How Often Do Newborns Go To The Doctor

The Doctor Or Nurse Will Ask Questions About Your Baby

The doctor or nurse may ask about:

• Behavior Does your baby copy your movements and sounds?
• Health How many diapers does your baby wet each day? Does your baby spend time around people who are smoking or using e-cigarettes ?
• Safety If you live in an older home, has it been inspected for lead? Do you have a safe car seat for your baby?
• Activities Does your baby try to roll over? How often do you read to your baby?
• Eating habits How often does your baby eat each day? How are you feeding your baby?
• Family Do you have any worries about being a parent? Who can you count on to help you take care of your baby?

Your answers to questions like these will help the doctor or nurse make sure your baby is healthy, safe, and developing normally.

Baby Not Pooping Important Reasons Remedies When To Worry

Medically reviewed by

• Post last modified:October 10, 2021

How long can a baby go without pooping? There is not one simple answer to this question, as it depends on the babys age, whether they are breastfed, formulafed or have started with solid foods.

Lets take a look at both normal reasons and illness-related reasons that may cause a baby to stop defecating. We go through safe remedies , important constipation signs, and when to call the Doctor.

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When To Call The Doctor Right Away

Trouble breathing. If your baby is breathing more than 60 breaths a minute, having pauses in breathing, or has a bluish tint to their skin, lips, and nails, it could be a lung or heart condition.

Fever. If the babys temperature measured in the rectum is 100.4 F or higher, they have a fever. For the first 3 months of your babys life, take temperatures in the rectum, not in the ear, mouth, or under the armpit. Fever in newborns may be due to a serious condition such as bacterial meningitis or , a bloodstream infection. Both can be life-threatening if they arent treated right away. Before you call, write down your childs temperature and the exact time you took it.

Blood in vomit or stool. It may just be due to diaper rash, but it could also be a sign of a more serious stomach condition.

Yellowish skin or eyes. This can be a sign of jaundice, which usually develops between the second and fourth day after birth. You can check by pressing gently on your infants forehead — if the skin looks yellow, they may have mild jaundice. Most hospitals check your newborn for jaundice before they go home, but it can develop in breastfed babies anytime during the first week of life. Your pediatrician will check for it during the first office visit, 1-3 days after the baby leaves the hospital.

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When Should I Take My Baby For A First Doctors Visit

Babies are usually checked by a health care provider within the first week of going home from the hospital. At this first visit your health care provider will:

• Weigh your baby and measure their length and head circumference.
• Check on how feeding is going for you and your baby.
• Do a general physical exam.
• Ask how the family is adjusting.
• Complete any screening tests that were not done at the hospital.

This first visit doesnt have to be with your regular paediatrician or family doctor. Sometimes it is done by a doctor at the hospital where you gave birth, your midwife or a public health nurse. It can be done at home, in the office or in a hospital clinic. If your baby doesnt see their regular doctor at this visit, it will happen soon after.

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How Often Should You Visit Your Pediatrician

Rob Winningham, MD, Pediatrician with Sherwood Family Medical Center

At Baptist Health, we want you to know that your pediatrician is your partner in the well-being and healthcare of your baby. Since you know your child best, pediatricians rely on your observations and questions to understand when your baby needs help and how they are developing.

There is no hard and fast rule for how often you should visit your pediatrician. In fact, we know that the support that each parent and child needs is different. We encourage parents to bring children to visit their pediatricians whenever they need to.

However, here are some helpful guidelines:

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that parents bring their children in to their pediatrician 7 times between the ages of 1 and 4 for wellness visits.
• As each child is different, know that your child may need more visits than others.
• Baptist Health has many resources to help you navigate symptoms your baby may be exhibiting, like: identifying rashes, developmental milestones and other information about your child.

During the first year, your baby will need to visit the pediatrician regularly. Although this schedule may vary from pediatrician to pediatrician, we recommend that your babys first visit is about 3-5 days after birth.

After this, Baptist Health recommends a wellness visit during the following:

• 12 months

One Month Appointment Tips

• Make sure youre still writing out any questions that come up so you can ask your doctor when you go in for your appointment. These things will come up and you will forget otherwise.
• Continue writing down your babys eating/sleeping/diaper habits. This includes keeping track of what their stool looks like
• Make sure youre giving your baby tummy time at home. Yes, many babies hate it but its still considered developmentally helpful for them, so its worth doing. Ask your doctor about the results for the newborn screening tests. The timing in which they can get results back varies among doctor offices, but it doesnt hurt to check in with your doctor and see if theyre available yet.

