Choosing Baby’s Provider
Posted on: January 17, 2022 | Babies, Body, education, Health, Information, Las Vegas
The thought of Evyn’s little body being poked and prodded evoked anxieties and uncertainties in Claudia. Like many new moms, Claudia turned to her social media mom groups for advice on care for her new baby. Choosing baby’s provider was a necessity as they were entering the 2-week postpartum mark. Claudia held the appointment confirmation of a newborn care follow-up she received upon discharge. She had met the pediatrician on-call at the birthing facility, but she had yet to choose her preferred provider for Evyn. How should she choose? Where should she begin?
Types of Baby Providers
Choosing a provider for pregnancy and birth is just one of the many important decisions we make in childbirth. The choosing of the baby’s healthcare provider is equally as important. This individual will be one of the go-to’s for well-checks, sick-checks, physicals, etc from baby’s birth to 18 years old. There are different providers to choose from: Pediatrician, Family Practice, and Nurse Practitioner.
A pediatrician is a medical doctor who oversees the physical, behavioral, and mental care of a child from birth to 18 years old. A family practice provider is a medical professional who focuses on providing health care for the entire family. This is beneficial if the family already has a family provider, the baby is able to be added to the care seamlessly. Nurse practitioners are health care providers that offer care oftentimes in special medicine and promote overall well-being. Nurse practitioners also provide care for the whole family.
All of the aforementioned care providers are educated, credentialed, registered, and licensed to perform care on pediatric patients.
What to Consider When Choosing Baby’s Provider
When choosing which provider to check in with for the baby, there are some factors one may want to consider:
- Do they follow the CDC immunization chart or do they allow for delayed immunizations?
- How often do they schedule routine checks?
- What are their average wait times? (longer, on-time, early)
- What are their credentials/specialties?
- What is their reputation/rating?
- Do they have great bedside manner? Do they answer questions thoroughly?
- How many providers are in the practice, do you get to a request, or is it on-call?
Remember, just like routine care during pregnancy, you are in the driver’s seat of the care of the baby. Interview a few providers. Get a feel for how they operate. One is always encouraged to fire and hire as needed to suit their family’s needs.
Routine Well-Child Visit During the First Year
Routine well-checks are conducted throughout the first year of a baby’s life. While these are considered “routine”, they are not mandatory or required. The benefit of seeing a provider routinely in the first year is that it provides peace of mind and an opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and gain insight into what going on in the baby; milestone-wise, healthwise, and other avenues.
The ages that well-checks are conducted are generally determined by your specific provider of choice. The most common well-checks are done at 2 weeks, 8 weeks (2-months), 4-months, 6-months, 9-months, and 12 months. Some providers will do a well-check at 4-weeks (1 month). Remember, visits in between these set well-check visits are also available as needed or wanted.
Las Vegas Options
Locally in Las Vegas the amount of pediatric care providers are generous. Finding out the best one for one’s family begins with asking your peers. Ask why they like that specific practice, visit the practice, interview the practice. While social media groups can offer insight, there’s nothing better than reviews and personal experience. Some of our personal favorites in Las Vegas are:
- Oasis Pediatrics
- Anthem Pediatrics
- Desert Valley Pediatrics (Summerlin Location)
- St. Rose Pediatrics
- Vegas Health Care Concierge
- Forte Family Practice
- Las Vegas Family Medicine
The appointment was scheduled. Claudia had made the decision to attend Evyn’s 2-week well-check with an open mind and her questions in hand. Her postpartum doula was going to accompany them to the appointment, and that felt like a relief to know that an extra set of ears (and hands) will allow for some confidence in leaving the house, handling the car ride, and being in the facility. Claudia wasn’t sure why all of these brought her anxiety, and she knew she didn’t want to do it alone. Receiving the reassurance that Evyn was just as healthy as she was happy was the ultimate goal.