Pre-Natal Meet & Greet
Congratulations on the birth of your new baby, and welcome to Westchester Park Pediatrics!
We pledge to provide the highest level of care for your newborn and are excited to watch them grow up into a toddler, child, and adult before our eyes!
We are a group practice at Westchester Park Pediatrics, and through the upcoming years, you will certainly have a chance to meet with all of our doctors. Most of our patients, for continuity’s sake, affiliate with one specific doctor in the group for all scheduled visits. This allows our doctors to establish a truly personal relationship with each child and their parents, and have a firm knowledge of issues or medical conditions that may arise. However, there may be times that your specific doctor is unavailable. In these cases, you will be encouraged to see one of the other doctors in our office. Rest assured that our doctors communicate with each other, so your specific doctor will always be aware of any medical conditions that were tended to by another one of the doctors.
Your baby will be scheduled for medical check-ups according to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This means that your baby will be seen within the first week of life, then at one month, two months, four months, six months, nine months, and then at one year of age. At each of these visits, a complete physical exam and developmental assessment will be performed, and vaccinations will be administered according to the schedule endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Your child’s doctor will discuss all of the vaccinations with you at each visit.
It is IMPERATIVE that after your baby is born, you immediately call your human resource counselor or your insurance carrier to get your baby on your insurance plan.
Pediatric Doctors in Purchase, New York
Most insurance companies allow thirty (30) days to add newborns to the parents’ plan. If you neglect to do this and your baby is not added to your plan by the thirty days, you will then be responsible for payment to Westchester Park Pediatrics.
Breastfeeding is something every pediatrician encourages. It is a practice endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and supported by all the physicians at Westchester Park Pediatrics. Not only does it offer many health benefits and antibody protection against illness, it is a very easy and convenient source of nutrition and a wonderful bonding experience between a mother and her child.
However, breastfeeding may not be desired by everyone for personal or medical reasons. In that case, there are excellent formulas available on the market that simulate breast milk very closely and can be used in lieu of breastfeeding. You should consult with your pediatrician about which formula to start your baby on. Always check with your pediatrician before changing formulas on your own.
All babies are born with a natural reflex to suck, and breastfeeding should come fairly easily to most newborns. The main instructions for moms are to rest, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of fluids, and RELAX. If you are having trouble with your baby latching on, the hospital nurses are an excellent resource for help. In addition, your pediatrician may refer you to a special lactation consultant when you go home. Breastfeeding can be somewhat painful in the first few days. You want to be sure to start off slowly and increase the amount of time the baby spends on the breast gradually within the first week of life. It may take four or five days for your milk supply to come in fully. Once that happens, the baby will feed on demand or usually between one and three hours. If your baby is very sleepy in the first few days of life, you will need to wake the baby somehow, such as rubbing the bottom of the foot or using a cool wipe to clean the baby’s behind. Most of the milk is let down in the first 15 to 20 minutes. Therefore, after feeding on the first breast for that amount of time, you can switch to the second breast. The whole feeding experience is usually completed within 30 to 40 minutes.
Unless your pediatrician has specific concerns, babies do not require any other fluids other than breast milk in the first few months of life. Some moms prefer to pump their extra breast milk and offer that at times in a bottle. Please click on this site for further information regarding storage of breast milk and other breastfeeding concerns.
Formula can be used as a supplement, as well. These two options should only be used after your milk supply is well established and the baby is feeding vigorously. The best way to gauge if your baby is getting enough milk is to look for six to eight wet diapers in a day and several bowel movements daily. Also, the best indication as to the success of the breastfeeding is if your baby is gaining weight appropriately. Your baby’s weight will be checked when you visit your pediatrician’s office. All babies spit up to some degree. If this becomes excessive or the baby seems unusually cranky, you should consult your pediatrician.
Any medications taken by the nursing mother, short of Tylenol or Motrin/Advil, should be cleared by either your child’s pediatrician or your obstetrician. A healthy diet should be followed; some babies may be sensitive to spicy or gassy foods in your diet, so they may need to be avoided. Moms should stay on their prenatal vitamins while breastfeeding. Babies are usually given Vitamin D supplementation for as long as their main source of nutrition is breast milk. Solid foods are introduced at the appropriate age in accordance with the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, usually between four and six months of age. Starting solid foods too early does not enhance the length of time that your baby remains asleep and may result in food allergies and other medical problems.
The length of time a mother breastfeeds is a personal choice and will be different to every mother. Some women need to return to work and find it difficult to breastfeed while working; others may continue to nurse for months or even years. Whether you breastfeed for one week or one year, you are giving your baby great health benefits and should be proud.
We recommend that you schedule your baby’s first appointment within one week of discharge from the hospital or sooner, as needed. At that visit, the nurses will measure the baby’s length, weight, and head circumference. Then, a complete exam will be done by your physician, your prenatal and the baby’s postnatal history will be reviewed, newborn care and development will be discussed, and any questions you may have will be answered.
Following the first appointment, your baby will be seen for routine check-ups according to the schedule provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
1 week
1 month
2 months
4 months
6 months
9 months
12 months
15 months
18 months
2 years and yearly thereafter
During all of these visits, your baby’s growth and development will be assessed and any concerns or questions will be answered. Any immunizations, according to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, will be administered by the examining doctor. In addition, you will get anticipatory guidance for upcoming visits.
All routine well visits are by appointment only and are scheduled with your primary doctor. Please try to be on time. If you are unable to keep a routine scheduled appointment, please notify our office 24 hours in advance; otherwise, a cancellation fee will apply.