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What Your Pediatrician Is Looking For:

The safest way for babies to sleep is on their back, which can sometimes lead to a little . It helps to do supervised tummy time, says Dr. Nicklas. That strengthens their neck and upper back muscles, and when their neck muscles are strong, they tend to move their head around more, which takes away some of the pressure.

What To Expect At Your Babys First Doctors Appointment

Note: Please review our COVID-19 practices for the latest updates regarding appointments.

A babys first few months of life are filled with firsts: the first smile, first time sleeping through the night , first time meeting family, and more. That first week after birth can also be exhausting as you and your family are likely still recovering from the experience of actually giving birth.

If your birth was normal, this is usually around the time when you will have your first doctors appointment with your baby. Here is what you can expect and how you can best prepare.

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Dress Baby For Success

Since your baby will be getting undressed for his checkup, think easy-off, easy-back-on when it comes to his outfit. That onesie with lots of snaps may be adorable, but it wont be so cute when youre in a rush and your infant is getting restless or squirmy. The same goes for snug clothes that are tricky to pull over babys head or off those constantly moving legs. And dont forget that backup outfit!

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

Hearing Screening After Birth

Your doctor will perform one of two hearing tests, as were sometimes able to see whether your baby has a hearing problem from birth. Your baby will probably go through one or both of these tests, depending on the hospital. Keep in mind both are quality tests, and both are painless for your little one.

Otoacoustic Emissions Test

In this test, a tiny microphone and earphone are placed in your babys ear. Sounds are played from the earphone. Whether or not sounds coming from the speaker echo through the microphone can indicate hearing loss in your little one.

Auditory Brain Stem Response

This test uses a set of earphones, which deliver sounds directly into the infants ears. Electrodes are placed on the babys head to detect neural stimulation along the auditory brain stem, which lights up when sound information is being passed from the ear to the brain. As you can probably guess, no sparks means there is a good chance the ear is not passing information correctly if at all.

Its important to keep in mind that both of these tests are tacked with a big huge may anywhere a doctor can fit a thumbtack. There is always a margin for error, so be sure you dont take it too hard up front if your baby is coming back with weird results. These things will require verification and further testing before youll know for sure that your little one will need special care in this department.

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Between 6 To 9 Months

Assessment will be done by a child and family health nurse, midwife, doctor or paediatrician.

They will check the babys weight and growth, hearing, vision and oral health. This visit focuses on family health and wellbeing, poisons information, how you can prevent your baby from being injured, being sun smart, improving communication, language and play.

The 6-month immunisations are given now: Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis , hepatitis B, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b and Pneumococcal for some children with certain medical conditions.

How Often Should I Burp My Baby During Feedings

After your baby finishes on one side, try burping before switching breasts. Sometimes, the movement alone can be enough to cause a baby to burp.

Some infants need more burping, others less, and it can vary from feeding to feeding.

If your baby spits up a lot, try burping more often. While it’s normal for infants to “spit up” a small amount after eating or during burping, a baby should not vomit after feeding. If your baby throws up all or most of a feeding, there could be a problem that needs medical care. If you’re worried that your baby is spitting up too much, call your doctor.

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Have Some Answers Too

Nobody knows your baby better than you do. Thats why the doctor will want you to rattle off a list of your babys milestones . Keep a note on your phone to help track your little ones hours spent sleeping, time and duration of feedings, and number of wet and dirty diapers each day all of these will be especially important to report in the early months.

Make A List Of Questions To Ask The Doctor

Before the well-baby visit, write down 3 to 5 questions you have. Each well-baby visit is a great time to ask the doctor or nurse any questions about:

• How your baby is growing and developing
• How your baby is sleeping
• Breastfeeding your baby
• When and how to start giving your baby solid foods
• What changes and behaviors to expect in the coming months
• How to make sure your home is safe for a growing baby

Here are some questions you may want to ask:

• Is my baby up to date on vaccines?
• How can I make sure my baby is getting enough to eat?
• Is my baby at a healthy weight?
• How can I make sure my baby is sleeping safely and getting enough sleep?
• How can I help my baby develop speech and language skills?
• Is it okay for my baby to have screen time?
• How do I clean my baby’s teeth?

Take a notepad, smartphone, or tablet and write down the answers so you can remember them later.

Ask what to do if your baby gets sick.

Make sure you know how to get in touch with a doctor or nurse when the office is closed. Ask how to reach the doctor on call, or if there’s a nurse information service you can call at night or on the weekend.

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What Do I Do Between Visits

If you have any questions about your childs health between regular office visits, call your doctors office. Your doctors receptionist or nurse will be able to help you with minor problems and decide if you need to see the doctor.

Most provinces and territories have toll-free health lines where you can speak to a registered nurse about general health information. Nurses can help you assess your childs symptoms and decide your best first step.