What Happens During A Newborn Care Visit?
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Having a brand-new baby brings with it a long list of responsibilities, joys, and unknowns. Without a doubt, one of the most important and beneficial steps you can take for the health and safety of your baby – and for your own peace of mind – is to establish routine care with a pediatrician or family physician. The exceptional team of board-certified physicians at Health Services of North Texas is proud to provide personalized, compassionate, and thorough newborn care services in Denton and Collin counties. Learn more about newborn baby healthcare here, including why it’s so important and what you can expect during your baby’s first visit to the doctor.
When should I schedule my baby’s first doctor appointment?
Parents with new babies are encouraged to schedule their child’s first wellness visit as soon as possible after birth. In fact, many parents select a pediatrician or physician for their baby even before he or she is born. This often allows the baby to be seen very quickly after birth, with some pediatricians evaluating the newborn while he or she is still in the hospital. However, it is never too late to schedule your baby’s first newborn care visit, which will include essential services, tests, and more.
What to expect at first newborn doctor visit
Bringing your newborn baby to the doctor just a few days after birth can seem daunting, but it is a vitally important step for ensuring his or her health, growth, and development. During your first newborn care visit, which often takes place within the first week of life, your pediatric provider will thoroughly evaluate the baby’s overall health and wellness, take a series of measurements, perform any necessary tests or evaluations, and discuss a variety of topics, including how to care for a newborn, warning signs to watch for, and more. Additional things you can expect during your baby’s first trip to the doctor include:
- Measure weight, length, and head circumference
- Record vital signs
- Screen for common newborn illnesses, including jaundice, cradle cap, and feeding problems
- Administer hearing screening (if not already performed in hospital)
- Evaluate breathing
- Assess overall health and wellness
- Discuss feeding, bowel movements, and other newborn routines
- Answer all of your questions about newborn health and newborn care
How often does a baby need to go to the doctor?
Your baby’s healthcare schedule may vary depending on his or her overall health, any concerns you may have, and other factors. Generally speaking, newborns are scheduled to visit the doctor within their first week of life, during their second week of life, at one month old, at two months old, at four months old, at six months old, and every three months after that in the first year of life. After turning one, a child’s pediatrician schedule may include appointments spaced further out, though routine care is still essential for monitoring growth and development, administering child vaccinations, and providing other important services.
When should I take my newborn to the doctor between visits?
In the first several months of life, your pediatrician will keep a close eye on your baby with regular newborn care visits. However, there may be situations when an additional visit to the doctor is warranted. Warning signs and symptoms in infants that should be addressed almost immediately by your Plano pediatrics provider or nearest ER include:
- Weight loss or lack of weight gain
- Labored breathing or shallow breathing
- Fever
- Excessive crying
- Lack of sleep
- Regular vomiting or spitting up
- Change in color of spit-up
- Bloody stools
- Change in color of stools
- Change in color of skin
- Infrequent urination or dry diapers (signs of dehydration)
Don’t take chances when it comes to the health and safety of your baby. Schedule your first newborn care visit in North Texas today!
Whether you are anxiously awaiting the arrival of your new baby or have already welcomed your bundle of joy, call us to schedule your first newborn wellness check as soon as possible. Our caring team of board-certified pediatric providers at Health Services of North Texas – with convenient locations in Denton, Wylie, and Plano, TX – looks forward to providing you and your growing family with the advanced pediatric care you deserve!