Pediatrician Checking on Baby at Hospital

[Anonymous]

Just wondering about the norm. Did/does your pediatrician see your baby at the hospital after you deliver? Or only after you take the baby home from the hospital in an office visit? If so, who was/is your pediatrician?

[Anonymous]

If your pediatrician has priveledges at the hospital, s/he may come and examine the baby. Otherwise, one of the hospital's on-call pediatricians will do that. Regardless, your pedi will probably want to see the baby 2 days (or is it 1 day? sorry don't know which is standard since I had a c/s and was at the hospital for 5 days) after you are discharged.

[Anonymous]

One caveat for us was that our baby spent a week in the NICU (nothing serious) and was seen regularly by the staff neonatologists. Our regular ped didn't meet the baby until after she was discharged.

[Anonymous]

My pedi, Capitol Medical Group, visits all their new patients when they are in the hospital (as far as I know). They also see your child 1-2 days after discharge. I really like this aspect of their practice. They have privileges at Sibley.

[Anonymous]

Its pretty much standard practice for pediatricians to go to the hospital. However, they can only go if they have privileges at the hospital where you deliver. If they can't go to your particular hospital, the hospital pediatricians will check on your baby daily and perform the same tests that your pediatrician would have done. Then you are supposed to see the pediatrician again when you've been home 2 days.

[Anonymous]

The pediatrician we chose did not have privileges at the hospital where I delivered and it worked out just fine. The staff pediatrician at the hospital checked out our baby before discharge, and then we went to our chosen pediatrican's office for a visit the next day.

The logistics seemed a little daunting pre-delivery, but it was actually quite easy. We pre-registered by phone with our pediatrician before delivery and then DH from the hospital after delivery to schedule our first appointment.

Also, it turned out we really liked having a doctor's appointment the second day home. We were a bit more clear-headed than at the hospital, and it was reassuring to talk through things with our pediatrician after the dust settled and we had spent a night at home together.

Good luck!