Doctor for Newborn.

Shorty69664

Hi all,
We're expecting our first child in two weeks and we are just confused over whose doctor to register the baby with.
My wife's doctor is from where she lived before we got married - 25 miles from were we are now based. This is the doctor who she has seen althrough the pregnancy and knows all her medical history. My doctor is 4 miles from where we live. but (thankfully) I haven't seen him in years.

I'm not sure if we even have a choice as to who we can pick?

What has people in the same situation done?

January

Of course you have a choice...

I registered both my daughters with my partners doctor because he was closer and in my opinion a better doctor than my own (he usually had a locum there to cover him rather than be there himself).

sillysocks

If your wife has been getting her free pregnancy doctor visits with her own doctor then she's entitled to free visits to the same doc for her and the baby for 6 weeks after the baby is born. So might be worth using her doc for the first few weeks, and after that I'd say a doctor that's nearer home would probably be easier.

Shorty69664

Thanks for that folks and it helps make our mind up. We'll probably go with the nearest one after the inital six weeks are up. (Never knew about that)

Now just have to get through the next two weeks...... Slow is not the word!

Thanks again.

sillysocks

Shorty69664 wrote: »

Now just have to get through the next two weeks...... Slow is not the word!

Relish every lie in as you never know if it might be your last for a long time

January

sillysocks wrote: »

If your wife has been getting her free pregnancy doctor visits with her own doctor then she's entitled to free visits to the same doc for her and the baby for 6 weeks after the baby is born. So might be worth using her doc for the first few weeks, and after that I'd say a doctor that's nearer home would probably be easier.

Just on this, the girls doctor didn't charge for them until after six weeks even though I wasn't under him for my maternity care... I had my first daughter down with him at two weeks for thrush and he prescribed the drops and when I went to pay him he told me it was free until she was 6 weeks... so they may just do it as a gesture of good will if you yourself have been with them long enough.

Clearlier

Closer is obviously better in many respects but be sure that you're going to a good one. We bought a house in an area where there simply weren't any good GP's so we stayed with the one my wife went to which was a good 30mins drive away.

Clearlier

Clearlier wrote: »

Closer is obviously better in many respects but be sure that you're going to a good one. We bought a house in an area where there simply weren't any good GP's so we stayed with the one my wife went to which was a good 30mins drive away.

You're right that closer isn't everything - it's important that you are comfortable with and confident about your GP, especially on those days or nights when something happens with your child that puts the heart crossways in you.

Jaysus, when I think about how fortunate we are.

Our GP is practically our next door neighbour - it is about a one-minute walk from our front door to his waiting room.

He has unbelievable opening hours. He has surgeries every day except Sunday. He's a really sound guy, and especially good with kids - my son always thought he was the business. And he is not expensive compared to what other people are paying.

Das Kitty

We just went with a whole new doctor when we had James. I wasn't happy with mine and my husband's was a long distance away. We went with a doctor a few minutes' walk away. We had been recommended to go to him and are very happy with him.

It was also good that I could walk to him after my c-section as I couldn't drive.