A good pediatrician will be your partner in your child's health care from birth until they head off to college, and maybe even a little longer. Selecting a pediatrician is an important decision. This guide to how to find a pediatrician will help you find a pediatrician who meets your needs.

The process of finding a pediatrician can start even before the patient is around. You should begin searching for a pediatrician for a new baby while you are still pregnant. You'll ideally begin the search early in your second trimester, so you're all set in case you have complications or a preterm birth.

Before you begin to look for a pediatrician, take to time to think about what you'll need from a pediatrician.

1. What are your feelings about bottle vs. breast feeding? You'll want a pediatrician who is fully supportive of your decision.
2. Do you have strong feelings about the types of medical care you want your child to receive? Are holistic or complementary therapies important to you?
3. Are you comfortable with a solo practitioner, or do you want a large practice where there are many pediatricians providing round the clock coverage?
4. What hospitals would you like the pediatrician to be affiliated with?
5. Does your health plan limit you to certain pediatricians?

Once you've decided the things that are important to you in a pediatrician-parent relationship, you can begin your search for a pediatrician.

1. Ask friends and family for referrals.
2. Call local hospitals for names of pediatricians that are accepting new patients.
3. Ask other health professionals you're seeing for names of peditricians they recommend.
4. If you're planning on breast feeding, attend a local La Leche meeting and ask the leaders for names of supportive and experienced pediatricians.
5. The American Medical Association provides referrals to member pediatricians.

1. Is the pediatrician board certified? If you are interviewing a newly licensed pediatrician in a large practice, they may not have received their certification yet, but make sure they are at least board eligible, meaning that they have completed all the requirements.
2. Check with your state's medical board to make sure the pediatrician is licensed and in good standing with the board. Some states list malpractice lawsuits on their websites.
3. There are several internet sites, such as HealthGrade that list information on some pediatricians. As all pediatricians are not listed, it's not an indication of a problem if a pediatrician you are considering is not listed on the site.