Choose Your Baby's Pediatrician Before the Birth
Most parents pick a newborn doctor during the third trimester. The hospital will ask who your baby's pediatrician is at discharge — having one already chosen means the first visit is booked, not scrambled for. A Black-owned pediatric practice in Miami since 1953, caring for South Florida newborns across three generations.
Dr. Rozalyn A. Paschal-Thomas, MD
Pediatrician · Miami, North Miami Beach & Plantation
Register your baby — (305) 758-0591Newborn Care at a Glance
- Also searched as
- Newborn care guide · guide to newborn care · newborn care after delivery · choosing a pediatrician before baby arrives
- When to choose
- Third trimester, around 28–34 weeks — before the hospital asks at discharge
- First visit
- 3 to 5 days after birth, or sooner if discharged before 48 hours
- Ages covered
- Newborn through adolescence, so the same practice continues past infancy
- Pediatrician
- Dr. Rozalyn Paschal-Thomas, MD
- Offices
- Miami, North Miami Beach and Plantation — compare all three pediatric clinics near you
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM. Closed Sunday.
- Insurance
- A pediatrician that accepts Florida Medicaid, plus a pediatrician that accepts your commercial insurance
- Deliveries
- Not provided. This is a pediatric practice; your obstetrician delivers the baby.
- To register
- Call (305) 758-0591 — or complete the new patient forms in advance
Do You Set Up a Pediatrician Before a Baby Is Born?
Yes, and most parents do. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends choosing a pediatrician before the birth, and the usual advice is to start looking in the third trimester — roughly two to three months before the due date. The hospital will ask who your baby's pediatrician is when you are discharged.
If you are still comparing options, the practice overview for parents looking for a kids doctor in Miami covers services, locations and insurance in one place. Registering is an administrative step rather than a medical one. You are not transferring your own care; your obstetrician or midwife continues looking after you through delivery. You are simply telling a pediatric office that a baby is coming, so the chart exists and the first appointment can be made the moment you leave the hospital.
Parents planning to have my baby in Miami often ask when the pediatrician comes into it: after the delivery, for the baby. Rozalyn H. Paschal M.D. P.A. Pediatrics registers expecting parents by phone at (305) 758-0591 and holds the chart until the baby arrives. Parents who skip this step usually manage fine, but they end up making phone calls in the first exhausted week — often while also being told to bring the baby in within a couple of days. Doing it at 30 weeks takes ten minutes.
What to sort out before the birth
- Check the practice takes your insurance. Confirm before you commit, and remember the baby needs adding to your policy after the birth. See accepted insurance plans or read about finding a pediatrician that accepts Medicaid in South Florida.
- Confirm they are accepting new patients. This practice is, at all three offices.
- Check where the offices are. You will be visiting often in the first year — seven scheduled visits before the first birthday.
- Ask what happens when the baby is sick. Same-day appointments are available during office hours; this is not an urgent care or a 24-hour clinic.
- Ask how far the practice goes. Here, care continues from the newborn visit through adolescence, so you are not repeating this exercise in two years.
Third trimester
Call (305) 758-0591 and say you are expecting. Give your due date and the hospital where you plan to deliver.
Verify coverage
Staff check your plan. See the accepted insurance list. No family is turned away for inability to pay.
At the hospital
Name this practice as your baby's pediatrician on the discharge paperwork.
Call when discharged
The first visit is booked for 3 to 5 days of age. Here is what to expect at a first pediatric visit.
The Newborn and Infant Visit Schedule
A newborn visit is a preventive check-up for a baby in the first days and weeks of life, covering weight, feeding, jaundice and a full physical examination. The first one happens at three to five days old. After that, babies are seen at one month, two months, four months, six months, nine months and twelve months, following the Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics periodicity schedule. That is seven scheduled well-baby visits in the first year.
| Visit | Baby's age | Main focus |
|---|---|---|
| First visit | 3–5 days | Weight against birth weight, jaundice check, feeding review, full physical exam |
| 1 month | 1 month | Growth, feeding, sleep, hepatitis B vaccine if due |
| 2 months | 2 months | First main round of immunizations, development check |
| 4 months | 4 months | Immunizations, rolling and head control, feeding changes |
| 6 months | 6 months | Immunizations, starting solid foods, teething |
| 9 months | 9 months | Developmental screening, crawling, babbling, safety at home |
| 12 months | 1 year | Immunizations, walking and first words, transition from formula or breast milk |
Babies with jaundice, feeding difficulty or slow weight gain are seen more often in the first weeks — sometimes twice in the first ten days. Extra visits are normal and not a sign something is seriously wrong.
Because all three offices share one chart under the practice's NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home model, a baby seen in Miami one month and North Miami Beach the next is still followed by the same record. After the first birthday, visits move to 15 months, 18 months, 24 months and 30 months, then annually from age three through adolescence. Milestones at each stage are covered in the practice's guide to 2-year-old milestones and the red flags worth raising.
What Do Pediatricians Do for Newborns at the First Visit?
A complete head-to-toe physical examination, a weight check against birth weight, a jaundice assessment, and a review of feeding, sleeping, wet nappies and stools. The pediatrician also checks the hospital discharge paperwork to confirm the newborn hearing screen, the metabolic screen and the hepatitis B vaccine were completed.
