Pediatrician VS. Family Doctor?????

I say better safe then sorry. My daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and she probably would have beed diagnosed earlier if she had had a pediatrician even though the doctor was great. He, and Children's Mercy both told me I needed to get her pediatrician. She, and my other kids have a wonderful pediatrician that I love

I prefer a pediatrician for my kids at least until they are 5 or 6. That is partly because my sons were not circumcised, and the family doctor we were going to at the time seemed unaware of how things are "supposed" to work when an infant is uncircumcised. He also was less gentle and patient than the pediatrician, which is fine for us adults, but not for my kids!

We got a family medicine doctor, and it's worked out great. I really like all of us going to the same doctor, and him getting to know all of us as a family. I haven't had any drawbacks of not going to a pediatrician. Good luck!
T.

Don't worry either way you choose....the doctor will always be there when you need them or a nurse. Don't worry Mommy to be, you & baby will be fine:-). God luck & God Bless!

M.,

The experience a pediatrician can bring to the table vs. a family doctor, is priceless.

Have you been seeing your family doctor all throughout your pregnancy or an ob/gyn?

Doctors have specialties for a reason.

Best of luck to you and your new family!

First of all, Congratulations! With the baby and your engagement, you have sooooo much excitement ahead!

Now for your question....a baby needs a pediatrician! Of course, that is just my opinion. I feel like there are so many issues that are unique to babies and a pediatrician will be dealing with these issues daily. They will be more familiar with these issues and up to date on any new medical topics dealing specifically with babies and toddlers. Also, most peds just love kids and are better at making them more comfortable while the have their check-ups; they have more practice dealing with fears and fidgets! For a while you should have monthly check-ups and they watch for development milestones, etc. I just REALLY think you should consider this route!

I recommend family practice. Family practice doctors also have to be certified and have continuing education. I live in a rural area and the pediatricians here promote outdated ideas such as putting rice in formula and starting solids way early and stuff. Our family practice doctor is very up to date in the most current recommendations for children. It definitely depends on where you live though.

We use a pediatrician, Dr. Rozina Mouhiddin at KU Med West, and we love her! She really gets to know her patients and is not above making phone calls to Mom & Dad to make sure "they are okay" with what is going on with the kids. When we interviewed her, we mentioned who had referred her and she knew who we were talking about right away. She even mentioned some other patients that were friends of our friends to see if we knew them to.

I love the fact that in 6 years (and 3 kids) we have seen her for every well baby visit and every "sickness" visit...except one. Nothing against GPs, but not so sure you get that kind of service in that environment.

I highly recommed compiling a list of questions/concerns you have and start making appointments to interview GPs and Peds. Most docs are willing to meet with you free of charge to answer any questions you may have.

Good luck!

We went to our family doctor a couple times with our first child and then switched to a pediatrician and I'm soooooooo glad we did. They know more about little bodies and seem to know if something (virus) is going around via school or day care. They seem to know what to do when a kido is scared and can produce a puppet or some other distraction that usually works to put them a ease. Good luck with your first angel. God Bless.

S.

We have 7 children and I used a ped for my oldest. With my next one, we went with a family practitioner. Then we had a great ped again. We only have FPs in our little towns, and we have been very happy with them, mostly. If you do anything not mainstream, family practicioners seem to be more open about it. If you are on MC, I think the peds are less critical. We aren't anymore, so we don't have that issue, but it is worth considering. I would say in our experience, it has worked both ways, go with what works for you and the child. I know that sheer convenience that my husband and I can go to the same doctor is good enough for us. Kymberli

Addendum: I wanted to edit my opinion on this topic now. We had been doing fine, but since my son has special needs, I am really thinking we need to just take him to a ped. I think that most docs may be puzzled by him, because his condition is so rare, but I am thinking a ped would be better, as the peds at the hospitals have been very good with him. Our older 6 children have been very healthy, but #7 has been the wild one. So, I think it will definitely depend on the situation. We haven't fired our FP for him yet, but I do believe it isn't too far away.

This has be a big debate among many of my friends because we have both available in town. I chose to stay with my family dr. because I trust him to take care of all our normal needs and refer us on to the specialists when necessary. I had a friend who was not getting the answers she wanted from the same dr. so I suggested to go to the pediatrician to get the second opinion. It is great to have the option.

I think, as long as everthing is normal and healthy, the family dr. will meet all your needs and you can get your whole family cared for at the same facility. If your child has special needs or you don't get the answers you want, go to the pediatrician. They are all in the business of keeping us well and healthy.

I have 4 children and all have one to College Park Family Care and seen the doctors there. We see Dr. Ferguson who also has four kids and he is wonderful. I feel like he really listens and is concerned with what we are there for.
He is a family practice doctor and as a mother who wants the best for her kids as all mothers do, I would not take them anywhere else. Good Luck and congratulations.

We used a family doctor until my son turned 2 at which point we switched to a pediatrician. In our experience until the age of 2 things are pretty universal and the so-called "specific knowledge" of a pediatrician is not necessary.

I would definitely go with a pediatrician. My baby was diagnosed with a disorder that would have been missed and another friend of mine has a 7 month old that had to have surgery on her heart after nearly dying...if she had taken her baby to a pediatrician I believe her condition would have been caught earlier.
I'm sure a healthy baby would be just fine being seen at most family practice offices...I just would want to play it more safe.
Just my opinion!

Try both...take your newborn for it's 6 week or 2 month check to both the pediatrician and the family doctor and see which one you like better. See who was more thorough and who didn't see you as just another number/paycheck. I'm sure your mom would understand that you want to make an educated choice and will support you with either decision.

We battled with this decision with our daughter as well.

We started off just taking her to our family practice for the first 4 months or so. However, we decided to switch to our pediatrician instead for a few reasons. My daughter got sick with a pretty nasty cold at about a month old, my doctor wasn't able to fit her in the schedule for 3 days! Next, my daughter had a little bit of diarrhea, so I called to see what we should do. My doctor takes Wednesdays off, so the on call doctor told us to take her to the ER! We get to the ER and spend 4 hours waiting, only to be told there was no reason for us to be there! Turns out that kind of poop (what I thought was diarrhea) was completely normal in a breastfed infant. That's all I wanted to know when I called my doctor... instead we wasted a whole day in the ER, not to mention money on the copay.

At our pediatrician's office there are 5 different doctors in the office. So, if she can't get in to see her normal doctor, someone else can see her. They have walk-in hours every day 8:00 - 10:00 am. During flu season they are also open on Saturdays. Plus, they specialize in babies, toddlers & children. What more can you ask for? So, that was the right decision for us. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love our family doctor... but, we really felt the best thing for our daughter was to take her to a pediatrician.

The decision is completely up to you. You don't have to make the decision now... you can do like we did and switch after a few months. It really depends on what you want, what you're comfortable with.

Good luck with your decision! And congrats on your pregnancy!

Pediatrician, for sure. But get a good group. Do you know any nurses? Ask them for references of a good pediatric group in your area. If you know a nurse that works OB or PEDS, they are the one to ask.

I am a nurse myself, and my sister, an OB nurse gave me the greatest pediatric group, that got me thru 3 kids. If I was scared and exhausted for being up all night with an infant with a 104 temp, you cannot imagine what a comfort it was to speak, live, in person with a pediatrician on the phone at 3am talking me thru what to do with my baby. You won't get THAT from any family practice clinic I know!

I'm a first time Mom too. I'm going with a family practice that has a Pediatrician on staff who sees all the babies. I don't know what hospital you'll be at, but if you're at Shawnee Mission Med Center, I recommend Georgetown Family Care--Dr. Gaffney specializes in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine within the family practice group.

