Planning the Logistics for Your Baby’s Delivery

Planning the Logistics for Your Baby’s Delivery

May 26th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

For some it may be an obvious answer, and to others it may be a bit more involved. Deciding where to have your baby is not as easy for some as it is for others. The reality is that unless you happen to have a healthcare practitioner or doctor that you trust implicitly, you may be on the search for where best serves your needs for having your baby.

Adding to the confusion is considering elements such as location, convenience, and any alternative arrangements. If you are interested in a home birth for example, you want to be careful to handle all of the appropriate preparations for that. If you want to have a doula present or have a midwife be the one who delivers your baby, then you need to carefully consider what all of that means. Think through all of your options and understand what works best for you and what exactly that involves.

Your Circumstances May Dictate Your Delivery

If you are tied to a home birth or are only interested in a doula, then that may very well dictate exactly where you deliver your baby. This is because these are a bit more specialized types of birth and often require certain elements that you may not find or be interested in at a hospital. So carefully consider what is important to you and then let that dictate the location for your delivery. Be confident with your decision and make all of the necessary arrangements ahead of time.

If you already have a doctor or a practice that you are a part of, then your choices will be limited. Every OBGYN or doctor for that matter belongs to a hospital or a network and this is where they are associated with. So if you have somebody that you feel comfortable with and you want to ensure that they are who delivers your baby, then the work is done for you. You may be able to pick between a couple of locations or you may be tied to a certain branch of a hospital. Go with your instincts and if you love your doctor or practice, then know that they will be associated with a hospital that you can trust for a smooth and safe delivery.

Do Your Research if Necessary

If you are starting from scratch, then you may want to look into factors that are important to you. This is all about picking a doctor that works best for you, but also a location that you feel comfortable delivering at. So if for example there is a hospital located right near your house and this is where you want to deliver, start there by researching which doctors are associated with it and which will take your insurance. This is a good starting point and can help you to pinpoint a match that is good for you.

There’s no right or wrong, as everybody has different preferences. There is only what makes you feel comfortable and right in the delivery of your child. Once you can decide on the most important factors, you can get to the business of picking the location that is best for you and your baby. Be sure to ask a lot of questions, find out if your insurance is covered, and of course ensure that you can go into the facility knowing that you can put your trust into the hands of those who will deliver your baby.

Keeping Baby Calm and Relaxed for Check Ups

Keeping Baby Calm and Relaxed for Check Ups

April 22nd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

For a baby, a visit to the doctor can be a scary thing. There are new people, new sounds, and new surroundings, not to mention having to strip down and be poked and prodded! Make the process a little easier on your baby by following these easy tips for check up happiness.

Keep It Familiar

Your baby is used to being at home with you or other familiar caregivers, so this strange new place can be scary and overwhelming. Do your best to make sure that she sees the same doctor every time, at the same office. Although she may not recognize the place or people the first few times, it will eventually become more familiar. A small practice where there are only a few nurses and medical assistants and you regularly see the same doctor is a good choice for a pediatrician.

You can also bring familiarity along. Bring a blanket from home not only for comfort, but to wrap baby in during the process. Your doctor will want her clothes removed for her weigh-in as well as for the examination, and those rooms can be chilly, especially for a baby. A warm, cozy blanket that smells like home will keep the chill off while bringing a familiar object and smell along. If your baby has a plush toy or any other object she is attached to, bring that as well.

Schedule Wisely

If you want your baby’s check up to go as smoothly as possible, choose your appointment time carefully. Don’t choose a time too close to a regular nap, when baby will be getting tired and cranky. Don’t go when he is likely to be getting hungry – and make sure to have a something to fill his belly available just in case he does get hungry or the wait time is long. If baby is breastfeeding you will always have food with you, but remember that it might be difficult if the chair is uncomfortable or he is distracted by the new surroundings. Avoid mealtimes altogether if at all possible.

If you can, visit the doctor during quieter times of the day when they have less appointments scheduled. Weekday mornings are usually a good bet, but ask the receptionist when the best time is to be sure there won’t be a wait. The longer baby is at the office, the greater the chance he will run out of patience.

Stay Close and Stay Calm

While it might be hard to watch your baby having shots, remember that it’s harder on him. Stay nearby, with your hands on him and talk to him softly. He will take his cues from you; if you seem upset or nervous, he will likely pick up on it and be nervous as well. So try to keep your emotions in check, to help baby do the same. If he does have shots, it’s very likely that he will cry. But if you stay calm, and soothe him with rocking and soft words, the crying should be short-lived.

If you can, it’s a good idea to go to a check up with the other parent along. That way, one of you can focus on keeping baby relaxed while the other takes the job of listening to the doctor, answering questions, and asking any questions you might have.

As your baby grows, check ups will likely get easier because he is more curious and less afraid. The more you encourage him to see a visit to the doctor as nothing to fear, the quicker he will adapt.

What to Ask when Choosing a Pediatrician

What to Ask when Choosing a Pediatrician

March 10th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Your child’s pediatrician will play an important role in her life from the day she is born. You will want to find someone you like, trust, and can depend on to listen to your concerns and always help you make the right decisions for your child’s health. Most pediatricians are available for prenatal interviews, to help you in your decision prior to baby’s birth. Asking the right questions will make it easier to narrow down the choices.

Where to Start

Choosing doctors to interview out of a phone book is both tedious and overwhelming. Rather than wasting your time, ask for recommendations from family, friends and your obstetrician. You can then shorten this list by checking it against your insurance company’s list to cut out any doctors not covered under your plan. You might also want to strike off the list any doctor who lives too far away from your home.

Questions to Ask About the Office

When you call to make an appointment with the doctor, you can get a few important questions out of the way over the phone. Important general things to know about the office:

  • What are the office hours, and do they offer any evening or weekend appointments?
  • Does the office have separate waiting rooms for well and sick children?
  • How far in advance do they require well-child visits to be made, and how quickly are they generally able to schedule a sick child?
  • Do they offer a 24-hour on call physician?
  • Do they have advice nurses available for questions, and will you also be able to speak to the doctor over the phone should you need to?
  • Do they have plentiful parking, and is it free?

When talking with the staff member who answers to phone you can learn a lot about the practice. If you don’t find them friendly and helpful over the phone, they aren’t likely to be that way in person. Think of this phone call as an additional screening tool.

Questions to Ask the Pediatrician

When you head out to meet with a potential doctor for your baby, it’s a good idea to write down a list of the questions you would like to ask. Think of questions that will help you to determine whether or not you and the doctor are on the same page when it comes to decisions about your child’s health. Here are some questions to consider:

  • What is the doctor’s view on topics like breastfeeding versus formula feeding, alternate vaccination schedules, circumcision and natural or alternative treatments?
  • What type of continuing education do they pursue to keep up on current research and treatments?
  • How long have they been practicing?
  • What hospital(s) are they affiliated with?
  • Do they generally come to the hospital to see the baby at birth or will you come to the office for the initial visit?
  • Will your child always see his own doctor, or will other doctors at the practice be involved in his care as well?

You can learn a lot from this initial visit to a potential pediatrician; not just from the answers to your questions, but from the doctor’s demeanor as well. Is the doctor friendly, responsive, and open to your questions? Did you feel you were heard and taken seriously? The way a doctor responds to you in this initial interview will likely be the same manner they display in visits with your child. If you didn’t feel comfortable, felt rushed or that your questions weren’t important, keep looking.

Finding the right doctor for your child might take some time and effort, but knowing you can trust this person with your child’s health is well worth it.