Identifying a paediatrician

We had been told that identifying a good paediatrician is critical for new parents. The pediatrics department in our birth hospital was the natural and seamless first choice. My pre-natal experience in the hospital had been excellent and we were impressed by the hospital's emphasis on letting nature take its course with the birthing process. Hence the sensitization towards breast feeding began early for all us expecting parents visiting this hospital. 

But I was unable to breast feed my baby. And there began our problems with the paediatrician in this same hospital. This doctor, Dr. P was nice but I do not think he could really move past the fact that I was not exclusively breast feeding and was OK with not doing so. I did oblige him by sitting with the lactation consultant a few times. But when that did not work I thought it was time we moved on to identify how to best work with formula for the baby. But after each visit I would come out duly lectured on the benefits of breast milk only to end up frustrated and tired when it did not work, yet again. The second thing I noticed about our doctor was that he was not very hands on. At each visit it was his attending nurse who would unbundle the baby and measure her height and weight. The doctor himself barely examined the baby. 

But the other plus point of braving it through with Dr. P was that we could call up the emergency department of this hospital and speak to any of the paediatricians on call, instead to taking the baby in each time. For first time clueless parents like us this was a blessing (panic calls were made when our baby's naval clamp fell off and bled, when it seemed like our baby would never stop hiccuping or when we thought she was coughing once too many times!). 

We then decided to visit another neo-natal specialist, Dr. M who had been highly recommended by a GP we really like. Dr. M is a doctor consulting in one of the biggest hospitals in Delhi. A trip to this hospital takes at least an hour and a half from our home. As I drove us there the first time I kept muttering that this had better turn out good to justify the distance. 

As it turns out, Dr. M is not just good - he is par excellence! Extremely practical, he does NOT dwell solely on the breast feeding aspect and has gone so far as to recommend a few good formula feeds on the market. And in contrast with our previous doctor, this gentleman is extremely comfortable with the baby. On each visit he confidently takes the baby from us and places her on his examination table, expertly undoes her clothes, and flexes her limbs to inspect her. Our baby also is very comfortable and never once has she cried (except when being injected for her vaccines of course!). 

Expertise in handling the baby is a sure sign of experience and skill. 

The fact that Dr. M is practical is an important plus point. As new parents, I think the list of dos and donts are fairly overwhelming. This doctor on the other hand does not emphasis on any cumbersome practices - he immediately agreed that cotton nappies were a pain and said that as long as diapers are regularly changed and a good anti-rash cream is used, there is no bar on use of diapers. When we timidly suggested that we want to take our infant daughter to Italy for a month, all he said was we should apply for a visa early because turns out the Italian embassy is being a tad slow this summer! Another huge factor is his availability on text messages. He has been quite responsive on WhatsApp whenever we have needed his opinion.

But I had my reservations about the hospital that Dr. M is attached to - it is not very conducive for our infant daughter. As one of the premier hospitals in the national capital, the hospital floor is incredibly busy. It attracts patients from all over the country and abroad and has dedicated desks for certain nationalities. On any other occasion this would not have bothered me, but while I carried our little baby to the neo-natal section for that first visit, I looked at each person suspiciously as a potential germ conveyor, about to transmit unspeakably terrifying diseases. And then I had to negotiate the complexities of billing in one section, getting height and weight for the baby measured in another section and then wait for the doctor elsewhere - not so easy with the baby and her diaper bag and regular feeding and changing in the midst of everything. The hospital is very efficient of course with several floor attendants willing to help out with directions, carrying samples etc. Yet I missed the homely familiarity of our birth hospital in the face of the scale of operations here. Luckily for us, Dr. M also has a clinic in his house and that's where I am most comfortable taking our baby. It is still very far from home, but so much more comfortable and conducive for an infant. 

In addition, we have also identified a paediatrician in our immediate vicinity (actually living in the same building as ours!). This access is critical for emergencies (say the baby has had a fall or when your regular doctor is not available on a holiday). This doctor is genial and friendly - but again not as 'handy' as Dr. M. He is a little old school - he prescribed a medicine for our baby that, while effective for her cough, had an intense soporific effect on her (at the time quite welcome!) which later Dr. M said was not at all good for an infant's constitution.

For expecting parents, it is a good idea to at least have a list of doctors you can work through once you receive your bundle of joy. And then let the baby and your own instincts decide! And believe you me - babies are very intuitive and instinctive about the people