Newborns

All newborns should have a newborn check up 1-2 days after hospital discharge.  Your nursery doctor should let you know if jaundice or weight gain needs to be closely monitored.  Babies are seen for their next scheduled well check at around 2 weeks of age.  Because it is normal for newborns (both breast and formula fed) to lose up to 10% of their birth weight in the first days of life, there is often another weight check scheduled with the nurse between these first two scheduled well checks.

Coughing, sneezing and hiccups are normal.

Babies typically feed every 2-3 hours around the clock.  If mom is breast feeding, they may want to nurse even more frequently in the first few weeks.  This helps mom's milk come in.  Mom's milk may not come in for 2-3 days and up to 5 days for some mothers.  Dr. Julie will be closely monitoring your baby's weight in the first few weeks of life.  If you are having difficulty with breastfeeding, our Certified Lactation Consultant is here to help.  Just call the office to set up a  consult.

**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.  Periodic shallow breathing or gasps are normal for infants.**

It is normal to see some blood or mucus discharge from your baby's umbilical cord as it falls off.  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 his/her umbilical cord has fallen off and the stump has dried out.  If your child is a circumcised boy, wait until the penis has healed (usually around 10 -14 days) before bathing.  If you are unsure about bathing, we can tell you if your baby is ready for a "real" bath at his/her 2 week well check.  Until then, using a soft washcloth to cleanse the baby's skin will be fine.  Just make sure to not let your little one get too cold during sponge baths!

Baby boys that have been circumcised will require some attention to the area; however, this will depend on the type of circumcision performed.  Please refer to the instructions given to you by the practitioner who performed the circumcision.  We will monitor the healing process and discuss further care for this area during check ups.

It is normal for babies to have black, tarry stools after birth.  This is called meconium.  As your baby begins to have stools as result of breast milk or formula, this will change.  Babies that are breast fed have a yellow, loose 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 your 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 (ranging from yellow to brown to green).  Most of the time this is normal.  If you notice blood in the stool or a white or gray colored stool, call our office.

Extreme fussiness or lethargy needs immediate evaluation.

If your newborn to 4 month old baby has a rectal temperature > 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, this is a medical emergency and you should SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.

Take baby to Dallas Children's Medical Center ER in Dallas or Cook Children's ER in Fort Worth.  After the age of 4 months, the urgency for evaluation is less, but you should still be seen as soon as possible.