Should you switch pediatricians?

I was lucky. When Cedar was little we lived in a very small town in Humboldt, California. We went to a good old hometown clinic and we had a small town pediatrician who gave us unlimited attention and Cedar just loved her. When we moved to a big city when Cedar was four we were in for a shock. Not all pediatricians stack up. Here's when you should think about switching.

• Your babe's pediatrician is always late or running behind.
• He fails to give your baby his full attention. Look for classic signs of wandering pediatrician mind -- checking his watch or the clock constantly, not looking you in the eye, rushing through the exam, and just a general feeling of disinterest. Even busy pediatricians should seem interested in your baby and give full attention during appointments.
• You feel rushed and never get to ask all the questions you have.
• The pediatrician never asks if you have questions or fails to discuss age milestones at appointments -- such as what your baby should be doing at five months.
• You call the clinic and it takes forever to hear back (if you hear back at all). Be sure that in a pinch you can get through to a live person with advice. If you can't you'll be calling the hospital when you don't need to or spend a lot of time worrying. The best pediatricians have advice nurses on call 24/7.

Lastly, and this should never be compromised, if your child's pediatrician challenges you about your beliefs or his goals for your baby don't match yours then it's time to switch. I had a pediatrician put down home schooling all the time so we switched. My friend had a pediatrician who said breastfeeding past the age of one was building a needy child (HUH!) she switched that day. You may be able to put up with long waits and short visits but never compromise what you believe is best for your baby.