Newborn visits at Rozalyn H. Paschal M.D. P.A. Pediatrics take place at the Miami, North Miami Beach or Plantation office, Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
What to bring
- Hospital or birthing centre discharge papers
- Your photo ID and insurance card, with the baby added to the policy
- Any questions written down — new parents forget them otherwise
- A spare nappy and change of clothes; babies get weighed undressed
Add the baby to your insurance as soon as you can after the birth. Most plans allow only a limited enrolment window, and it is the single most common billing problem new parents run into. Staff can help — call (305) 758-0591.
What parents usually ask about
- Whether the baby is feeding enough, and how to tell — including the baby formulas pediatricians recommend if you are supplementing or formula feeding
- Yellow skin or eyes, and when jaundice needs treating
- Umbilical cord care and what normal healing looks like
- How many wet and dirty nappies to expect each day
- Safe sleep, car seats, and when to worry about a fever
Feeding and nutrition questions continue well past infancy through the practice's Nurture & Nourish childhood nutrition program, and further parent guides are collected on the pediatric blog. A fever in a baby under two months old is always urgent. Call the office immediately during hours, or go to a pediatric emergency room outside them.
Newborn and Infant Care Provided
Everything a baby needs in the first year, in one practice. See the full list of pediatric services.
Newborn wellness exams
Head-to-toe physical examination, reflexes, hips, heart and lungs, plus growth measured against the birth record at every visit.
Jaundice checks
Assessment for newborn jaundice at the first visit and after, with bilirubin testing and follow-up if levels need watching.
Feeding support
Breastfeeding help, latch and supply questions, and guidance on the best baby formula for your child if you are supplementing or switching.
Weight and growth tracking
Plotted on standard growth charts from the first visit onward, so a problem shows up as a trend rather than a surprise.
Infant immunizations
The routine schedule from birth through the first year, recorded in Florida SHOTS. See immunizations and other services.
Umbilical cord and skin care
What normal healing looks like, what does not, and when a rash or cradle cap needs more than reassurance.
Developmental screening
Milestones checked at each well-baby visit, continuing through toddler developmental milestones and beyond.
Same-day sick visits
Established patients who call in the morning can usually be seen the same day during office hours. A pediatric telemedicine visit is often available too.
Where Newborn Visits Happen
Three offices, one medical record. You will be visiting often in the first year, so pick whichever is easiest to reach.
Pediatrician in North Miami Beach
16800 NW 2nd Avenue, Suite 308
North Miami Beach, FL 33169
Pediatrician in Plantation, FL
660 N. State Rd. 7, Suite 4
Plantation, FL 33317
Questions Expecting Parents Ask
For clinical questions, see the full pediatric FAQ page.
Yes, most parents do. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends choosing one before the birth, usually starting in the third trimester, two to three months before the due date. Hospitals ask for your baby's pediatrician at discharge, so having one chosen means the first appointment is booked rather than scrambled for. Call (305) 758-0591 to register while you are still pregnant.
Within three to five days of birth for most babies, usually one to two days after leaving the hospital. Babies discharged before 48 hours of age, or being watched for jaundice, feeding difficulty or weight loss, need to be seen sooner. Call as soon as you are discharged.
Around 28 to 34 weeks of pregnancy. That leaves time to check which pediatricians take your insurance, confirm they are accepting new patients, and register before the delivery. Waiting until after the birth is possible, but it adds a task to the first exhausting week.
At the first visit: a complete physical examination, a weight check against birth weight, a jaundice assessment, and a review of feeding, sleeping and nappies. The pediatrician confirms the hospital completed the newborn hearing screen, metabolic screen and hepatitis B vaccine, answers questions, and books the next visits. After that they manage immunizations, growth, development and any illness through the first year and beyond.
Hospital or birthing centre discharge papers, your photo ID, your insurance card with the baby added to the policy, and questions written down. Add the newborn to your health plan promptly — most insurers allow only a limited window, and it is the most common billing problem new parents hit.
Yes. Florida Medicaid pediatric coverage and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted, plus cash, debit and credit card. Staff can help with adding a newborn to coverage. No one is denied access to services due to inability to pay. See also Medicaid pediatric care across all three offices.
No. This is a pediatric practice, not an obstetric one. Your obstetrician or midwife cares for you during pregnancy and delivers the baby; the pediatrician takes over your baby's care from the first days of life. Registering with a pediatrician during pregnancy is administrative, not medical.
Through adolescence, including school-age care such as the practice's partnership connecting students to primary care through their schools. Choosing a pediatrician now is not a decision you repeat in two years — the same practice handles annual well-child physical exams, Florida school physicals, the early scheduling guide for school physicals, and FHSAA sports physicals for student athletes as your child grows.
Pediatra para Recién Nacidos en Miami
Elija al pediatra de su bebé antes del parto. El hospital le preguntará quién será el pediatra cuando le den de alta. La primera cita es de 3 a 5 dÃas después del nacimiento. Llame al (305) 758-0591 durante el embarazo para registrarse.
Importante: somos una consulta de pediatrÃa. No atendemos partos ni cuidado prenatal — su obstetra la atiende a usted durante el embarazo, y el pediatra atiende al bebé desde los primeros dÃas de vida.
Atendemos: exámenes del recién nacido, control de ictericia, apoyo con la lactancia y fórmula infantil, control de peso y crecimiento, y vacunas del primer año.
Horario: lunes a viernes de 9:00 AM a 5:00 PM.
Seguro: aceptamos Medicaid y la mayorÃa de los seguros médicos.
Oficinas: Miami, North Miami Beach y Plantation.
Register Your Baby Before the Birth
Ten minutes now saves a phone call in your first week home. Call the office nearest you and staff will verify your insurance and set up the chart.