Children's Hospital Colorado

How to Choose a Doctor for Your Baby

A woman with long brown hair and wearing a red shirt holds up a light instrument in front of a baby with short brown hair.

Choosing a doctor to provide for the health and wellbeing of your baby is an incredibly important decision. There’s a lot to consider when choosing the right doctor, and it may seem overwhelming at first, especially since you’ll be making this decision before you actually become a parent. But, at Children's Hospital Colorado, we want to help make finding a doctor, one that you respect and trust, a simpler task.

Your child’s doctor will be a source of information, support, advice, and of course, medical care, over the coming years, so you’ll want someone you can trust, and someone you feel comfortable calling, even at 2 a.m. Someone warm and caring, responsive, reassuring and knowledgeable, and who can recommend the best care for your child.

It is important to consider whether your child’s doctor refers to and recommends Children's Colorado for health issues beyond their own expertise. When your doctor recommends Children’s Colorado, you can be sure that if your child ever needs to be hospitalized - or requires any other specialized care – you’ll be referred to an environment specifically designed for children. When your child’s doctor recommends Children’s Colorado, you have access to one of the nation’s top pediatric hospitals. This means access to more than 1,000 trained and highly experienced specialists that are 100% dedicated to caring for kids.

Where to start?

One of the best ways to start the search for your baby’s primary care physician is to seek out referrals from everyone you know – your doctor, other doctors, friends, relatives, co-workers, other new moms, and members from organizations and groups you’re affiliated with. Ask them why they recommend or chose these physicians, and start to compile a list of names.

Once you’ve gotten a few recommendations, consider what type of doctor will match your family’s needs: do you prefer a pediatrician, a doctor who cares only for children, or a family physician, a doctor who cares for both you and your baby? Whether you choose a pediatrician or a family physician, double check to make sure they accept your insurance plan. You’ll also want to determine which doctors have the most convenient office hours and locations.

When you’ve arrived at this list, we recommend that you personally visit with your choices at their offices. A face-to-face interview is the best way to establish compatibility and will give you an opportunity to ask questions. Most doctors are very open to meeting with future parents to discuss their philosophy of care and the way their office operates. Some even offer specific times and tours of their practice so parents can experience the facility and ask questions.


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