Well Check-Up / Newborn
FEEDING
Most breastfed babies will nurse every 1.5-3 hours round-the-clock at first. If baby is having 6-8 wet diapers per day and back to birth weight at 2 weeks, baby is probably getting enough milk. Remember that a nursing mom’s diet is very important for a healthy breastfed baby! Newborns who are exclusively breastfeeding should be given over-the-counter Vitamin D drops once daily. Babies who are bottlefed may take 2-3 oz. formula every 2-4 hours during first week of life. By 1 month, baby may take up to 4 oz. every 4 hours. New babies do not need anything else to eat or drink (including water) until they are at least 4 months old.
BOWEL MOVEMENTS
Newborn babies have a very wide variance in the number of daily bowel movements. Breastfed babies may have up to 10 loose yellow or green stools each day. Bottle fed babies may have several stools a day or may have a stool only every 2-3 days. What is important is that a baby’s bowel movements are soft. If a baby has a soft stool every 2 days, it’s ok and that baby is not constipated! If you feel your baby is constipated, please call us before you give the baby anything besides breastmilk or formula.
SLEEPING
New babies do not know the difference between day and night and may have a very erratic sleep schedule. You can help your baby by stimulating her during the day by talking, playing music, and keeping it very light. At night, keep the noise and light levels low, and your baby may gradually sleep a bit more during this time. By 3 months, most babies sleep 6-8 hours at night.
FEVER/ILLNESS
In babies less than 2 months old, any fever more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit may be an emergency. Please call the office right away if your baby has a fever higher than 100.4. Until your baby is 2 months old, try to keep her away from large groups of people, and make sure that everyone around your baby washes their hands before holding or touching her!
DEVELOPMENT
Babies are able to see and hear from birth. Your baby will get better at following you as you move close in front of her during the first months of life. It is very common at this age for one eye to drift or for the eyes to appear crossed sometimes, because the muscles that control eye movement are still developing. As long as the eyes are still able to move together, this should not be a problem. By 2 months, babies will be good at holding their heads up for a short time when lying on their tummies. Social smiling often begins as early as 6 weeks of age.
SAFETY
It is very important to put babies to bed on their backs. Evidence has shown that babies have an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) when they sleep on their tummies. It is ok for babies to be on their tummies when awake, but flip them over if they fall asleep. The safest sleep location for babies is in the same room with their mothers but in their own beds on a firm surface without loose blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals. Never leave a baby unattended on an elevated surface, such as a changing table, and never leave a baby unattended near water. If your water heater has a thermostat, set the high temperature at 120° to prevent accidental scalding. Make sure your home has smoke detectors, and make sure batteries are changed if needed and units are checked regularly. All babies need to travel in rear-facing car seats in the back seat.
CRYING
All babies cry, and some babies cry more than others. When your baby cries, try different comfort measures—music, singing, rocking, swaddling, or swinging are examples—or allow friends or family to help. If you are feeling frustrated or stressed with a crying baby, put him down in his bed and allow him to cry while you take a break. Babies’ brains are very fragile, and shaking a baby can cause serious injury, so it is very important never to shake a baby!