Expectant Parent Appointments

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One of the best ways to find a good pediatrician is to do your own personal shopping. At Cook Children's in Arlington, we appreciate the opportunity to meet future parents of newborns in expectant parent appointments so that we can answer your questions and provide important information.

Scheduling: 972-691-2388 Download interview questions

This expectant parent appointment also gives you the chance to make sure you feel comfortable with your baby's doctor and get things set up before you have your baby. Just one less thing to worry about in the busy days following your baby's birth.

Asking the right questions

Below is a list of interview questions you can download to help you in your search for a pediatrician. You may also find that the list brings up a few questions of your own. That's a good thing. Write those down and take them along with you. This should help you make a good, informed choice.

For your convenience, you can download and print these guidelines and take them with you to each interview.

Why choose a Cook Children's pediatrician?

At Cook Children's, taking care of kids means including the whole family. We take the time to listen to you and your child, answer questions and help you navigate parenthood.

Cook Children's pediatricians are not just kid friendly, they're kid only. Whether it's a routine checkup or something more serious, our pediatricians care for children as they grow up – and, we're parents, too!

Our doctors are specialists in the health care of infants, children and adolescents. Our team includes board certified pediatricians that, together with you, will get your kids on the path to leading happy and healthy lives.

Cook Children's complete network of medical care provides a safety net for your child. We offer a growing number urgent care locations, two emergency medicine locations that are supported by our Teddy Bear Transport team, nationally recognized specialties and brilliant medical minds and some of the most incredible medical technology available anywhere in the world. And, because your child's medical history follows them, you can count on consistent care no matter where they go in our network.

Visits with your pediatrician

A pediatrician should see your infant beginning a few days after you're discharged from the hospital. At each visit, your doctor will examine your baby, assess growth and development and answer questions. It's a good idea to write down any questions you may have before your next visit.

Regular checkups should be scheduled starting at 3 to 5 days old. Your next visits will take place at 2 to 4 weeks and months 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 15 and/or 18. Afterward, your appointments will be scheduled yearly.

Childhood should be simple, and, whenever possible, free of illness and injury. Immunizations are the safest, easiest ways to protect your kids from unnecessary, and sometimes fatal, childhood diseases. Your infant should have regular checkups and immunizations to help protect him or her from illness. Check with your baby's doctor to see what type of immunization schedule is recommended.

Keeping track of your baby's health

At Cook Children's, we want you to have all the information you need at your fingertips. So, with the help of families, we created a family medical planner to help you keep your child's health information in one place and up to date. We encourage you to print this document in English or Spanish and put it in a binder. Bring the binder to checkups and share the information with any of your child's caregivers.

Looking for more information?

Cook Children's offers these additional resources through our kid-friendly health care system: