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Choosing a pediatrician for your family
After you process the initial joy of learning that you are pregnant, you will soon realize that you have many decisions to make for you and your baby. These choices may include picking baby names, finding an OB-GYN physician to take care of you during your pregnancy, deciding which hospital to deliver your baby, and choosing a pediatrician for your family. While many decisions can seem overwhelming, picking a pediatrician does not have to be if you know what you are looking for in a doctor.
Talk to other parents about recommendations for a pediatrician.
If you are beginning your search for a pediatrician, talk to your friends and family members that are parents. See if any particular names pop up repeatedly, either positively or negatively. Remember to keep an open mind, though. One person’s not-so-great experience with a pediatrician in the midst of many other positive recommendations may be a result from that particular family and pediatrician not being a good fit. The reverse is also true; one family’s amazing pediatrician may not be exactly what you are looking for. But at the very least, talking to other people is a starting point for your search.Plan to meet the pediatrician…before your baby is born.
After you have made your list of potential pediatricians, the next step is to meet them in person. Many pediatric practices will host open houses for new parents, or will schedule prenatal consultations. By meeting with a pediatrician, you will be able to see if his/her beliefs, values, and attitudes regarding pediatric health care are in line with your own. You can decide if you like him/her or not…plain and simple! You and your baby will have at least 10 well-baby visits to the pediatrician in the first two years of life (not even counting sick visits!), so it helps if you like your pediatrician. Ask the pediatrician if he/she is pediatric board-certified (taken and passed the pediatric board exam) or board-eligible (preparing to take the pediatric board exam). -
What November means to me
In honor of Epilepsy Awareness Month, we would like to share this story written by a mother, whose son was diagnosed with Epilepsy in 2007.
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Winning the kid lottery: how adoption changed my life
Our son Brandon, who is now 20 years old, came into our lives fifteen years ago. We met him about two months before he turned five. At the time, he was in foster care. His mother had problems with addiction and was not providing a stable home so he entered foster care about a month before he turned three. November is National Adoption Month and I thought it might be a good time to share our story.
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Winning the kid lottery: how adoption changed my life... continued
Our family continued to adjust and grow together. Brandon sometimes recognized gaps in his early years and we did our best to fill those in. One time when he was seven or eight, he asked me if we could read some fairy tales and said, “I never go to hear those when I was little.” So we read fairy tales.
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A second chance at fulfilling a dream: Jillian’s story
What started as a childhood dream is now becoming a reality for Jillian in her lifelong pursuit of becoming a gymnast. She began gymnastics at just 3 years old, and began competing at age 6. Fast forward a few years and Jillian is in high school, dreaming of taking her gymnastics career to the next level and becoming a collegiate athlete. She was having the time of her life- spending countless hours practicing and competing in a sport she loved, surrounded by encouraging friends and family. She was starting to be pursued by various colleges and felt more confident than ever, knowing nothing could get in the way of her dream of becoming a collegiate gymnast.
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A little bit of fabric equals a lot of love: a pillowcase makes the hospital feel like home
Written by Nora Elkins, customer service specialist.
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Hearing with a cochlear implant: Paola's story
Paola Fidalgo is finally able to hear her family thanks to a cochlear implant, or artificial hearing device implanted in her ear. Before the cochlear implant, Paola was unable to hear a door slam, but now is asking her mom to turn down the radio in the car because it's too loud. Hear her story and learn how a cochlear implant has changed her life and offered new hope.
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Preparing for Baby's Arrival
Deciding to have a baby is probably one of the most exciting decisions that you will make in your life. In addition to those feelings, it is perfectly normal to also feel a bit nervous. Your body will experience changes during pregnancy that you have never felt before, and you might worry about what it will be like to take care of your new baby. You may wander down the aisles of the baby store and wonder if you really do need all of this stuff to take care of the newest and smallest member of your family. Pregnancy is a time of excitement and anticipation as well as uncertainty.
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Preparing for Baby's Arrival... Continued
Earlier this week, we talked about several ways for new and expectant parents to become prepared for their new arrival. Here is some more helpful information that every parent should know:
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Concussions and sports: It's a girl thing, too
As summer winds down and a new school year gets underway, this also signals the start of the fall high school sports season in Central Florida.