Baby's First Visit To The Doctor: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

Expectant mothers sometimes have to endure very long hours of labor. But once you have your baby, your stay at the hospital may not be that long. New moms are getting out of the hospital quicker than ever. With these shorter hospital stays, that means medical problems could crop up with the baby after you're sent home. That now has pediatricians seeing babies earlier than in the past, with in two days. Dr. Joe Matusic Those kids will get jaundice in 3-4 days and we used to catch that in the hospital. Now, we're not finding it. Some of those kids get seriously ill or can even die from that. So we now see you within a day or two of discharge.

Your very first visit is a short one. It's a minimal exam, you can ask feeding question, or anything else on your mind. It's really just a transitional visit. At two weeks, there's a more formal visit with a growth chart presented and a full exam.

During that time, your doctor will actually be looking for signs of post partum depression. Making sure the transition to family life is going well. Dr. Matusic says PPD can lead to serious problems, that can be helped.

Dr. Joe Matusic
It doesn't matter how good or bad you are or how educated you are, it just hits.

During your first appointments, feel free bring some questions that you've written down at home. And taking notes for yourself on what the doctor says will help you stay focused, especially if you're beginning to feel sleep deprived.

Dr. Joe Matusic
Going to the pediatrician is a lot like going to the music store- you walk in and go "why am I here". You immediately forget everything you went there for. It's good to write things down because you're not going to remember it once you are in the office.

Pediatricians are so familiar with questions from first-time parents, that they're able to guide you along to subjects and answer common questions. Just remember to make a note to yourself if there are any serious topics you'd like to go over with the doctor during your visit.