Prenatal Exam

Many parents-to-be have discovered it’s a good idea to interview potential baby doctors before the child is born. And though your medical insurance coverage may limit your choice of doctors, most plans still offer some options. Most physicians allow parents a prenatal interview at no charge.

To be safe, ask if the doctor charges a fee when you call to make the appointment. Also ask how much time you’ll have so that you can pace your questions. Have your questions written down, and take someone along to take notes.

Here is a list of 10 common questions. Ask what is most important to you first.

1. What is your philosophy on child rearing?

Know your issues before you have this conversation. For example, ask the doctor: Do many of the mothers in your practice breast-feed their babies successfully? Do you think children should be fed on a schedule? Weaned at a particular time? How do you feel about a family bed? What is your usual recommendation for babies who cry when they’re put to sleep at night? What is your philosophy about antibiotics or other medication for children who have colds or other ailments? What is your opinion about infant vaccinations or circumcision?

You’ll think of other questions as your baby grows, but it’s important to get some initial sense of how much you and a baby doctor agree on child rearing. Otherwise, if you disagree often, you are likely to change doctors later or avoid discussing issues on which you disagree, and you won’t get the benefit of a professional opinion sometime when you need it.

2. How much are your hospital charges and fees for office visits?

In many places, pediatricians charge similar fees, with family practitioners probably charging somewhat less. Many HMOs and similar health care plans set flat fees.

3. Does a pediatric nurse practitioner work in your office?

A PNP is a nurse, often with a master’s degree, who with additional training becomes the pediatric equivalent of the certified nurse midwife in an obstetrician’s office. A PNP can handle well-child checkups and minor illnesses, and consults with the pediatrician as needed. Many parents like to work with PNPs, as they often spend more time with patients and their fees are lower than a doctor’s.

4. Do you charge for phone calls?

Most physicians don’t charge when parents call with questions, but some do. Typically, parents call frequently about their first child.

5. Do you return every call?

Some doctors do. Others have office personnel return the calls. The nurse who handles your phone call may not have the same attitude about the issue in question (breast-feeding or sleeping habits, for example) that you or your doctor have. If you find that the person who’s handling your phone call is not on your wavelength, request that the doctor call you back instead.

6. How often do you want to see the baby in the first year?

Pediatricians, more than family practitioners, will schedule several well-child visits as a form of preventive care and an opportunity for parent education. Feel free to discuss the purpose of these visits in advance. You need to decide if it’s worth an office visit fee to find out how much your baby weighs and if the doctor thinks your child is doing well.

7. Do you have a sick-child waiting room?

Some doctors try to avoid mixing the well children and the sick children in the same reception area. Young children are very susceptible to contagious diseases.

8. What is the scheduled length of your appointments?

The closer together the doctor’s appointments are (10 to 15 minutes apart, rather than 20 or 30 minutes, for instance), the more likely you are to wait, as well as be rushed through your appointment.

9. If you share a practice, will I always see you?

Not likely. If you are scheduling an exam in advance, you can ask for a day that your doctor will be in the office. But if you have a sick child, you’ll get whoever is in the office or on call. If it’s important to you, arrange to meet all the doctors who might cover for your baby’s doctor in an emergency.

10. Do you have evening or Saturday hours?

Although daytime hours are still the rule, a growing number of doctors are accommodating working parents.

* This is an edited excerpt from “A Good Birth, a Safe Birth” (Harvard Common Press, 1992), co-authored with Roberta Scaer. Copyright 1996, Diana Korte. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.