PEDS all the way! A friends of my mom's, her daughter (we'll call her "stacey") had a baby. And she took her to a family doctor over a pediatrition. Everytime they took her baby in they checked her out, weighed her and so on, asked her a few questions, and that was it. I had my 3rd child with in a month and when we would see each other we would just exchange baby news. Stacey was a first time mom and exremely naive. I was very curious the kind of care she was getting from a family doctor so I had asked questions and such about what they covered on the office visits. One thing Stacey did all the time was when she wasn't holding her, kept her in the carseat/infant seat. Stacey also never propped up her baby's head and so then it was always kinked to the same side, she also let her baby sleep in it like that during the night some times. She said she had mentioned the baby sleeps well in a carseat and her doctor told her take advantage of when she's sleeping to get caught up on her own sleep. The doctor NEVER gave stacey the impression of any kind that what she was doing could harm her baby's developement. What happened about 6 months later? They found out Since her baby spent so much time in a carseat, her head developed a bit lop sided where it was always laid down on (and the back had a major flat spot, and still does). Because her head had always been linked to the side, and never propped up, The muscle and tissue on the side her head laid all the time, did not grow properly and would lean her head to the side. To correct the problem, she had to wear this huge brace and helmet to gradually strenghted and support her head and neck so it was straight, now they found out it may never be completely healed and correct, and the baby is 5 1/2 years old now. There were some other problems besides this situation as well. She is also has autism as well. When they discovered the problems that her baby was having at 6 months of age, her family doc actually referred them to a pediatrition for assistance because a ped is considered a "specialist".

A pediatrtion and their staff are trained to ask certain questions and pick up on certain things. When Stacey said the amount of time her baby spent in the carseat the peds nurse or doc should have pick up and been able to explain why she should not do that. There are also a series of questions they ask to pick up on problems. Her family doc never asked detailed questions and such. Just to make sure the baby was eating, sleeping and pooping. When the baby was in the carseat with her head kinked over, the nurse or doc would have noticed and told her to prop up her head, because her head was kinked over ALL THE TIME when in the seat.

I think if you want the best for your baby, you would take them to a doc who specializes in babys and little ones...not just the general family doc.

So that's just a story of someone I know who didn't take their baby to a pediatrition....and now regrets it.

I've taken my kids to both. Pediatricians are more thorough
and I like the fact that they are all about infants and children. However, we recently went to a family practice when my 2 yr old was sick. The doctor was a woman and mother. She was just great! I felt like she was just as good as any pediatrician. She treated my son like I think she would have treated her own, with great care and compassion. I have gone to pediatricians that I didn't like and wouldn't go back to.
Call around doctors offices and ask questions before deciding on a doctor. Good luck in your decision. V.

My friend went to family practice and after talking to my sister who is a pediatrician she found out that they weren't getting all the shots they needed and that the doctor had told her to give some medicine that Pediatricians stopped using a long time ago. Hence it is just too hard for them to keep up with all the new things out there for both Pediactrics and Adult medicine. It just makes sense that if you have access to go to a pediatrician that just specializes in kids then I think it is the better choice.

FYI I have a sister who is a pediatrician and a really good friend who is a Family Practice doctor. My friend who is the family practice doctor takes her baby to a pediatrician.

I was in a similar situation recently. My mother is a Family Physician (out of state) and was always my son's doctor. Because a majority of her practice (60%) were under 18, they were very well versed in the needs of pediatric patients. When we moved we were forced to find a new doctor for him and my now almost 6 mth old daughter. After much internal debate, we settled on a Pediatric practice although I still have concerns, especially as my daughter and son age and face the more adult type issues that teenagers experience. I am a huge advocate for the speciality of Family Practice, but just wasn't able to find a practice that matched the care and attention provided by my previous practice. In my opinion, it comes down to whether or not YOU feel comfortable with the doctor and would be comfortable asking to be referred if you think that she/he is not properly addressing your concerns. In regards to "on call" access, ALL primary care specialities provide 24/7 call coverage so this should not be a real concern although you will want to check with whatever practice you choose to determine how to best access the "on call" provider. Also, research the doctors. How long have they been in practice, how often have they been recertified (Family Practice requires recertification every 7 years), what percentage of the practice is dedicated to newborn and toddler care. THis information will help you to make an informed decision. New mom's always doubt their own instincts - DON'T - you will KNOW what is right for your baby! Good Luck!

You might consider starting with the pediatrician and then switching over as your baby gets older to your family doctor. I have three children and and with my first two used our family doctor. I have always been able to get in to see them quickly if needed and they are very thorough and wonderful with the kids. I actually switched from a pediatrician with my first to our family doctor as I was not impressed with the pediatrician and did not agree with some of her viewpoints. Also, there were so many "sick" babies and children that I felt my baby was exposed more to sickness in their office then our family doctor where it is much calmer and quieter. I also like that our entire family sees the same doctor and knows us well. If your baby is born healthy then there is no reason why your family doctor cannot provide you with adequate care, however, if your baby was born with any problems then I would advise using a pediatrician. Most of all, just choose someone that you are comfortable with and that you feel you can communicate with the best about your baby. And know that you can always switch down the road. Good luch!

I am in complete agreement. Pediatrician offices focus on getting your baby/child healthy on your schedule, not theirs. They make the environment kid-friendly. This may not seem as necessary when he/she is just a baby, but as they grow into toddler-hood and beyond, the movies, stickers, fun wallpaper, etc. really do make a difference. Our pediatrician picked up on some great things over the phone (with a visit to confirm) that I know they are soooo familiar with. They deal with babies and their interesting lives each and every day and will be much more familiar with issues that are kid related. Another little perk is that you get to see other people with kids your age. You don't feel bad when your kid is running around in a pediatricians office (which mine is usually really good about getting you in as fast as possible b/c of this) whereas it might be a little weird if you had a screaming baby around a bunch of adults. At my pedicatricians office it never fails that they have samples, posters of great kid-friendly info and all sorts of kid concepts to learn from. I would recommend teh pediatrician and USE them when you have that weird thing happen at 3:30 am on a Sunday (never fails).

Good luck and love your little one so much. They grow up too fast!
Steph

Hi M., Congradulations on the baby, having a baby is the greastest Joy you can ever imagine... If this is your first baby I would recomend you taking your baby to a pediatrician... after you have had a caby you will know more signs to look for and any doctors reading this I am not criticizing you but you are all trained in special training and if you needed surgery you would not want to go to a family doctor you would want someone who can take care of you and know what they are doing... I wish you the best of luck with the baby and again Congradulations...

We use our Family doctor. We have since our 2 year old was born. I had not so great experiences with pediatricians when my older children were little and I absolutely love our family doctor. He is so great. His staff is great with her and if there is something that he doesn't think that he can deal with he sends us to someone else. I have never felt like my daughter is getting lesser quality care, if anything I think she is getting better quality care. She is seeing someone who knows the whole family and our family history. Go with your gut. If you like your family doctor and trust him, then there is no reason you can't take your baby there.

Good luck,

K.

Pediatrician!!! I have 4 children, we've used both a family doc and a ped. I've always been the happiest with a pediatrician. Although family doc's see many children during the day, a Ped sees nothing but babies, kids and teens. So any sweeping problems, or illnesses a pediatrician will know about, including what the growth development patterns are. At the birth of my last child, our Ped came to the hospital to check him out. It was very reassuring. Many Ped offices have early or late night walk-in times available, or someone is on-call. God bless you and your new baby-to-be and husband-to-be!

