising
• Feeding on demand
• Placing a six-week-old or twelve-week-old in childcare
• Starting to feed baby solid foods
• Bonding immediately after birth
• Pacifier and thumb-sucking
• Phone management of childhood illnesses

You should expect to receive literature regarding nutrition, development, and safety, as well as information about classes and other child-related activities.

6. Do you have children? It may be comforting to know if your doctor has children.

7. Are you part of a group practice? If you choose a pediatrician in a solo practice, find out who covers when they are away. If he’s part of a group practice, ask about the background of the other doctors. Some practices have pediatric nurse practitioners. They are fully trained nurses, often with an MA and specialized training.

8. Do you have call-in hours?

9. What are your office hours?

10. When are you available?

11. Can I make a same-day sick appointment? How soon can I typically get an appointment for my child? Some practices are extremely busy and cannot make same-day appointments.

12. Usually, how long is the wait for an appointment in the waiting room?

13. How long does a typical check-up last? Ideally, it should last at least 20 minutes.

14. Who will be answering questions? Often, a busy pediatrician will have a medical assistant or nurse practitioner handle the common, non-urgent problems. Some offices have a 24/7 nurse hotline specifically for this purpose. Are you or a backup doctor available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week?

15. Do you have separate spaces for well children and sick children in your waiting room?

16. What is your policy on medication? Do you prefer trying noninvasive aids first?

17. How do you handle emergencies? The answer will inform you about hospital affiliations and the procedures to follow in the event of a child’s emergency. It should include directions about who to call after office hours.

18. Do you make house calls? Under what circumstances?

19. What do you charge for office visits, lab tests, and immunizations?

20. Will I be charged for telephone consultations?

21. Is there a charge for canceling an appointment?

22. Will I be billed for a visit, or will I have to pay all at once?

23. Does your office accept a credit card or a check? If a medical procedure is expensive, will you be able to pay in installments?

24. Does your staff do the paperwork, or must I?

25. Where would I access all of my child’s health records if we went with your practice? They may have an app or a login feature on their website that allows you to view your baby’s progress, health records, and other relevant information.

Once you have narrowed your decision to one or two pediatricians, trust your instincts. Choose someone you feel comfortable talking to, who listens to your concerns, and who is not too rushed to answer your questions. You want a pediatrician you respect, who will support both you and your child and be there for your family as your baby grows.

For more about what questions to ask when interviewing pediatricians, listen to our podcast episode here.