At Peninsula Pediatrics, we don’t just help your children when they’re sick; we help them, and your whole family, stay well all the time.
Welcome to our practice! We are excited to meet your little one. At this visit we are getting to know your family.
What should I bring to my child’s first appointment at Peninsula Pediatrics?
- Please make sure Dr. Flanigan is listed as the Primary Care Physician (PCP) with your insurance company.
- Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time to complete the necessary paperwork.
- Please bring your infant’s vaccine card, hospital discharge summary, newborn screen number (pink slip,) newborn blood type, birth weight, and discharge weight.
- Your insurance card.
At this visit, you should expect:
We will weigh your infant, and measure their height and head circumference. Your infant will receive a complete physical examination.
We will be asking questions about your pregnancy, your medical history, the delivery, and your family history. Your little one’s first visit in 2-3 days after discharge from the hospital. We will ask you how things are going and review all your questions.
Immunizations
Majority of newborns will receive the Hepatitis B vaccine while in the hospital. If your little one has not received this vaccine while in the hospital, they will receive it at the newborn visit.
When to call Peninsula Pediatrics urgently
- Rectal temperature over 100.4 Fahrenheit or 38.0 celsius
- Inconsolable irritability over one hour
- Inability to awaken for a feed or a weak suck after four hours
- Less than 1 stool or 2 voids over a 24-hour period
- Spit-up/vomiting with a green color
- A yellow color on the torso beyond the umbilical cord
Safety and Parenting Tips
- Newborns should feed on demand. On average most infants feed about every 2-3 hours. Until your little one has returned to their birth weight, they should feed a minimum of every 3 hours.
- If you are breastfeeding your little one, you should expect to feed about every 2-3 hours. You should also introduce a vitamin D drop on your nipple once a day. D-Drops is a brand that is easy to use, with each drop containing 400IU, the exact recommended amount.
- If you are bottle feeding with either expressed breast milk, formula, or both you should expect your little one to eat about 2-3oz every 2-3 hours.
- The umbilical stump should be kept dry. Most umbilical cords will fall off between days 7-10 of life (anywhere between day 3-21 is normal.) Once the umbilical cord has fallen off and the area is dry, you can submerge your little one for the bath. Until then, please sponge bathe.
- Babies do not need to bathe very often. Every other day or every third day is perfectly fine.
- You do not need to take your little one’s temperature regularly. If your baby feels warm or seems fussy, you should take a rectal temperature. Fever is 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater. For the first two months of life, this is an immediate phone call to the office.
- Always place your baby to sleep on their back. Do not place any pillows, blankets, bumper, head positioners, or stuffed animals in the crib with your baby.
When is my little one’s next visit?
All babies lose some weight in the beginning of life (up to 10% of birthweight is normal!) We like to follow your little one closely to make sure they are gaining weight well and all your questions are being answered. We will see your little one in the office for weight checks every 2-3 days until they return to their birth weight (typically day 10-14 of life.) Once your baby is back at birth weight, their next well-visit is at 5 weeks of age.
