Russian Roulette...

Well - that may be a touch dramatic, but sometimes being forced to make so many important decisions on not much information, makes it feel that way.

So, 33 weeks and as I alluded to previously, our OB is gently reminding us at each appointment that it is time to choose a Pediatrician.

I'll say it again - God Bless the NHS; have the baby, take the baby home, head up to see the midwife/GP.  Get the baby checked and whilst you're there, get him to treat your warts/hemerrhoids/cough/rash or whatever other ailments you might have.

Not quite how it works here; you have warts, you go to a dermatologist, hemerroids, you go to a..........err.......actually I have no idea....err hemerroids doctor?  Well you get the general gist.

You have a baby, you take it to a Pediatrician.  Sounds simple?  Read on....

So first of all, your Pediatrician kind of has to be appointed before you have the baby.  That way he/she can be the one to visit you in hospital the minute the baby is born to do all the baseline checks.  This works on the assumption that the sooner he/she gets to know your baby, the easier it will be to treat him/her in the future, given that he saw him/her during the first hours of life, quirks, idiosyncrasies and all.

So - then how does one chose said Pediatrician?  Based on reviews?  Proximity to where you live?  Does he look nice?  All valid criteria - but all totally irrelevant if the one you chose is not covered by your insurance company.  Ahhh - yes - now I remember - we have a private healthcare system! 

So - let's say - you've remembered this detail and things are going really well.  You've chosen the Baby doctor who falls under your insurance company's list of preferred providers, he looks like he'd be kind to your child, his practice is just down the street, he has great reviews, he's taking new patients......yeah - we're in the home stretch.  But wait.......I'm sorry, where did you say you were delivering the baby?  Oh...right...I'm sorry.....Dr Perfect does not have 'privileges' at that establishment.  You would have to get the on call Pediatrician at the hospital to see your baby and then come in when you are released from the hospital for your first appointment with Dr Perfect.  Arghhhhhhhhh.

I know it will sound to all my lovely Yankee friends that I am making this sound far more complicated than it really is - and maybe it's my depleted brain matter - but really - could they make it any more difficult?!

So - my job for next week is to go and 'interview' a couple of Pediatricians who, most importantly, are approved by our insurance company , who tick all the criteria boxes and who might be the right person to look after the baby I haven't even given birth to yet!  All hail the 'Chosen One'.....whoever you might be.