Are You Expecting?
Congratulations! Welcoming a baby to your family is one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences of your life. Along with the joy of bringing a new child into your home, there are bound to be times when you have questions about how to best care for your child. We are here for you and your family! We look forward to sharing this experience with you, getting to know your child, and partnering with you through the joys and trials of parenting for years to come.
Choosing your pediatrician is a big decision. We welcome meeting prospective families and answering your questions. We offer monthly group meet and greet visits with one of our pediatricians.
The next group visit is Tuesday, 7/14/26 at 6:15pm, via Zoom! Register here by the day before our next Zoom meeting and we will send you the link on the day of the meeting.
When you deliver:
Babies delivered at any hospital will be cared for by the pediatricians in that hospital. On the day of discharge, you should be instructed on when your baby needs the first appointment (usually 1-3 days after discharge). Please call for your baby's first appointment before you leave the hospital.
Your Newborn's First Office Visit:
Please make your first appointment with us 1-3 days after discharge from the hospital or as the discharge physician recommends.
Please bring the following to your first appointment:
- Any paperwork from the hospital, including hearing screen results and immunization record.
- Any available insurance information. The baby is usually covered under the mother’s insurance for the first 30 days. Please contact your insurance company to add your baby to the policy as soon as you can.
- Please complete the new patient registration forms that you will receive in a text message prior to your appointment. It will save you a lot of time in the office if you complete it ahead of time!
Things to know when obtaining insurance coverage for your newborn
- Insurance companies will not automatically enroll your newborn to your health insurance policy
- You must call to add your newborn as soon as possible to the applicable coverage(s) - within the first week or two with a start date as the date of birth.
- The parent’s policy may not cover newborns for the first 30 days. This can be especially true if you are still a dependent on your parent’s policy.
- You do not need to wait for your newborn’s social security card or vital statistics birth certificate to add to your insurance/Medicaid.
- Timely enrollment is very important to avoid unwanted bills or delays in scheduling future care.
- Tips for getting insurance for your baby:
- Confirm the spelling of your newborn's legal name – Very important.
- For commercial insurance: Notify your employer’s Human Resource department and insurance company(s) if adding baby to a Commercial policy(s) and request coverage back to date of birth. If it’s an HMO plan please make sure you select our practice as the PCP, effective for baby’s DOB.
- For state insurance: Contact the Medicaid State Office directly to enroll your baby. Please request start date for coverage and our practice as the PCP as the date of birth.
- Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Philadelphia County (215) 560-7226
- If your insurance requires a PCP to be selected, please make sure you select a provider from our office. Otherwise the insurance will not cover the baby’s visits.
Books we find helpful :
- Baby 411 by Ari Brown M.D. and Denise Fields.
- My Child is Sick!, Expert Advice for Managing Common Illnesses and Injuries by Barton D. Schmitt, MD, FAAP
- Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, 5th Edition: Birth to Age 5 (Shelov, Caring for your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5 by American Academy Of Pediatrics
- Touchpoints-Birth to Three by T. Berry Brazelton
- Vaccines and your Child: Separating Facts from Fiction by Dr. Paul Offit.
