When You Should Consider Switching Pediatricians
If you have been thinking about switching Pediatricians, then you should do it! Switching Pediatricians can be a hassle and cost money, but it can be worth it. Amelia wrote about switching Ob/Gyns, but what about your children’s doctor?
My family recently switched Pediatricians 6 days after my second baby was born. Our first doctor, “Dr. Passive Aggressive” is a competent physician and is a part of a large pediatric group. I wrote about how to choose a Pediatrician and followed a lot of those guidelines. We interviewed the doctor, the office is open on Saturdays, there is a separate area for sick kids, and she seemed nice enough.
Our opinion of Dr. Passive Aggressive started to change when we told her that we were having our second at a Birth Center and asked her what her protocol would be after the birth. She was not familiar with birth centers or home births at all. She asked what would happen in the case of an emergency and how the baby is taken care of after the birth. She was not satisfied with my answers and gave me a stern warning “that it only takes a few seconds for a baby to code.” We didn’t really finish the conversation, because she just left the room. This should have been my first clue.
My husband left the conversation with a lot of fear and doubt. I talked with Amelia about it and we chalked it up to that she wasn’t familiar with Birth Centers. I also spoke with my Midwife and she calmed our fears and explained that they do a complete checklist with newborns.
We brought my son into Dr. Passive Aggressive’s office one day after he was born, per her protocol. During that appointment she made many passive aggressive statements like, “I usually prefer to do circumcisions in the hospital.” “Did they do a hearing test? You usually are not allowed to leave the hospital without Test XYZ.” She picked apart the checklist from the birth center. She made us feel like it was really inconveniencing her to do things outside of the hospital. She was negative about the entire experience, even though my son was perfectly healthy and I was showered and dressed and sitting in her office 24 hours after I gave birth. She never even said, “Congratulations.”
My husband and I decided to switch Pediatricians. Dr. Passive Aggressive was competent, but clearly not inline with our birthing philosophy. We decided that we shouldn’t feel stupid or belittled when we left a doctor’s office.
We paid $35 dollars to get copies of our children’s records and went to a new Pediatrician across the street. The new doctor, Dr. Nice, and the new office has been great. Dr. Nice has never made us feel bad for waiting to do the circumcision and hearing test. She also doesn’t make us feel stupid when we ask questions. The new office also really appreciated the detailed newborn checklist from the birth center. The front desk is warm and friendly. My daughter has been ill and they called yesterday to check on her. I have never had a doctor do that. A nice bonus is that my daughter loves to play in their waiting room. I never knew that the grass really was greener on the other side.
There are many reasons to switch doctors:
- You move and need to find a doctor closer to you.
- You aren’t in agreement with how they are treating your child’s illness.
- You feel like you have to lie about your parenting style (like attachment parenting), because you know they don’t agree with you.
- The front office does not provide good customer service.
- It is difficult to make appointments.
- It is difficult to speak with a nurse when you have a question.
- You don’t feel comfortable asking the doctor questions.
Have you ever switched Pediatricians? If so, why did you?
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Writing this post really helped me get this off my chest. I do like my new doctor’s office a lot. I am so happy that we switched. P.S. We chose the new doc based on a recommendation from my sister-in-law. Now all the kiddos in my family go to the same office. Another nice bonus!
LOVE this post Amanda. That being said we are with TriCare since my hubby is Military. SO we do not get the option of changing Dr’s. Or Dr’s get changed on us ALL the time. Especially since many are being deployed. (They are sending lots of Pedi’s to help the children in war) BUT I love her office. They are always friendly and I can speak to a nurse at anytime of day or night. When I have found a Dr I do not like I have refused to see her/him again. We have been lucky with my daughters current Dr’s she is wonderful and we try and only see her. I am glad you went with your gut and changed Dr’s.
Like any other “business”, doctors’ offices really are run like a machine, and anything out of the ordinary sends their methods into a tailspin. It is a shame that Dr. PA was so horrible about your choices – but I am glad that you found a suitable alternative.
I have switched pediatricians twice, both due to moves. It’s never fun – particularly having to pay for the paperwork. (Is that mandatory? I never knew I was going to have to pay for copies of my kids’ info until after I signed up for it. I always wondered if I had just left well enough alone that the new doctor office would get copies from the old one. Anyone know anything about this?) Now that we are settled for what I hope is the long run, I am glad to be building good relationships with our husband-wife pediatrician team. They know us and always converse with us about things other than the kids! I love that!!
It depends on the office. If you take it yourself they charge but if they fax it over to the other office then it is free. Some work vice versa. Or charge less for one way vs. another.
Great post Amanda! We love our pediatrician we go to now. There is one doctor in the group who I can’t stand. He is patronizing and openly mocks you when you ask questions. But, the other doctor we love, will pray for the child before getting shots or any other concerns you have about your child. I love that! He is very kind and won’t make you feel stupid for asking questions.
My husband and I are waiting to adopt and have asked around for good references. We have a not so popular insurance and the one doctor that I am excited about going to based on his demeanor and that he is a Christian is not a preferred provider. I would have to send the bills myself. Anyone think it’s worth it to start or should we look for someone that is preferred for our insurance?
Great post! I switched pediatricians when my old one suggested that my 6 day old son be “stretched” to nursing every 3 hours, and got offended when I told him I’d feed the baby when he was hungry. He then got even huffier when I questioned the vaccine schedule. So I took my money elsewhere, and found a pediatrician that will actually discuss things with me!
Good information..and I am very glad you changed doctors. Any professional should never behave or discuss those issues in that manner..I have seen it all too often. There are some things that are clearly medical issues and others which are clearly parenting. Medical professionals need to know the difference and keep their personal opinions to themselves if it has NO bearing on the child’s medical care. More things new parents should discuss prenatally if possible are how the Ped feels about breastfeeding (specifically duration of time breastfed, supplements etc), solid food intro, vaccines etc…. It is SO important to be able to talk to your child’s doctor and feel you are comfortable. Good post. Response to Amy V above..If the doctor you like is competent and has the same views as you regarding medical care, parenting etc… Ask some more questions and if you have the financial resources, trust your gut… If you will need to go out of network for hospitalization (God forbid)due to that doc’s affiliation or because he is not a preferred provider, it can get messy. I would say to do more research.. Hope you get a baby soon!
I have considered changing doctors but have not done it yet. This article makes me feel more comfortable switching. A few months back my son was only 3 months old. He had a cold, but was acting really fussy (more than a cold would cause). I went to the ped. office 4 times and numerous phone calls. Finally in my desperation to figure out what was wrong, I called my step sister who is natural path. She asked me what I had been eating, I told her my list. She helped me trouble shoot and we pin pointed two food that could have been causing my son to be fussy- milk and soy. I am breast feeding so I just cut those foods out. In less than 48 hours the crying stopped, and he started sleeping again. I was a little irritated that my doctors never bought up my diet as a cause for his fussiness. After reading your article, it makes me feel like I could find a doctor who might be more attuned to trouble shooting with me. Thanks!