I have 3 kids- ages 2, 3, 4. I would totally recommend a pediatrician. I feel that all docs have their 'specialty'. Pediatricians only see kids and so all of their focus is on kids. We had decided with our first baby to just use our family practice doc-- he was NOT good at all for my baby. We took him to a ped's office and have never had another problem. We've moved a lot and have used pediatricians everywhere and have never had problems with them. Family practice docs sometimes seem to just brush off questions and concerns of parents of new babies, in my opinion. If they don't think it's a big deal- then you shouldn't either (that kind of mindset). The pediatricians seem to really listen and give the best advice. Of course, it all depends on the doctor. I'm sure some family practice docs are better than some pediatricians... and vice versa! Pediatricians cater to kids. They also seem to have after hours and emergency care options that a lot of family practice docs don't have. Our pediatricain's office also has extended hours on certain days... they are SOOOO easy to get a hold of- even if they think it's no big deal, they'll call you back in the middle of the night... Good luck!! Go with your gut instinct... now that you're a mom, it's your mother's intuition!

Hi M.!
I have used both. The only reason why we changed to a pediatrician is because of an insurance change that didn't include my family doctor. Both family doctor's we used were great and I felt adequately treated my kids. If you feel comfortable with your family doctor, then I would recommend keeping him/her. The nice thing about a family doctor is that he/she is able to understand the whole family dynamics and health, which I think is an advantage to receiving wholistic treatment all the way around. But, if you want a change, then feel free to find a ped. The biggest thing is trust and feeling like your doctor will validate you as a mother and parent. Some offices now have a more guarded view of the parents role, which is NOT good!
God Bless and Enjoy this new Journey!
D. D.

You can go to either one. The family doctor has been educated to treat all ages but prefer to have a wide range of patients instead of having just children everyday. My sister-in-law is a great family physician and was debating in med school if she wanted to just be a pediatrician or a family doctor and she decided to go with family practice and she still has children as patients. Most have oncall service and if you are in the Kansas City area. College Park Family Care Center has a lot of doctors, including pediatricians and specialists. They have oncall and also acute care a few days a week after office hours and on Saturday mornings. I know a lot of people that go there and they all talk about how they are the best doctors. My kids are older now and just go for their once a year physical and go when they are sick and have always been able to get a same day appointment and didn't have to wait long. We have seen several of the doctors there for same day appointments as you don't always get your primary doctor for same day appointments and all of them have been great so far.

I do have a pediatrician that is closer and take my kids there for ear infections and minor stuff, however if they were to have something serious I would take them to College Park Family Care Center because they are more thorough and have a lot more specialists available through their practice that the doctor would recommend and still be able to ask your doctor questions if you had any concerns from the results of the specialist. Our pediatrician which is not at College Park usually rushes through as there are always a lot of sick patients waiting and for annual check-ups we usually don't see the actual doctor but a minute as they have the nurses do all the work and he will come in and ask if you have any questions or concerns and thank you for coming in. As a military family we have moved a lot and had both peds and family practice drs. It all depends on the doctor. Some were good, some weren't and didn't matter if they were a pediatrician or FP. Just in all things some are good and some aren't, you just have to go with your instinct and go with the doctor you feel comfortable with.
There is another pediatrician practice in our town that I would definately not recommend. My daughter had phneumonia and they prescribed a mild medicine to treat it so it got worse and took a lot longer for her to recover than if they would have just gave her zythromax to begin with which is what I found out when I asked our FP doctor at College park when she wasn't getting better and took her to the family practice doctor and got the zythromax, she was better in a few days.

I am currently switching over from our FP to a pediatrician. I feel our FP doesn't give us any information and is not thorough. My son has also had about 20+ ear infections and I had to beg my FP to give us a referral to Ear, Nose and Throat so we could look into getting my son ear tubes. I didn't realize that ear tubes COULD be needed just after 3 ear infections. The Dr at Urgent Care said my son should have had ear tubes long ago. That was last week and I decided then to change over.
Ofcourse that could be just the doctor, not how all FP operate. With my experience I would recommend a pediatrician. They deal with children all the time, are specifically familiar and more informed with their needs.

I have seen both types of doctors. I have an 11 year old and a newborn. I love my family practice doctor. I had better luck with family practice than I did with a pediatric doctor. My oldest did not like the pediatric doctor, but he does like having the same doctor as his parents.

