Nutrition
BREAST FEEDING – At this point nursing should be well established. Still, many babies do not feed on a schedule and will want to eat at irregular intervals. You will know that your child is getting enough if the baby continues to urinate at least 4 times a day and stools regularly. Breastfed babies can have a bowel movement as frequently as after every feed or as infrequently as every several days. You will know if your child is constipated if the baby is passing hard stools. Remember, you are still eating for two so maintain a diet that has a variety of foods and at least 500 extra calories. Exclusively breastfed infants require a vitamin supplement; we recommend Trivisol 1ml orally each day.
BOTTLE FEEDING – We encourage you to use a formula that is fortified with iron. The iron will not make your baby constipated. Mix your formula with tap water so that the baby will get fluoride. In the first 8 weeks we recommend Ready-to-Feed Formula or preparing powder formula with boiling water and then cooling before feeding your infant. In this day, it is not necessary to sterilize your bottles; a run through the dishwasher is adequate.
Safety
- Always put the baby in a car seat while driving! Your baby should be facing backwards in the center of the back seat. Never place a car seat in the front seat if there is a passenger seat air bag. Be sure to use the locking clip if you ever place the car seat in a position that has a lap-shoulder belt.
- Never leave a baby unattended unless he is in a crib or playpen. Babies fall off beds easily, even when you think they cannot move.
- Be careful leaving toddlers and pets alone with the baby. Their actions are too unpredictable to be safe.
- Now is a good time to check the smoke detectors in your home and make sure that your hot water heater is set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Babies should always sleep on their backs.
Common Concerns
FEVER – Any temperature elevation of 100.4 or greater rectally in an infant less than 3 months of age is of concern to us and we should be notified. The most accurate way to measure the temperature in an infant is by the rectal method. This is done by inserting the tip of a lubricated thermometer about ¾ of an inch into the rectum for three minutes with the baby lying on his back. Ask for a demonstration if you are uneasy.
TODAY’S IMMUNIZATIONS/TESTS
Metabolic screen – We will perform the second metabolic blood test today. The first one was done in the hospital. Each of these tests detects rare but serious diseases that need to be treated immediately. If the result is abnormal, we will call you in about 4-5 days. We will not call you if the results are normal.
NEXT VISIT: Your baby’s next routine visit is at 1 month of age.