https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 20 May 2026 09:58:28 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094720 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:36:12 +0000 plantains 1094720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There is no space for that in most doc's office in Manhattan so I don't care. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094713 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:33:33 +0000 lindseykaye 1094713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When we were looking, it was a feature I specifically was searching for. We didn't have any ties to one Dr. or office though so I was starting from scratch.<br /> If I had a doc or practice that I had really good recommendations for, or that I had a personal reason for wanting then it would probably not be a deal breaker. It is nice to have though, as my girl hasn't ever been for anything except a well visit </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094687 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:23:59 +0000 Rubies 1094687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It never even crossed my mind that there should be separate waiting rooms! So I guess it's not a deal breaker for me! LOL! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094683 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:23:09 +0000 purrpletulips 1094683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a deal breaker for us since they enter through the same door and check in at the same counter. In our peds office you have to walk through the sick kids side (which is much bigger and had toys in it) to get to the healthy kids side. I get more frustrated about the toy situation than anything, try telling a healthy preschooler they can't play with the fun toys but have to go sit on the side with no toys. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094633 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:59:48 +0000 littlecasita1122 1094633@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As for the toys, I always make sure to bring a couple small things and books to keep in my bag so LO is occupied. Luckily we never have to wait more than 10 minutes. I used to work in a doctor's office and let's just say the toys in the waiting room were sanitized maybe once a month...I'm totally not a germaphobe but I will always bring our own toys from home for him to play with and then wash them later after the appt! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094579 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:31:30 +0000 avivoca 1094579@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It wasn't a deal breaker for me. I wasn't really super concerned with that. The ped I went to growing up didn't have separate waiting rooms for sick and well patients. </p> <p>However, the ped we ended up going with does have separate sick, well, and contagious diseases entrances. There aren't any toys in the waiting rooms though since they are smaller. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094570 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:29:33 +0000 Crisark 1094570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do and I prefer it that way. I don't know that it would be a deal breaker but I'd have to think about it if they didn't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094560 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:24:24 +0000 keiki_mama 1094560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a separate waiting room for kids that are sick but I feel like the doctor's office is generally a germy area :) It would not break the deal for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094553 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:21:59 +0000 CottonCandy 1094553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a deal breaker for us. I would have liked our office to have a separate area, but I don't let my LO touch anything when we are in the waiting area anyway in fear of all the gross germs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094542 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:18:41 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1094542@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: Ahhh... that might change things then. If I didn't love our doctor I might be more critical of other things. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094533 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:14:50 +0000 twinmama 1094533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't have the option and hasn't been an issue so far. Usually aren't many others there, and if they seem sick, we sit on the other end of the room, or pace the hallway in front. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094523 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:13:13 +0000 ShootingStar 1094523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: Haha, well we didn't *love* them, so maybe that's a bigger deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094515 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:11:41 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1094515@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I agree. The important part is finding a pediatrician/family doctor you love! Everything else is a perk :) I would like it for sure but it's not an option. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094500 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:04:18 +0000 ShootingStar 1094500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, I'm amazed that no one cares, lol. I will say there were a lot of toys in the waiting room, so when he's 2 or 3 it will be a lot more difficult to reign him in than a newborn. But I guess it's not that big a deal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094433 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:36:29 +0000 petunia354 1094433@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a deal breaker for us. Hasn't been a problem so far, but he is too young to be playing with the toys/touching everything! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094422 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:34:01 +0000 mediagirl 1094422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a deal breaker. They had a small area for babies under 3 months. Beyond that, it's just one big room. I love my pediatrician group too much to care that there isn't a separate sick room. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094404 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:29:09 +0000 Smurfette 1094404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It didn't matter to me and so far it hasn't been an issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094365 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:22:32 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1094365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours doesn't have separate waiting areas but it hasn't been an issue for us either! I always try to take the first appt of the day, if possible. And if I can't I usually keep LO on my lap. There aren't really any toys in the waiting area, just a TV so for the short wait I have him sit with me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094346 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:16:29 +0000 LuLu Mom 1094346@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our office only has a newborn room, not a "sick/healthy" room. It wasn't important to me knowing that germs are everywhere. The sick kid could be in the same room as your healthy checkup right before you go in, cross contaminating everything anyways. i wouldn't worry about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094339 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:12:04 +0000 GrapeCrush 1094339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It didn't matter to us. I figure sick kids ended up in the room we are going to before us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094320 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:05:41 +0000 looch 1094320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a deal breaker, although ours now has one for well, sick, infants and teens, all separated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094319 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:05:39 +0000 blackbird 1094319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sick baby appts are at different times than the well baby appts at our ped's office. And if you have to mingle and go to a well baby appt when it's sick times, they bring you back quickly so you don't wait near all the sick kids </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094318 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:05:01 +0000 Adira 1094318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours also doesn't have a separate waiting room and it hasn't been an issue for us yet! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094305 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:03:26 +0000 Bookish 1094305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't have separate waiting rooms and it hasn't been a big deal. I just stay away from everyone! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094300 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:02:35 +0000 hilsy85 1094300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't have separate waiting rooms at our pedi...there just isn't space! They do try to get us into the exam room quickly, although then we wait a while in there sometimes. I wouldn't worry about it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094297 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:01:32 +0000 autumnlove 1094297@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Doesn't matter to me...germs are everywhere in the hospital and doctor's office. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094295 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:01:16 +0000 regberadaisy 1094295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I worried about this too and honestly it turned out to not be a big deal at all. Our appointments are always early before work and there are hardly ever any other patients IN the waiting area. Even though they didn't have a separate room they did have areas. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/choosing-a-pediatrician-how-important-is-separate-waiting-rooms#post-1094289 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 08:59:39 +0000 ShootingStar 1094289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went to check out a pediatrician practice last night and overall they seemed ok. But I noticed that they didn't have separate waiting areas for sick kids vs. well kids, and I'm wondering how big a deal this is. I remember my pediatrician growing up had separate areas. </p> <p>Would this be a deal breaker for you? Should we just be sure to bring anti-bac or wipes and if he touches the toys, clean him up as soon as we're out of the waiting area? </p>