1. Pediatricians look nothing like Dr. Derek Sheppard on Grey's Anatomy.
and
2. I need to learn the fine art of patience.
Of course, with regard to #1, it might have actually helped achieve a better outcome if I had set up interviews with male doctors. We interviewed two doctors, who were both, unquestionably female. Perfectly nice women, the both of them, and seemingly good doctors. But not a cute dimple nor a sheepish, self-deprecating grin among them. And also, neither had appeared in this movie, which incidentally is the last time I cast eyes on Patrick Dempsey. My, how he's changed for the better.
Ahem, moving on.
Our first interview was on Friday with Dr. G. Our appointment was for 10:40am. We sat in a child-infested waiting room until 11:05am. We were then escorted to a room, where we waited until 11:30am when Dr. G walked in. The practice is small, only four doctors. But we received very personalized attention from Dr. G, and she was very patient with us and our questions.
Positives about Dr. G:
- She answered all our questions in great detail.
- She will be the doctor to see Beastie in the hospital within 24 hours of his/her birth.
- The practice has both a sick-child waiting room, and a well-child waiting room (although it certainly would have been nice if her receptionist had directed us to the well-child waiting room when we arrived, which she didn't. Instead, we sat amongst a room full of germy kids and their parents, and only realized this when Dr. G pointed out the separate well-child waiting room on our way out).
- Beastie would always see her when we brought him/her in, but in the case that she wasn't there, Beastie would be seen by another doctor in the practice.
Saturday, we interviewed Dr. M. Unfortunately, Dr. M's office started out with at least half a strike against her when the practice's receptionist phoned our house at 7:28am on Saturday morning...to remind us of our appointment that day at 9:45am. This was reminder #2, as she had called just the previous day to remind us. Now, I understand doctors' time is valuable and all, but so is the pregnant woman's beauty sleep. If there's an emergency, or you're a friend or family member in need, by all means pick up the phone and call me anytime, day or night. But DO NOT call my home at that ungodly hour to remind me of an appointment you already called to remind me of, not 24 hours earlier. I am wicked-ass cranky when I'm awoken earlier than I need to be.
Positives about Dr. M:
- The receptionist handed us a folder when we walked in containing all sorts of good information, including a booklet on common newborn illnesses, what to look for, and when to call the doctor. Oh, and a sheet detailing the consistency and frequency of what Beastie's poop should look like in the first week of birth, which while informative, included the use of the words "seedy" and "tar-like" a few too many times for my liking.
- The practice is larger, so the doctors tend to work together to see patients whenever there's a need. So if Beastie were to get sick, and Dr. M wasn't available, Beastie would likely be able to be seen by another doctor in the practice right away.
Our appointment was for 9:45am. However, we met first with a Nurse Practitioner, who entered the room where we were sitting at 10:15am. We had to fill out massive amounts of paper work for Dr. M's office, which seemed to us a waste of time, considering this was an interview, and we hadn't selected her as Beastie's pediatrician. The NP went through our paperwork with us, asked us a bunch of questions, and then asked if we had any questions for her. She saw my list, and encouraged me to fire away, which I did.
Then, she left, and we waited another half an hour before Dr. M came in. And while she was perfectly nice, it seemed like she was in a big hurry to leave the room. She didn't ask us if we had any questions for her, so I asked some of the few ones I had saved for her. Also, this practice is larger than Dr. G's, and Dr. M wouldn't be the one to see Beastie after he/she was born; whichever doctor is on call at the hospital that day will see the baby. And this practice didn't have a separate well-child waiting room.
On the way home, Rich and I hashed out the pros and cons of each, and decided we would go with Dr. G. Although we liked Dr. M, we didn't like the fact that she only spent 5 minutes with us, and that the NP did the majority of the work. We really wanted both a well-child and a sick-child waiting room, which Dr. M didn't have. And we think Beastie will receive more personalized care with Dr. G.
Now I can finally get my OB off my back. She's been bugging me about picking a pediatrician since I was about 20 weeks!
Sounds like you've done your homework! From what you've written, Dr. G sounds like the right pick.
Good to have that all lined up. LOL @ 7:28 being early... to me that's mid-morning! Hahaha
Oh, and the poop. Yes, it's interesting in the beginning. I remember the meconium explosion in the little guy's diaper at the hospital. It woke him up & made him cry!! Not to mention the fact that it startled the bejeezus out of us parents!
ps - that's a lot of wait time! sheesh!!
I was hoping you'd ask us which doc to go with so I could put my two cents in (I have lots of pennies!). I was rooting for Dr. G. Smaller practice = more personalized care. Besides, anyone who calls you TWICE in 24 hours to remind you of your appointment (one of those times beings before 9 a.m.) is both rude and insulting your intelligence. Or maybe your upbringing.
Good job! You're a woman after my own heart. We found a pediatrician that we liked, but then ended up changing to a different one after only a couple of years. Our pediatrician was SO popular that she was too busy (sounds like Dr. M). She tried to prescribe medications to my son that he is allergic to (said so right on his chart...she was embarassed) because she was just in too much of a hurry. And, we ended up waiting for appointments because she was never on time. But, you know, if it doesn't work out the first time, you can always change! We were lucky enough to find another doctor in the same group that we ended up liking a lot.
Dr. G seems like a good choice. I'm a little annoyed for you at Dr. M!!
I dread picking a dr. We need to do that soon though. What kinds of questions did you ask?
Good to go with your gut. Ha! Seriosuly though. It sounds like you can infer a lot about a dr's bedside manner based on how he/she makes you *feel* even before you commit to him/her.
The well-child/sick-child waiting room was a big thing for me too when we were selecting a pediatrician. I also have a friend that works in the NICU at the hospital where I delivered my baby and she recommended the best ones, in her opinion to us, the ones who took the most time and the ones that the other nurses actually took their kids to. I love our pediatrician. He also has a nurse that does nothing but talk to parents on the phone all day. So if your child hasn't pooped in 4 days instead of bringing him in, you just call her and she tells you what the doctor recommends for that ailment. She also instructs you if it is something that you would need to come in about. Anyway, a good pediatrician is very important.
Ramona-I hope so!
Marie-LOL. Yeah, the wait time was ridiculous.
L-Yes, I completely agree.
Dawn-Wow. That's a horrible thing to happen to your son, especially at the hands of someone whose job it is to keep your son well!
Emily-You and me both! And thank for visiting my blog.
Christy-Some doctors are unbelievably self-centered, aren't they. And yes, the thought of my pediatrician seeing "all" parts of me is pretty entertaining. ;)
M-If you leave your email addresses here, I will send you my list of questions.
Karrie-Exactly.
Sunshine-Wow. It sounds like you have a fantastic pediatrician and practice. I'm jealous! Thanks for visiting here.
Caryl-Dr. McDreamy or not, as long as you're comfortable that he's the best and will take good care of you, that's all that matters.