Prenatal To Do List: Find Pediatrician

I remember well the information overload of pregnancy with my first child. It seemed as if there were countless "to do" items on the list. I had to choose nursery room furniture by a certain date because it takes forever to order. I had to decide on the color palate because bedding also takes forever to arrive. My husband I had to decide on items for the baby registry, which I found even more overwhelming than wedding registry items. The weight of every decision seemed so heavy. Each decision might derail our baby from the ultimate goal of a great life and an Ivy League education. Each choice was monumental to us. There are so many decisions new parents make in those months leading up to the birth of a new baby. At first it feels like time looms eternal but it swiftly rushes to an end. Those last few months are jam packed with finalizing plans. I want to remind parents of the importance of finding a pediatrician for your baby on that long list of "to do's" as your pregnancy winds down. Here are three reasons why finding a pediatrician is one of your main “to do items.” 1. Finding Quality Takes Time: I would love to say that every single pediatrician is amazing, and that you will have a great fit with every office. However we know that is not true. The process of interviewing pediatricians and visiting offices gives parents a chance to find the right match for their parenting needs. This is hopefully a long term choice you are making. It is a decision that you want to give some real thought to, and finding the right quality takes a small bit of investment in time. 2. Building The Relationship from the Beginning: If your pediatricians’ office takes care of newborns in the hospital you will have a chance to meet them within the first 24 hours of your newborn arriving. That is a wonderful opportunity to build a relationship right there from the beginning. Your pediatrician, a familiar face, will be available to answer questions and concerns in that newborn period when so much may be unfamiliar to you. Even if the pediatricians that your choose does not go visit newborns in the hospital, knowing who your pediatrician is allows you to access them from early on after your baby is born. You can focus on bonding with your infant, the countless amounts of paper work involved with hospital delivery, or just recovering without worrying what the next step means. 3. Reducing Discharge Anxiety: Parents who have not solidified a pediatrician for their newborn often experience a level of anxiety at discharge. Once the familiarity of the hospital, the around the clock support of the hospital nurses is gone, they worry about being alone to deal with a newborn. Unfortunately most hospitals do not answer newborn care concerns after the baby is discharged, they leave that up to the nurse call line for the pediatric practice you have chosen. Making a decision in advance about pediatric care helps alleviate some of that hospital discharge anxiety. So please, along with the checklist of hospital bag items to pack, the important newborn care classes to register for, chose a pediatrician for your newborn by at least a few weeks prior to your due date. Focus on building this important relationship for your child's health right from the beginning! -Be Blessed, Dr. Virgil, MD "The Mommy Doc"

image credit: typorama

#pregnancy #newborns #prenatal #babytodolist #parenting #motherhood #newmoms #preparingforbaby