How to Choose a Doctor for Your Baby
Choosing a pediatric primary care doctor is an important decision to make, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult decision. Your baby’s doctor will partner with you to provide the best possible care, and they will come to know your family well. Choosing someone you trust and who has the expertise you need is crucial.
Why Does My Baby Need a Primary Care Doctor?
Your child’s pediatric primary care doctor can be either a:
- Pediatrician: A doctor whose training is focused on treating children from birth until adulthood
- Family Medicine Physician: A doctor whose training is focused on treating people from birth until 100+ years old
You can also see an advanced practice provider (P.A. or N.P.) who is specialized in pediatrics or family medicine.
Pediatric primary care doctors specialize in the prevention, detection and management of physical, behavioral and developmental health in children and they provide you with medical advice during the various stages of your child’s development.
During your baby’s first year you can expect to visit their doctor seven to eight times for well-baby checkups and more for unplanned illnesses like a cold or fever. At the well-baby visits, we go over their growth, their development, answer any questions you have, and give the needed vaccines that will keep your baby healthy.
But your baby’s pediatric provider is so much more than a doctor and they will be there to guide you through not only medical issues, but also questions about parenting, in general.
What to Consider
There are several considerations when you choose a doctor for your new baby, and some questions you may have.
When Should I Choose a Doctor?
Don’t wait until your baby is born — start thinking of who you would like to choose to take care of your baby months in advance of the delivery. Your OB can help give you suggestions or you can find all our pediatricians and family medicine doctors on our website.
Convenient Location
You may have heard fantastic reviews about a doctor, and they may check all the right boxes, but where they are located is an important consideration.
When you deliver your baby, your first pediatric appointment should be within the first 2-4 days of leaving the hospital. The second visit is at 2-4 weeks old, and then again at two, four, six, nine, 12, 15, 18, 24, and 30 months old. After that, your baby will need to see their doctor annually, and at times of illness.
Choosing a doctor who is close to home or work will make your life easier as you take baby to all the necessary appointments.
OU Health has pediatric and family medicine offices across the Oklahoma City Metro, including downtown, Edmond and south Oklahoma City.
Insurance/Fees
When you are looking for a doctor for your baby, make sure you check that they accept your current insurance.
OU Health pediatric providers accept all insurances, including all the three SoonerSelect health insurance plans.
Recommendations/Reviews
Spend time talking to family and friends who have kids and ask them what their experiences are with their baby’s doctor and the practice staff in general. From the front desk staff to the wait times, the atmosphere of the practice as a whole is important, and you need to feel valued and cared for. Your doctor will be there with you every step of the way during your baby’s childhood. It is important to feel comfortable and confident in your baby’s doctor.
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health
One of the benefits of choosing a pediatric primary care doctor at OU Health is the access you get to pediatric specialists. Oklahoma Children’s Hospital has pediatric services and specialists you won’t find anywhere else in Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City’s only 24/7 pediatric emergency room. Our pediatric doctors provide all the healthcare needs your baby will need– from well-baby/well-child checkups and care for a cold or a minor injury to continual support for chronic and complex conditions or disability.
“Here at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health, we are dedicated to providing the best care possible for your child.,” said internal medicine physician and pediatrician Catherine Mims, M.D. “As doctors in an academic hospital, we offer the latest evidence-based medicine for your baby while being connected to Oklahoma’s largest network of pediatric specialists.”
When you and your child team up with the pediatric specialists at OU Health, you get expert guidance for your child’s physical, mental and social health and well-being through a full spectrum of services, including:
- Behavioral assessment for concerns about attention, learning and development
- Cardiac stress testing, EKG
- Care for children with special needs
- Chronic disease management
- Diagnostic tests and procedures
- Family counseling
- Health risk assessments
- Healthy weight management through the Early Lifestyle Intervention program
- Imaging, radiology, ultrasound and laboratory services
- Immunizations
- Medication counseling
- Minor surgical procedures
- Newborn, well-baby and well-child checkups
- Physical and rehabilitative medicine
- Preventive health screenings
- Screening and treatment for child abuse or neglect
Choose Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health for Your Baby
Choosing a pediatrician may feel daunting, but with preparation and the right information, you can find the right pediatric doctor for your family. Oklahoma Children’s Hospital is the best place to start.
