When I was on bed rest for my first child, I did a lot of research online. I did hear that I should interview pediatricians before selecting one, but I didn?t think it was necessary. Furthermore, I really wasn?t able to leave my house to do that. I selected a pediatrician in my community with a good reputation, but who didn?t work at the hospital where I was giving birth. Therefore, I ended up changing pediatricians because we loved the woman who saw my baby in the hospital, and wanted to maintain consistency. Because of that, now Id recommend interviewing first. Here are some sample questions that you should find the answers to before selecting a pediatrician.

1) How do you handle phone calls/questions? Is there a triage nurse who mans the phone lines? If you leave message, how long does it take for a call back? How are after hours issues handled?

2) What is your philosophy about medicines (some doctors seem to always prescribe medications while others are more cautious)?

3) What do I do if my child is up all night sick? Are there walk in hours? Or are appointments purposely left open? (some pediatricians have early morning walk in hours. I like it because its always an option if my child is up all night and I also like the idea that the very sick kids are not there when we are there for our well visits).

4) This isn?t a question, but get an overall feel of how you like the doctors demeanor. Do they answer your questions completely? Or do they make you feel stupid asking them?

Once you get your questions answered and feel comfortable, you will be much happier with your choice of pediatricians!

Jodi is the founder of http://www.momsfavoritestuff.com, which provides Real Moms Reviews of Everything for Mom and Baby.