Looking for a pediatrician for a newborn near Reston, VA.

September 17, 2012 1:11 PM

Looking for a pediatrician for a newborn near Reston, VA.

My wife and I will be having our first child soon and we're looking for a good pediatrician in or near Reston, VA. We are looking for recommendations or just ideas for how to choose a good doctor for our daughter.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

I just went with the local mega-practice most convenient to my house. I decided that among all the other details to fret over, I did not have the brain space to deal with getting picky over the pediatrician too. So far, no complaints - it is less personal than a small practice, but the advantage of size is that I can always be seen on short notice, and they are well-run and well-staffed.
posted by yarly at 1:40 PM on September 17, 2012

We had a friend who was a nurse. Want the best doctor? Ask a nurse.
posted by raisingsand at 1:41 PM on September 17, 2012 [2 favorites]

Raisingsand is correct. I found our two awesome pediatricians by asking the nurses and staff at the OB GYN's office (the 1st moved out of state after a few years). Nearly all of them had kids and knew exactly who had the best practices.
posted by maxg94 at 1:48 PM on September 17, 2012

I also asked at my OBGYNs office; most pediatrician's offices in our area hold a "meet the doctor's night" once a month or so to go and get a feel for the practice, we found that helpful, and only had to go to one, since we liked it.
posted by dpx.mfx at 1:54 PM on September 17, 2012

Another thing to look for is a 24/7 advice nurse hotline. I go to my local mega-practice and they have a terrific advice hotline that means I never have to wait more than 5 minutes before I have an answer to any question I might have. MUCH better than trying to make it on your own at 3am with Dr. Google when your baby has his first fever.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:08 PM on September 17, 2012

Do you know about DC Urban Moms? The people on their forums are often super snarky and annoying, but they do also have great local recommendations for doctors and other things.
posted by echo0720 at 6:03 PM on September 17, 2012