https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 07 Apr 2026 01:52:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2249422 Thu, 30 Jul 2015 07:36:13 +0000 babybean404 2249422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rosegold: I haven't read the other replies, but we were in this situation. I loved our family doctor and trusted him completely. However, I found that I didn't trust the other doctors and nurse practitioner in the practice. I hardly saw any kids in the office and I found myself questioning the last time they'd treated a child. This became a problem when LO was sick and her doctor didn't have an opening that day or when we needed to call the on-call doc for advice. Ultimately it was a deal breaker and we switched when she was 9 or 10 months. We've been much happier with the office (particularly the nurses, too!) at the pediatrician practice. My husband still sees the family doctor and he understands why we left. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2249393 Thu, 30 Jul 2015 07:04:44 +0000 tinyperson 2249393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're in Canada and LO sees a pediatrician. There are actually more pediatricians accepting new patients than there are family doctors! Our family doctor is downtown, so it's more convenient to see the pediatrician 10 minutes from home. Plus, she's more attuned to kids issues than our family doctor might be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2249307 Wed, 29 Jul 2015 21:19:36 +0000 jetsa 2249307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We switched from a family doc to a ped when we moved and are looking for a local family dr. We got better care at the family dr. They knew us and our kids we could walk in the office and they knew who we were it was much more comfortable than just being a number at the ped's office. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248494 Wed, 29 Jul 2015 06:37:57 +0000 nana87 2248494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lo sees a family practice dr, mostly because he was who was recommended to us (by a family w kids and one parent is a dr herself ). He is so, so great! Very well informed on the latest research and calming bedside manner. I probably would have looked for a ped if I hadn't gotten this rec but now I wouldn't switch unless I had to. I don't see this dr (I'm on student insurance and have to go to my campus health center for general care) but Dh is planning on starting to see him when he needs his next physical </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248491 Wed, 29 Jul 2015 06:31:32 +0000 blackbird 2248491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sapphire: Oh, that's good to know! The practice I do go to when I'm sick is a family practice, but I think of them as my GP/primary when i have to put them down on a form. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248433 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 21:26:09 +0000 Ms. RV 2248433@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO will be seeing a peditrician. There are no family practices around me that have privileges at the children's hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248423 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 21:13:27 +0000 travelgirl1 2248423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think my answer is coloured by being English, because pretty much everyone uses a family doctor for their kids there.<br /> But, I had the choice here in Ontario and chose family doctor. It's a teaching hospital and sometimes we deal with residents first. Some are excellent, some are awful. But I absolutely love and trust our family doctor and know that even if I deal with a not-so-great resident first, she will come in straight after and all will be right. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248380 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:48:12 +0000 FannyMae 2248380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just take LO to the local doctor's clinic that I go to - its only been three times when she's had a fever/virus. Vaccinations are through the local council maternal health nurse, which also sees baby from newborn to age 4 for check ups. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248373 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:44:13 +0000 Silva 2248373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Absolutely a pediatrician....but I'm also biased because my husband is in residency to be one (in one more year).</p> <p>We also both saw pediatricians growing up, so probably would have gone that route regardless of the specialty my husband chose.</p> <p>eta: my husband is in a residency program that emphasizes primary care, so he gets a significant amount of experience in that field. I'm not sure what other programs are like - he knew he wanted primary care, so looked at places that focus on that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248363 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:36:18 +0000 shellio 2248363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MenagerieMama: @sapphire: Happy to see a couple of family docs here :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248354 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:28:45 +0000 lady grey 2248354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I will only take DS to a pediatrician. That being said, if you have a great family practice doc that you really trust, go for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248349 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:21:39 +0000 autumnlove 2248349@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pediatrician. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248342 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:16:02 +0000 MenagerieMama 2248342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anbanan15: I would argue that family doctors sometimes get more outpatient training in pediatrics than pediatricians do - it's part of the reason I picked family over pediatrics because I knew I wanted to do primary care and most peds residents only spend half a day per week in clinic before graduating, whereas I did almost all clinic my final year of residency (including a lot of peds, including many babies I delivered!). My specialty pediatric training wasn't as intense, but if my patient had short gut syndrome or something else they'd have a specialist on board anyhow! I also have a lot more comfort with counseling my teenagers about birth control than some pediatricians I've worked with. I definitely have worked with family docs who were out of touch with pediatrics, but those are generally the exception! Some of us really (really really) love peds and are super up to date on everything. So don't count us all out, we may have a lot of age groups to span but that just means we had to be extra smart to do it, right @sapphire: ? ;) Okay, off my family med soap box! I just love my job and love taking care of kiddos :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248262 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:27:04 +0000 namaste 2248262@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Family doctor. I like him a lot and it's easy to get in and out. All of the local pediatricians are very popular and it is hard to get appointments. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248251 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:15:03 +0000 mauxie 2248251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pediatrician. I see a family doc as my PCP, but the office doesn't seem all that kid-oriented. By the looks of the patients I've seen, even though they're open to taking young children, it seems more like young adults and up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248244 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 17:06:17 +0000 MrsBrewer 2248244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We go to a pediatrician! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248225 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:41:45 +0000 anbanan15 2248225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pedi. They specialize in children and issues specific to children where as a family doctor knows a little about every age group. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248205 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:16:10 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2248205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pediatrician. Our family doctor is great for adults but I wouldn't take my kids to her.<br /> I love our pedi.<br /> A good friend uses a family doctor for her son and gotten really outdated advice. Sealed the deal for me.</p> <p>@Charm54: we're in Ontario and most of my mom friends use pediatricians. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248204 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:15:31 +0000 peaches1038 2248204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OuR baby is due in November and barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will be using our family medicine doctor. We love her and she is supportive of our healthcare goals.<br /> ETA: she is young, so maybe that plays a part. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248199 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:06:13 +0000 sapphire 2248199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MenagerieMama: also a family doc and also vote for family doc :) I love that the whole family can be seen by one doctor. Out doc also delivered LO.</p> <p>Also family doc is not the same as GP! Family medicine is a board accredited specialty requiring minimum of 3 years training after med school (same as pediatrics). GP means a lot if things but does not necessarily mean completed residency or is board certified. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248197 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:04:21 +0000 whenoceansrise 2248197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our pediatrician is also an internal medicine doctor so it's cool that he'll follow LO through adulthood. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248184 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:29:47 +0000 MenagerieMama 2248184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Family doctor, but I'm biased because I'm also a family doctor! I love that she knows our whole family's health and is great at well care. I wish she could have delivered her too but family docs rarely do OB here, which is different than where I trained. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248172 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:13:03 +0000 Foodnerd81 2248172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We see a pediatric practice. I didn't really give much thought to a family practice, though I can see the convenience! I haven't seen my own Primary care doc in probably 3 or 4 years (haven't been sick and have only seen docs about pregnancy and birth stuff). </p> <p>Our pediatrician is 3 blocks from us so that pretty much sealed the deal for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248167 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:03:49 +0000 Charm54 2248167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We all see the same family Dr, including LO. That seems to be the norm here in Canada (at least in my province) - you only go to a pediatrician if there is a medical reason to </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248166 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:00:48 +0000 blackbird 2248166@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We go to a pediatrician's office (there are 4 plus an NP there) and we really like her. I'd go anywhere where I felt like the dr took us seriously and such. </p> <p>honestly, I only see a general practitioner when I have a sinus infection or something small like that, so I don't even have my own GP </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248165 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:59:46 +0000 jh524 2248165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rosegold: my lo goes to a family practitioner. He actually delivered him as well. I would probably lean towards a pediatrician but we don't have any in our small town so the convenience factors contributes a lot in our case. He also has been wonderful in supporting our delayed vaccine schedule, which I greatly appreciate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248159 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:56:18 +0000 Alivoo01 2248159@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS sees a pediatrician, and I feel better about it since my family practice doctor is a bit older. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248146 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:50:34 +0000 Jess1483 2248146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love our pediatrician, and she was my pediatrician, so I didn't really look for anyone else. But, I'm sure she will be retiring before my guys are 18, and I'm interested in looking for a family practice. I like having a pediatrician for the baby days, but once the kids are a bit older, I like the idea of a family doctor knowing the whole family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pediatrician-or-family-practice#post-2248127 Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:30:54 +0000 rosegold 2248127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>does your lo see a pediatrician or do you take them to a family practice? thoughts on this? pros and cons of either?</p> <p>i found i was actually really unhappy with the local pediatrician and felt more at ease with my dr and he sees and takes great care of both of my children! </p>