While you’re shopping for cribs, baby blankets and booties, don’t forget to shop around for one other essential item — your baby’s health care provider. It’s a good idea to choose your baby’s health care provider before your child is born. Often, the provider you choose will come to the hospital to check on your baby.

With the provider in place, you’ll know in advance where and when to bring your baby in for his or her first checkup. You’ll have someone you can call with any questions regarding newborn care — and most first-time par- ents have lots of questions. Plus, it gives you one less thing to worry about after the baby is born.

Where to start

If you don’t already have a health care provider in mind, ask for recommendations from friends or family members who have children. Find out why they like their health care provider and how that may apply to your situation. Your pregnancy health care provider may also be an excellent referral source. If you’ve just moved to the area or you want to do some research on your own, the following resources may be helpful:

• Nearby general or pediatric hospitals

• Local medical societies

• Medical directories at your local library

• The local yellow pages

• The Internet. The following Web sites may help you find a medical care provider near you:

• American Academy of Pediatrics, “Pediatrician Referral Service” www.aap.org/referral

• American Academy of Family Physicians, “Find a Family Doctor” www.familydoctor.org

• National Nurse Practitioner Directory, “Search for a Nurse Practitioner”
www.nurse.net/cgi-fin/start.cgi/referral/search.html

Types of providers

Basically, three types of health care providers are qualified to care for children: family physicians, pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners.

Family physicians
Family physicians provide health care for people of all ages, including children. They are trained in various areas of medicine, including pediatrics. After going through medical school, they complete a three-year residency program. There, they gain experience in hospital and outpatient medical care. Family physicians take care of most medical problems. They can also refer your child for specialized care if the need arises.

Pediatricians
Pediatricians specialize in the care of children from infancy through adolescence. After medical school, they go through a three-year residency program. There, they focus on preventive health care for children and other aspects of
pediatrics.

Pediatric nurse practitioners
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced training in a specialized area of medicine, such as pediatrics or family health. After nursing school, a nurse practitioner must go through a formal education program in  his or her specialty field.

 Issues to consider

No matter what type of provider you choose, it’s important that you feel comfortable with that person. He or she will play an important role in your family. With that in mind, you may want to choose a provider who shares some of the same philosophies about parenting, including such topics as breast-feeding, immunizations and general health care. You may wish to meet with several health care providers before having your baby. Most don’t charge a fee for a preliminary interview, but some may. Some factors you may wish to explore include:

• What are the health care provider’s professional qualifications?

• How do you rate his or her bedside manner?

• How accessible is your health care provider, either by phone or by appointment? For example, how far in advance will you need to sched- ule appointments?

• Who will respond to your calls both during and after office hours?

• How likely is it that you can see the health care provider for an emer- gency? Is there a contingency plan when your provider isn’t available?

• If your baby required admission to the hospital, which hospital would the health care provider use? Would that person care for your child in the hospital, or refer you to others for inpatient pediatric care?

• Is the office staff courteous and helpful?

• Is the office clean and inviting for children?

• What are the costs to you and your insurance company? Will the health care provider’s office file insurance claims? If you’re in a managed health care plan, check with your insurance company to see if your preferred provider is a participant in the plan’s network. 

Reference: Mayo Clinic Pregnancy