I think it't more an issue of finding a doctor that respects your parenting style and that jives well with your family. I've had better situations with my family practice doctor. I found my pediatrition to be really out dated on breastfeeding information and starting solids and also gave me parenting advice which was not medically related. I think the key is to find someone your comfortable with and don't be hesitant to swtich until you do. More importantly, read up on information yourself, the most up-to-date as you can get and go from you gut! It's your kid!
Good luck,
K.

We go to a family doctor because we just weren't impressed with the building the pediatricians were housed in. I think you'll be fine. Our greatest resource in those first two weeks were the nurses on the delivery floor at the hospital. They told us to call them if we had any questions and boy did we! Contact your hospital and see if they offer that as well.

I went through this when I was pregnant as well. I loved my family practice doctor that both my husband and I saw. I didn't know any pediatricians and really didn't remember anyone "loving" theirs. So, I finally decided I would try my family practice doctor and if I didn't love him as my baby's doc, I would choose a pediatrician.

My daughter is now going to be 5 and I still go to the family practice doctor. I think it works wonderfully. When listening to my friends who have pediatricians, I feel like I have the better deal - for one thing, I know the doctor better because he sees all of us.

If you like your doc - go for it! (It's worked excellently for me!!! I feel like my daughter doesn't get medicine or treatment thrown at her as much as my friends kids do.....)

First off congratulations on you impending baby! It's a wonderful world you're entering and of course the most rewarding job there is!
I have 3 children and my first two I took to a pediatrician. Then we found a primary care physician that I love, so I decided to take my kids there and now my 3 1/2 mos. son goes there. I think as far as trying to decide on which to go to, it depends on if you like your G.P. and there are no medical problems with your baby, I suggest going there. It's nice to have one doctor who sees all of you. The shots and well checks are just the same. I never really found a pediatrician that I LOVED, but I took my kids there just because I thought that's what they needed. But, I'm not one of those moms who takes their kids to the doctor when they have a little sniffle or a fever. Now, I have been through three kids and maybe that's why. As a new mother you might be more nervous about your babies colds and you go just to make sure everything's okay. Either way, your instict as a mother will be amazingly accurate... just wait, you'll see!
My advice is just to trust your gut about a doctor and don't just go to whoever just because they have a "Dr." in front of their name! Everyone has preferences and it may or may not take you a while to find a doctor who suits you and your child. If your baby is healthy and happy, I believe there is no problem going to a G.P. Same goes for O.B.s vs. G.P.s. A G.P. is qualified to take care of you and your baby, but O.B.s specialize and may know a bit more about that stuff.
Anyway, good luck and try not to stress on doing everything perfect! You'll find your way and you're baby will love you no matter what! Good luck!

My kid's go in to see a Pediatrician I opted for this because this is their only practice,I feel that they better understand a symptom an issue or concern.Plus they are better at identifying a delay also unsure if the family dr does the well child visit paper assessment's it's the screening that the parent's fill out to see that our children are on track. Now this is a personal decision but I do prefer a Pediatrician. Since you are due soon you'll nedd to make up your mind on what dr. you want for your child so for you can call them and add your baby,making sure they are taking new patient's, they'll need to come down and see baby in the hospital,to make sure baby is healty.
SAHM of 2 kiddo's and love it!!!

If you like your family doctor, check with him/her about the on-call situation. The important things are: 1)your ability to communicate well with the doctor, 2)the doctor's willingness and ability to make proper referals in any case if you need additional resources, 3) how good is the office about working patients in when needed.
Either type of doctor can be good. Go with your gut regarding the individual, more so than the type of practice.

We took our to The Family Doctor. Never had a problem. We can get in immediately. Great with the kids. And it's nice to have one place to see the whole family. Especially if you all are sick. And he been great with my son who is MSPI. You will just have to comfortable with the doctor.

