How to Choose a Pediatrician: When to Start, What to Ask, and How to Decide

Somewhere near the end of pregnancy, a form or a nurse asks you a question you may not have gotten to yet: who is your baby's pediatrician? It sounds like something you can sort out once the baby is here. It usually comes up sooner than that, often before the baby has even arrived.

The good news is that choosing a pediatrician is one of the few pregnancy decisions that runs entirely on your schedule, and it is easy to do well if you start a little early. Here is when to start, where to find names, what to ask on the phone and in person, and how to make the final call. It all comes from the AAP, KidsHealth, and Cleveland Clinic, with nothing invented in between.

01Why the question comes up before the baby does

The AAP's parent site, HealthyChildren.org, notes that "most hospitals ask for the name of your pediatrician when you're admitted to deliver your baby." That does not always mean your pediatrician will be the one examining your newborn in the hospital. The same page says the routine newborn exam "can take place anytime during the first 24 hours after birth," and who does it is worth asking about, which we cover below. Still, you want a name ready.

The bigger reason is what happens right after you go home. The AAP recommends "a checkup within 48 to 72 hours after your newborn is discharged from the hospital" (HealthyChildren.org). At that first-week visit, the doctor will "measure and weigh your baby to make sure their growth is on track" and go over the hospital's hearing and jaundice screening results (HealthyChildren.org). Booking that appointment with an office you have already met is much easier than calling around from a hospital bed.

02When to start looking

The sources don't give an exact week, but they agree on the window. KidsHealth says "it's a good idea to start looking for a doctor about 3 months before your baby is due." Dr. Kimberly Giuliano, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic, puts it just as plainly: "Start calling doctors at the beginning of your third trimester if you can. If you get too close to your due date, you might have a patient before you have a pediatrician."

The AAP lands in the same place. It recommends that "all parents-to-be visit a pediatrician during the third trimester of pregnancy" as a first step toward "a trusted relationship and supportive medical home for their child" (HealthyChildren.org). It adds that the visit is especially helpful for first-time parents and for families facing a high-risk pregnancy or complications, expecting more than one baby, or adopting. If any of those describe you, start early. The first calls fit comfortably at the end of our second trimester checklist.

03Where to find names

You don't need a long list. Three or four real candidates is plenty, and these are the places the sources send you:

• Parents you trust. HealthyChildren.org says "the best way to start looking for a pediatrician is by asking other parents you know and trust." KidsHealth widens that circle to "relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and doctors you know."
• Your OB. The AAP also suggests "asking your obstetrician for advice" (HealthyChildren.org). OBs know which practices local families actually use.
• Referral services. According to HealthyChildren.org, the AAP offers a referral tool that lists board-certified pediatricians, "local/county medical societies provide referral services," and hospital pediatrics departments can recommend doctors too.
• Your insurer's in-network list. Cleveland Clinic advises: "Check with your insurance company about which pediatricians are in your network — it can mean lower costs for you." Cross-check names you hear from friends against that list early. It saves you from falling for a practice you can't use.

04Pediatrician, family doctor, or nurse practitioner?

You have more than one kind of option. KidsHealth explains that most pediatricians see children and teens up to age 21, while family physicians care for patients of every age, "from kids to seniors." The difference is focus: pediatricians specialize in children, so their training centers on children's health needs. Some families like having one family doctor for everyone, and others want a specialist. Both are legitimate choices.

Many practices also include nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who, per KidsHealth, "are trained to give shots, check kids for health problems, prescribe medicines — and do many of the things doctors can do." Cleveland Clinic suggests you "find out whether you will see these other providers and how often," so you know who will actually be in the room.

Whichever you choose, check board certification. KidsHealth says you "do want to make sure that your child's pediatrician is board certified." A shortcut is the letters after the doctor's name: HealthyChildren.org notes that "only board-certified pediatricians can add the designation 'FAAP' after their names," and Cleveland Clinic points to FAAP for pediatricians and FAAFP for family physicians.

05Start with a five-minute phone call

Before you book a visit, call the front desk. HealthyChildren.org says office staff can answer the practical questions, and these are the ones that rule a practice in or out fast:

06What to ask at the meet-and-greet

The AAP describes the prenatal pediatric visit as a chance to cover safety topics like car seats and crib bedding, immunizations for family members, breastfeeding, cord blood donation, and how to recognize postpartum depression (HealthyChildren.org). Bring your own list too. These questions come straight from the AAP, KidsHealth, and Cleveland Clinic:

07How to decide

Use the logistics to narrow the list, then let the relationship decide. Cleveland Clinic says "finding someone you can connect with and trust are probably the biggest factors to consider when choosing your pediatrician," and that "only you can decide which pediatrician is best for you and your child." The practical questions come first, though, because a wonderful doctor who is out of network or an hour away will not work.

08Once you've chosen

• Have the name ready for the hospital. Since most hospitals ask for your pediatrician's name when you are admitted (HealthyChildren.org), write the practice name and phone number on a card in your hospital bag folder.
• Save the office number and the after-hours line in your phone and your partner's phone, now, while you are calm.
• Know how to book the first checkup. The AAP recommends one within 48 to 72 hours of discharge, so ask the practice how to schedule it: from the hospital, or by calling once you are home.
• Know what to bring. For the first-week visit, HealthyChildren.org says to bring "hospital paperwork—including information about your baby's discharge weight or complications during pregnancy or birth."
• Start a questions list. The questions parents most often bring to that first visit include how often diapers should be changed, how the umbilical cord heals, when to start baths, and how to handle a fever and use a thermometer (HealthyChildren.org). Our guide to the first week with a newborn covers a lot of what comes up.
• Check with your insurer about adding the baby to your plan after birth, and confirm the practice is in network for that plan.

09One less thing to figure out from a hospital bed

Choosing a pediatrician takes a few phone calls and one or two short visits. Done around the start of the third trimester, it is a calm afternoon project. Done the week of your due date, it is one more thing to scramble for. Our free week-by-week planner puts this task and the rest of the prep in the weeks where they fit, so the last stretch of pregnancy stays light.

Questions parents actually ask

Newborn Weeks is planning help, not medical advice — always follow your own doctor, midwife, or pediatrician.