At Welling Clinic, we specialise in the treatment of children illnesses. Children like taking homeopathy medicines and which also helps in faster recovery and long term immune boosting to stay healthy. We have seen in our children patients, that they stay healthy and fall ill lesser than other kids in their schools or area. Our doctors are trained to manage the most complicated illnesses of children and also simple ones like recurrent cold etc. The relationship parents develop with your child’s paediatrician will last decades and thus require honesty, trust and good communication. We have interviewed mothers that visit our clinic for their child’s treatment and tried to find how we can help them better and their child recover faster. We have implemented all these guidelines at all our clinics already. But you can also check if your current or future paediatrician covers these requirements of a good paediatrician.
1 – Seek Reference
If this is your first time and you have no experience whatsoever about anything related to babies, seeking references from people who have kids is the best way to find a pediatrician. You would want to get acquainted with the pediatrician well before you are due. Your friends, relatives, and neighbors would prove to be very helpful in recommending a pediatrician. These people have first hand knowledge and would be able to share accurate information about the doctor based on their experience. Asking for references also works great if you are planning to switch to a new pediatrician.
2 – When you visit the paediatrician, your gut instinct should tell you
A parent’s instinct should not be ignored, and may even be the best way to make important decisions when it comes to your children. No one knows your child the way that you do, and if you feel good about a decision regarding his care, then trust yourself. Everyone has heard the stories about parents saving their children based on instinct alone, that simple gut feeling that you get when something just isn’t right. So if you’re feeling good about your child’s physician, chances are that you’ve made a good choice. Examine the way you feel about the care you received after a visit as well. Choosing a doctor for your child and yourself can sometimes feel a bit like any other relationship: it either clicks or it doesn’t. This is not the time to settle. If it doesn’t feel like there’s a connection and understanding about your wishes for your child’s care, it might be time to move on.
3 – You should be comfortable to tell her your biggest health worries for your child and he should give enough time to listen
Every parent worries about their child’s health. It starts as soon as they’re born. Are they eating enough? Pooping enough? Breathing correctly? For first-time parents these fears can feel magnified, as every day with their newborn is uncharted territory. Having a physician who understands this, and can sympathize, is invaluable. You need to find someone that takes each of your concerns seriously, even if you must preface them with, “I know this sounds crazy but…” A parent should never feel like they cannot bring up an issue with a pediatrician for fear of seeming paranoid, over-protective, or annoying. This is a non-negotiable issue that directly affects the health of your child. Your child needs an advocate who isn’t afraid or intimidated to ask every question necessary concerning her health.
4 – You should trust him to tell you the truth
If you know without a doubt that your pediatrician is always truthful with you, even when it isn’t what you want to hear, that is a very good thing. When a child’s health is at stake, there is no room for sugar-coating. This doesn’t mean that he delivers bad news with a harsh tone or attitude, but rather that the information is given in its entirety. Your pediatrician should also offer you any and all information you request about a diagnosis, and be willing to go the extra step to provide other recommendations of resources such as helpful books or websites.
5 – She returns your calls
Not every illness requires a visit to the doctor, and sometimes a simple question about medicine or care can be answered with a quick phone call. If your pediatrician understands this and returns your calls or your messages, it can make life with little ones at home much easier. While awaiting a call back or a message-back from the doctor, have questions to ask a pediatrician ready, so that nothing is forgotten. You know you’ve got a great pediatrician, when you feel you can reach her when you need her.
6 – She doesn’t blame you when things aren’t perfect.
If you have a paediatrician who keeps blaming the parents for every health problem a baby goes through, should be discarded. Its the job of paediatrician to explain and advice the parents instead of going through the blame game always.
Make sure you find a pediatrician who empowers you. You feel vulnerable enough as a new parent without a doctor making you feel like you’re screwing up. Yes, there’s a learning curve. Find a doctor who teaches you without judging you.
7 – He should answer and solve your general health queries
The paediatrician should help you with general advise on breast feeding, weaning, process to start with general food and help you get your anxiety levels down.
8 – He remembers your child’s health history
You know you’ve got a great pediatrician when he remembers your child’s health history from visit to visit. You can be confident that your child is receiving individualized care when his doctor remembers the dairy sensitivity your child experienced at four months, or the awful stomach virus that rocked your family’s world a few months back. Doctors see many patients and cannot be expected to remember every detail about every one of them, but it is comforting when your child’s physician can recall basic information about the big events that make up your child’s health history. When a doctor remembers a child not only as a patient, but as an individual, it communicates care, trust, and devotion, all of which are integral in the patient-doctor relationship.
9 – He is respectful of your time
The pediatrician’s waiting room is notoriously a place where parents and children wait exorbitant amounts of time to be seen. Sometimes this is unavoidable, rainy season or times during change of weather. If this becomes a regular occurrence, however, you might want to consider changing offices. It’s hard enough to take the time to get in for a doctor’s appointment and wait to be seen. If you have questions to ask a pediatrician, try to make a list and ask them during one appointment, instead of waiting until the next time you see them. Cutting down wait times at the office can sometimes be as simple as asking the front office staff when the best time of day is to schedule appointments. If you have young children that do not yet attend school, it might be faster to schedule appointments during morning hours when school is still in session.
10 – Your child likes her
A great pediatrician will have a connection with your child and a good bedside manner. A pediatrician should have a way with children that encourages comfort and trust. Children might not always enjoy the exams or vaccinations that come with a visit to the doctor, but they should have a baseline comfort level. If your child seems to have repeated trouble warming up to the doctor, it might be time to consider finding another physician that has a better way of connecting with her patients. The relationship your child forms with his or her pediatrician can influence his or her desire to seek medical attention when needed, so it is important that even if the visits are not always fun, they are not dreaded or avoided.
11- He speaks to you with respect
A good pediatrician will speak to your child and you as parents with respect while educating you, and without any trace of condescension or sarcasm. You should feel respected and as though your child’s doctor views you as an equal partner in caring for your child. He should explain diagnoses in terms you can understand, and you should feel perfectly comfortable clarifying any information that is unclear, without fear of being viewed as less than or uneducated. And it shows they respect the commitment to continuing to learn the most current guidelines and treatments.
Hope these guidelines help you to find a good paediatrician and also helps your child recover faster from every illness.
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