Newborns

newbieMost newborns will have a newborn check up a few days after discharge, especially if mom is breastfeeding for a weight check or if your baby needs to have a jaundice check.  Your nursery doctor should let you know when your baby’s first check up should be.  Babies are also seen at 2 weeks for a weight check and follow up appointment.

It is normal for newborns to lose up to 10% of their birth weight regardless of if they are breastfeeding or taking formula!  However, if you are concerned about your baby’s growth, let us know.

Babies typically feed every 2-3 hours around the clock.  If mom is breastfeeding, they may want to nurse even more frequently to help mom’s milk come in.  Mom’s milk may not come in for 2-3 days and up to 5 days for some mothers, you do not need to supplement in most cases, please call our office if you are concerned.

Coughing, sneezing, and hic-cups are normal.  If your baby is persistently breathing hard and fast or has trouble breathing, this is not normal and should be evaluated as soon as possible.

You may see some bloody discharge from your baby’s umbilical stump as it falls off and this is NORMAL.  If you start to see any redness in or around the belly button area or note a foul-smelling or purulent discharge, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

You should not bathe your baby in a submersion bath until after their umbilical cord has fallen off and, if your child is a circumcised boy, until they have instructed it is safe to.  Using a soft washcloth to cleanse the baby’s skin will be fine.

Baby boys that have not been circumcised do not need to have special cleaning of their foreskin.  It is not recommended that you retract the foreskin until it retracts on its own, typically around school-age.

Baby boys that have been circumcised will require some attention to the area; however, this will depend on the type of circumcision they had.  Please refer to the instructions given to you by the practitioner who performed the circumcision.

We do not perform circumcisions in our office, but can assist you if a referral is needed to have this performed.

It is normal for babies to have a black, tarry stool after birth.  This is called meconium.  As your baby begins to have stools as result for breastmilk or formula, this will change.

Babies that are breastfed have a yellow, seedy stool and will have very variable stooling patterns.  Some babies will stool after every feeding, some will not stool for up to two days.  If you are baby has not stooled for three or more days, you may want to check in with us.

Formula fed babies can have many different colored stools.  Most of the time this is normal.  If you notice blood in the stool or a white or gray colored stool, you should seek medical attention right away.

Plain water should not be given to babies to drink at any time before 6 months of age because their kidneys are not ready for it.

Extreme fussiness or lethargy needs immediate evaluation.

If your baby has a rectal temperature >100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, this is a medical emergency and you should SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.  After the age of 2 months, the urgency for evaluation is less, but you should still be seen as soon as possible.