NewBorn

We understand that caring for your newborn can be a new experience for many parents and at times overwhelming. Our practice has a physician available to speak to during the day and for emergencies all throughout the night. Some examples of emergencies concerning a newborn are:

Rectal temperature over 100.4 Fahrenheit or 38.0 Celsius.
Inconsolable or irritability that you cannot resolve.
Inability to awaken for a feed or a weak suck after four hours.
Less than 3 stools or 3 voids over a 24-hour period.
Spit-up/vomiting with a green color.
Yellow color on the torso beyond the umbilical cord.
Bluish discoloration to the torso or lips.

If you have a less urgent call, please wait until the office is open at 9 am before calling. If you have a question about acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil) dosing, please refer to our dosing chart located in the menu bar on the website.

Helpful tips and advice:

Use a rectal thermometer to check for fever (100.4 F or 38 C), not an ear thermometer.
Your newborn baby should be sitting rear facing in the backseat of your vehicle until they are two years old.
It is very common for babies in the first 4-8 weeks of life to develop various rashes, call us if you are worried.
Have everyone who touches the baby wash their hands first. Avoid crowds until 2 months of age. Do not allow strangers, especially children, to get too close to your newborn’s face or touch his/her hands.
Put your baby to sleep on his or her back in a crib in your room, not in your bed. Crib should meet current safety standards, with no drop side rail and slats no more than 2 ¾ inches apart. Keep soft objects and loose bedding such as comforters, pillows and toys out of the crib.
Postpartum depression is a serious but very common condition. Try to sleep or rest while your baby is sleeping. Give your other children small safe ways to help you with the baby. Spend special time alone with each child. Call us if you feel sad, blue, overwhelmed for more than a few days or have thoughts of harming yourself or the baby.

At this visit, your baby will receive Hep B vaccine if they haven’t already done so at the hospital.