Friday, March 30, 2012

Choosing a Pediatrician For Your Newborn


Many expecting parents are so focused on the impending birth of their little one that they overlook the importance to plan for the baby's medical care once they arrive. Newborns see a pediatrician many times during their first year of life, beginning just after birth. Plan ahead to choose a good pediatrician before your newborn enters the world.

Plan Ahead
Expecting parents should begin the search for the right pediatrician about three months before their due date. An excellent way to find a pediatrician is to ask other new moms, neighbors and friends about the pediatrician they use, and ask if they like the doctor. Asking obstetricians and midwives is also a good way to get pediatrician suggestions.

After making a list of possible pediatricians, go to the website of the insurance company providing the family medical coverage. It is important to ensure that a pediatrician is a preferred provider with the primary insurance company. Because a baby needs so many well-child visits, vaccinations and sick visits, paying the extra cost for an out-of-network doctor can create significant expenses for new parents.

Narrow the Candidates
After making a list of candidates, determine a final list a pediatricians to consider. Base the top choices on how close the doctor's office is, how many people have recommended the doctor, if the office has extended hours such as evenings and weekends without extra charges, and if the office has a nurse hotline to call for basic questions.

This is a good time to ask those who recommended the doctor what they liked most about the pediatrician. Do they encourage questions? Have a great bedside manner? Keep patients moving quickly through the office without long waits? Determine which items are most important to you and prioritize the list.

Visit the Offices
Visit the offices of each of the doctors you are considering. With an appointment, it is possible talk to the doctor directly. Ask their views on cord blood banking, circumcision, breastfeeding and other issues important to parents and children post-delivery. Cord blood banking is where the baby’s umbilical cord blood is collected following delivery to be saved for the family and potentially used in a future medical treatment for the baby, possibly a sibling. It's important to see how the staff interacts with you and your concerns before choosing to work with them and your baby.

Be sure to ask what happens if the primary doctor is out of town or unavailable, especially for an after-hours emergency. Do they have other doctors in the practice? Do they have an agreement with another pediatrician to cover in those situations? Answering all of these questions will help you feel more comfortable going through the transition of expecting mother into motherhood knowing that you will have trusted people to work with concerning your newborn’s health. 

This article was written by Alan Cassidy, an active writer within the blogging community covering maternity and childbirth, and always advocating for infant and children’s health. Connect with him on Twitter @ACassidy22

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I love spring! The birds chirping. The crisp, refreshing air. The sense of newness!

It makes me want to clear out clutter in my life. Today I am doing exactly that. Spring cleaning. Perhaps there will be yard sale in my near future! ;) I know the boys have been "practicing" for a yard sale for quite some time now.

Here's a nice video I saw today on this subject: http://finances.msn.com/save-money/32644975?from=boacopy

Speaking of something new for spring, I'm on the look out for some new spring recipes. If anyone has any to share, please comment on this blog post and I'll share them on the blog! My mealtimes are stuck in a rut. So, I need all the help you can give me! Thanks!!

~ Rachael


Thursday, March 15, 2012

Tyler stirring dough while Evan poses
Evan and Tyler helped Mommy make semi-homemade Cinnamon Rolls using the Pillsbury Specialty Hot Roll Mix.

The rolls turned out so well that I think we will make them this way from now on instead of just buying the frozen ones!

Now the house smells like a bakery. Yum!

The boys will get to enjoy their rolls in the morning for breakfast. They didn't finish baking until after they were fast asleep.

Kneading the dough
We almost weren't able to make them because we didn't have flour. But, I asked one of our neighbors who provided some flour. So, as thanks, I took a couple of rolls over to their house as soon as they were done. They were quite appreciative and asked me if I could give them the recipe sometime! Well now...I'm becoming quite the domesticate, huh?

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous day with the boys & John! Thank you to my friend/neighbor for inviting us to the park with her & some other Mommies & kids! I've never seen that playground area so packed! We had some lunch at The Waterfront in Pittsburgh then walked along the trail. Then, we decided to go to the Penn Hills library (instead of going inside the Barnes & Noble and spending money on books...lol). We loaded up on FREE library books. Then, we finished off the evening with some ice cream at "A Different Twist" in Penn Hills. Not too shabby! ;)