Expert Care for Your Precious Newborn: The first weeks and months of your baby’s life are critical for healthy development. Our comprehensive newborn care services provide expert medical care, guidance, and support to help your baby thrive and give you confidence as a new parent.

Newborn Care Services:

Initial Newborn Examination: Within 24-48 hours after birth, we perform a thorough examination including:

• Physical Assessment:
  • Measurements (weight, length, head circumference)
  • Vital signs (temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate)
  • Complete head-to-toe physical examination
  • Assessment of reflexes and muscle tone
  • Hip examination for developmental dysplasia
  • Heart examination for congenital defects
• Newborn Screening Tests:
  • Metabolic screening (PKU, hypothyroidism, etc.)
  • Hearing screening
  • Critical congenital heart disease screening (pulse oximetry)
  • Bilirubin level for jaundice

Well-Baby Visits Schedule:

• 3-5 days after birth (or 48-72 hours after hospital discharge)
• 2 weeks
• 1 month
• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months

What We Monitor at Each Visit:

Growth & Development:

• Weight gain patterns (babies should regain birth weight by 2 weeks)
• Length and head circumference growth
• Feeding adequacy and patterns
• Sleep patterns and duration
• Developmental milestones:
  • 1 month: Focuses on faces, startles to sound
  • 2 months: Social smile, cooing, tracks objects
  • 4 months: Rolls over, laughs, reaches for objects
  • 6 months: Sits with support, babbles, transfers objects

Feeding Support:

Breastfeeding:

• Latch assessment and positioning
• Milk supply evaluation
• Addressing common challenges:
  • Sore nipples
  • Engorgement
  • Mastitis
  • Low milk supply
  • Oversupply
  • Tongue-tie and lip-tie
• Pumping and milk storage guidance
• Return-to-work planning
• Weaning support

Formula Feeding:

• Formula selection guidance
• Proper preparation and storage
• Feeding amounts and schedules
• Addressing formula intolerance
• Transitioning between formulas
• Combination feeding (breast and formula)

Introduction of Solids:

• When to start (around 6 months)
• Signs of readiness
• Baby-led weaning vs. traditional spoon feeding
• First foods and allergen introduction
• Progressing textures
• Self-feeding skills

Common Newborn Concerns:

Jaundice:

• Monitoring bilirubin levels
• Phototherapy when needed
• Feeding support to help clear jaundice
• Follow-up testing

Umbilical Cord Care:

• Proper cleaning and care
• Signs of infection
• What to expect as it falls off
• Care after it falls off

Circumcision Care:

• Post-procedure care instructions
• Pain management
• Signs of complications
• Healing timeline

Skin Conditions:

• Diaper rash prevention and treatment
• Cradle cap (seborrheic dermatitis)
• Baby acne
• Eczema
• Birthmarks
• Rashes and when to worry

Digestive Issues:

• Normal newborn stool patterns
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Spit-up vs. reflux
• Colic and excessive crying
• Gas and fussiness

Sleep Concerns:

• Safe sleep practices (ABCs of safe sleep)
• Normal newborn sleep patterns
• Establishing healthy sleep habits
• Swaddling techniques
• Sleep regression
• When to worry about sleep

Illness & When to Call: We educate parents on warning signs:

• Fever (100.4°F or higher in infants under 3 months is an emergency)
• Difficulty breathing
• Poor feeding or dehydration
• Excessive sleepiness or difficulty waking
• Persistent crying or irritability
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Signs of infection
• Any concern that worries you

Parent Education & Support:

Newborn Care Skills:

• Bathing techniques
• Diapering
• Nail care
• Temperature taking
• Medication administration
• Car seat safety
• Infant CPR (we can provide resources)

Safety Guidance:

• Safe sleep environment (firm mattress, no loose bedding)
• Back to sleep positioning
• Room-sharing vs. bed-sharing
• Car seat installation and safety
• Home safety preparation
• Smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector checks
• Pet safety around babies
• Sibling preparation

Immunizations:

• Birth dose (Hepatitis B)
• 2-month vaccines (DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus, Hep B)
• Vaccine education and safety
• Managing vaccine side effects
• Immunization schedule review

Postpartum Support: We care for moms too:

• Screening for postpartum depression and anxiety
• Physical recovery guidance
• Breastfeeding support resources
• Contraception counseling
• Referrals to maternal health providers
• Support for parenting stress

High-Risk Newborn Care: Specialized follow-up for:

• Premature infants
• Low birth weight babies
• NICU graduates
• Babies with congenital conditions
• Multiple births (twins, triplets)
• Babies with prenatal exposures

Coordination of Care:

• Communication with hospital and birth center
• Referrals to pediatric specialists when needed
• Early intervention services
• Lactation consultants
• Home visiting programs
• Community resources

24/7 Support: New parents have questions at all hours. We provide:

• After-hours nurse line
• Urgent same-day appointments
• Email and patient portal access
• Telehealth visits when appropriate

Preparing for Your First Visit:

• Bring your hospital discharge papers
• Bring your insurance card
• Prepare a list of questions
• Note any concerns about feeding, sleeping, or behavior
• Bring a feeding log if possible
• Dress baby in easy-to-remove clothing