Newborn Visit

At your first well-baby visit, usually scheduled within a week after birth, your baby’s doctor will answer your questions and address your concerns. They will also perform a complete examination of your new arrival. Here’s what you can expect.

The Physical Checkup

If your baby had a different pediatrician in the hospital, be sure to bring along all the paperwork about the baby that you were given when you were discharged from the hospital. The pediatrician will be adding this information to your baby’s chart.

Your newborn will have an exam at the doctor's office within 3 to 5 days of birth. During the first office visit, your doctor will check your baby in a few ways. Your doctor will probably:

• measure weight, length, and head circumference

• observe your newborn's vision, hearing, and reflexes

• ask how you're doing with the new baby and how your baby is eating and sleeping

• talk about what you can expect in the coming month

• discuss your home environment

• Check to see how the umbilical stump is healing, as well as baby’s circumcision, if he had one.

• Check for newborn jaundice, a common and usually temporary condition in which your baby’s skin may appear yellow — though that may be difficult to determine in darker-skinned babies (which is why a blood test to check bilirubin levels may also be given).

Keep in mind that newborns usually lose weight before they start gaining, and your little one will likely still be under his birth weight at this first visit. Exclusively breastfed babies take longer to regain their birth weight, but by 2 weeks, most babies start gaining.

Developmental Milestones

Even as early as his first week of life, your little one is starting to master new skills that your doctor will look for during the checkup. At this visit (or soon after), your baby may already be able to:

• Move arms and legs on both sides of the body equally well.

• Focus on objects within 8 to 15 inches (especially your face!)

• Lift head briefly when on tummy

Developmental milestones like these follow roughly the same timeline for most babies in the first year, but every baby is different, and will achieve milestones at a different pace. If a delay is identified within the wide range of what’s considered normal, further examination by your doctor can help determine whether there’s any reason for concern.

1-week shots

This well-baby visit is injection-free. However, if your baby didn’t get the CDC-recommended HepB (hepatitis B) vaccine at birth, he should receive it now.

Questions to ask your doctor

Take advantage of well-baby visits to get answers to your questions, which could now include:

• How do I know if I’m feeding my baby enough?

• How should I safely bathe my baby and how often?

• How do I trim those itty-bitty nails (they’re often long in a full-term infant)?

• How do I make certain my baby’s sleep environment is safe?

You may also want to ask the results of any newborn screening that was done at the hospital and/or find out when all the results will be in. And don’t forget to make the 1-month appointment!

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call your doctor if you have concerns about your newborn. These problems can be common during this first month:

• One or both tear ducts can get blocked and cause eye problems. Normally the ducts open on their own before too long, usually by the baby's first birthday. But sometimes they stay clogged, which can cause tearing and eye discharge. Call your doctor if you suspect an eye infection.

• Fever in a newborn (rectal temperature above 100.4°F or 38°C) should be reported to your doctor right away.

• A runny nose can make it hard for a baby to breathe well, especially during feeding. You can help ease discomfort by using a rubber bulb aspirator to gently suction mucus from the nose. Call your doctor if you have concerns about your baby's breathing.

• It's normal for newborns to have loose stools (poop) or to spit up after feedings. But very loose and watery stools and forceful vomiting could mean there is a problem. Call your doctor if your baby:

  • has diarrhea

  • is vomiting

  • has signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet diapers, a dry mouth, and being very sluggish or drowsy