I have four children and from the start I went to a highly recommended pediatrician, but then our insurance changed and anyways, she had to unexpectedly retire due to serious back issues, so I was left without a doctor and pregnant with our four child. I didn't want to have to travel to go to the pediatrician (it is difficult when someone is ill), so my only option was a family doctor who is closer to our home (we live in a very small town). However, I have come to kind of regret this decision. He just doesn't have all the info and insight about infants and small children that the pediatrician did. He has been kind and tries to be helpful, but sometimes I get the feeling that he is at a loss as to what to do. Our four child seems to be developing some more serious allergy problems and has been wheezing off and on for over two months now. As a mom of four, at this point I have a fair amount of my own knowledge and have made it through, but with your first child, you might feel more comfortable with a pediatrician who deals with all kinds of child-related issues who can answer your questions and concerns easily, from changing formula or your own eating habits if you choose to breastfeed and the baby is having digestion problems, to questions about age-appropriate developmental mile stones. Sometimes these details are just easier for the pediatrician to provide due to their day-to-day work with kids that the general family practitioner can't, in my experience anyways. Good luck to you.

I took our oldest son to my family doc when he was a baby. When the second one came along we really liked the on call pediatrician who saw us as the famly doc did not go the hospital for newborns. We decided to switch for a number of reason. My family doc was really nice, however, we were sent to the emergency room alot. I thinks she was just being cautous. Also this office did not stock pediatric doses of vaccens. I ended up at the county health department for those....extra trips. The pediatrician has hours that are better for my working family ie nights and saturdays. I think they are more knowledgable about the needs to babies and kids. I also think they are better prepaired to refer you to a specialist, they know who they are. My family doc just wasn't in that loop!! Good Luck!

First off - this is definitely your decision. One thing about a ped. that you may not have considered is that ours is really good about giving us 'upcoming' safety warnings and advice. He talks about what stage of development she's in and what the next step is (more mobility, whatever) and how to prepare for it. I'm not sure all peds do it, but ours does and we found it VERY helpful.

Another thing I really like about our Ped is that he knows what is 'going around' in small kids and gives us warnings about how to protect the baby from it.

Also, our office (on the Plaza) has a Dr there 24 hours a day. After hours, it's just the on-call Dr but it's so reassuring to know that there's someone available (without hospital) if needed.

I'm sure your family Dr is good, and may be able to do some of these things too, but I personally sure like having someone that specializes in the little systems. :)

Family doc for sure unless your kid's got some kind of special needs that requires the specialty care.

Likewise, family docs do normal pregnancy & birth far better than the OB's do. The specialists are good when actual problems exist, but when the specialists are involved in "well-person" checkups (whether it's well-baby or a normal pregnancy) sometimes they see problems where none exist.

I strongly vote for the family doc!
(It's nice for them to get to know your whole family then they see you more as a whole person with a whole lifestyle than as a collection of body parts!)

All of that said, generalizations should never be trusted. Interview several doctors & go with your intuition. Will you have "on-call" access & how quick can you get your little sick-ie in when there are symptoms are very important questions you'll need to ask any doc you're considering.

Good luck!
S.

M.,
I truly believe a newborn needs to see a Pediatrician. THey are more familiar with the things that go on with small children that is what they specialize in. I have 2 children a son 18 and a daughter 14 they both have been with the same Pediatrician for 15 years. My son had Spinal Meningitis as a newborn and we had taken him to the emergency room and they sent him home and said it was a cold, if it would of not been for a attending Pediatrician at the hospital looking over his records after we left he, probably would not be here today. And also I know my primary Doctor which is with the COllege Park group will not see them until there 18. Hope this helps.

Hi M.,
My hubby and I decided almost 6 years ago before our first daughter was born that we would stick with our family practice dr. I was seeing her, then my hubby, and we really liked the idea of all of us having one doctor. Family health issues tend to be interrelated, after all! We had the utmost confidence in her and saw no reason to get a pediatritian. My mom, a nurse for 30++ years, also pointed out that a family practice dr. can do everything and if something should come up s/he's not sure about, that's what referrals to specialists are for. We kept seeing our dr. even when we moved to another town, and only switched to a local doc (also family practice) when she took a different (hospital admin.) job. Of course, our doc. was really good with kids anyway, so it's important to find a family practice doc whom you feel comfortable with. Oh, and when your child gets sick and needs to be seen, there's always someone available in a family practice if your reg. dr is booked.

