Your Baby’s First Pediatrician Appointment in San Diego: What to Expect

If you are delivering in the hospital, most hospitals in San Diego have an on-call pediatrician who will assess your newborn within the first 24 hours after delivery. In most cases, this is not your primary pediatrician. 

Your first official office visit will occur during the first 3-5 days of life. Your pediatrician will access:

• Head circumference
• Check your baby’s weight (almost all newborns lose weight within the first few days, your pediatrician is looking for your baby to return to their birth weight around 10 days and to lose no more than 10% of their weight from birth)
• Assess for signs of jaundice
• Ask about patterns of wet and dirty diapers (your baby’s stool will be in the process of transitioning from meconium, green/black colored, to breast milk stool, which is more yellow). 

Common questions you may want to ask during this first visit:

• Is vitamin D supplementation for breastfed infants recommended?
• What are signs of hunger cues and/or potential overfeeding formula-fed infants (if applicable)?
• Can you show me how to safely trim my baby’s nails?
• What are your after hours policy? How do I reach someone if I have a concern?

Lastly, your baby’s first office visit is usually your first outing since getting home from the hospital or birth center and it is important to take it slow. Here at Doulas of North County San Diego, we recommend that your only outing that day be the office visit and that you clear the day of visitors so you can return home and rest. You may notice an increase in bleeding after your first outing and this is your body’s way of reminding you to rest. Light bleeding after birth (caused by the detachment of the placenta) is normal, however, if you experience blood clots larger than a golf ball or are bleeding through more than 1 maxi pad in one hour call your provider ASAP as this may be a sign of postpartum hemorrhage.

The initial days after birth can be full of high highs and low lows, take is slow. Protect your boundaries, and ask for help. If you would like to speak with a postpartum doula from the Doulas of North County team, we’d love to support you!