How to Find a Good Pediatrician

Wondering how to find a good pediatrician for baby? First and foremost: Ask around. Good old-fashioned of word of mouth is probably the best way to find a great doctor. No matter what medical school a pediatrician graduated from, it really all boils down to patients’ reports. You can’t go wrong by asking your friends and family for advice in this department—you’ll be sure to get an honest answer and a valued recommendation from someone.

Also try calling up your insurance company to get a list of doctors in your area that accept your plan. Once you’ve got a list of possible candidates, verify that your top choices are members of the American Academy of Pediatrics. That means they’ll be up-to-date on the latest developments in child health.

Before you start making some phone calls and setting up consultations (don’t worry, they’re usually free), check out our Interviewing a Pediatrician Checklist. Some things to consider: What are their hours? Is the waiting room kid-friendly? Do they have any sub-specialties? Do their views on bottlefeeing or vaccinations align with yours? A round of interviews will weed the bad ones from the good, and you should have yourself a good doctor in no time.

And don’t stress too much about it! It’s easy to get worked up about all the details and decision leading up to baby’s arrival, but keep in mind that nothing is irreversible. If it turns out later that the pediatrician you picked isn’t quite working out, you’ll simply find a new one and move on.

Here’s how other Bumpies made the final decision on their own pediatricians:

“We wanted a clinic that had more than one doctor, that was affiliated with good hospitals in the area, and that had emergency hours and after-hours lines.” — ValerieGP

“I liked that their office had a ‘sick’ entrance and a ‘well’ entrance so my healthy baby didn’t have to hang out amidst the germs.” — Jazibel

“The building where I see my OB is a satellite facility of the hospital at which I delivered, so it has pediatricians, specialities, urgent care, etc. It’s so convenient to have so much in one local building, so we’re going with their pediatrics practice.” — ball.and.chain

“I attended a series of Baby Prep 101 classes through my hospital, and one of the handouts they gave had a list of local pediatricians to contact.” — ATC282

“I looked for a doctor who aligned with my health beliefs. He’s a traditional pediatrician but doesn’t jump to antibiotics, and he’s a big proponent of exclusive breastfeeding.” — herbabymama

Plus, more from The Bump:

Signs You Should Break Up With Your Baby’s Pediatrician

Baby’s First Year Checkup

Checklist: First Prenatal Checkup Questions