Okay, I was not going to respond because I don't want to disregard your mom's opinion. However, this is a subject that I feel very strongly about. I am an RN and also see things daily as well as a mother of 2 crazy kids. My opinion has always been that I want children to go to a pediatrician because they specialize soley in children. They also see more things presented to them that a family practice doctor might not and therefore treat them properly the first time round. I have a friend that also went to a family practice with her children because her mom worked for the doctor. Her oldest was treated for chronic ear infections with antibiotics for 2 years before refering him for tubes. Needless to say, the ENT was appalled and said that there was actually scar tissue built up and he may have some hearing loss. He also had 8 cavities her first dental appt. and had to be anesthesized at the hospital to have them filled. She also has a daughter that is mildly learning delayed and mildly autistic because her MD told her nothing was wrong she was just second child. This was in reference to her not pulling up until age 1 and not walking until age 2. When they moved to another state, another MD (ped) noticed this when her third daughter was being seen and thought it was that obvious she asked if she had started any therapy as they were new to the area. She still struggles today at age 6 (not potty trained, difficulty in school, fits). The hours that a ped offers are always better than an MD. My ped is open 7 days a week and has walk-in hours in the morning and evenig. You can have an emergancy appt until 10 pm and weekends that late as well. Sorry to have gone on so long, but I warned you that I feel rather strongly on this subject. Bottom line, if you would go to a specialist (ob, cardiologist, etc) why would you not take your child???
M.

Hi M.,

I am a Mom of 2 boys, ages 8 and 2 1/2. I am also a nurse who currently works with kids and who used to work in the newborn nursery of a large hospital. I often had families ask for help with choosing a doctor for their baby. My best advice is first check with your insurance plan to see who are in your network. Starting with those doctors, research the ones you're interested in, you could base it on recommendations from your friends, family, neighbors, etc. Call the offices and make an appointment to meet with the doctor(s) to see if you feel comfortable with them. Ask questions about how they feel about topics such as breast or bottle feeding, pacifier use, or whatever issues you feel are important to make sure you are on the same wavelength. Do you like the office staff? Call the office main number and their after hours exchange to see if you can get through and how responsive they are. Ask if sick children can get in for appointments the same day. You can choose the most wonderful and experienced doctor in the world, but if you can't reach them or see them when your child needs them, keep looking or choose a new doctor.

In general, I have nothing against general practioners, especially in small towns with few pediatricians, but in general, I think someone who specializes in kids is more likely to be more up to date with meeting my kids needs. These are strictly my opinions, but I hope you find it helpful. :) T. S.

Put it this way: a pediatrician spends three years in training learning only about kids. A family doctor spends most of their training learning about adults.

Pediatrician. Besides you don't need the distraction of your mom in the office. Try to go meet a couple that your GP,friends may give you. I have an awesome one in Jefferson County, Missouri. Dr. Michael Glines

I know you've received a lot of responses, but I just have to give my 2 cents worth because I feel like I've experienced both sides of the coin, so to speak. With my first son we went to a pediatrician, but with my second son we switched to a family doctor because I liked the idea of the whole family seeing one physician who would then be more familiar with our family history, etc. The family doctor I first went to was pretty good, her specialty within family practice was mothers and babies, yet I still didn't feel like there was quite as much knowledge and up-to-datedness in that office as there had been in the pediatricians office. Then we moved and changed family doctors, and I am very unsatisfied with his knowledge and apparent inexperience with treating children.
So, overall, I would recommend a pediatrician, but I do think there are some family practices out there that make a good effort and will have the up-to-date knowledge and experience treating children, as well as the on-call and walk-in access that you are looking for.