Newborn Instructions:

  1. Always place your baby in her own crib on her back to sleep.  Never place your child on their tummy to sleep.  Sleeping on their back, prevents Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in babies.
  2. If your baby is breast fed, in the next few days you will need to start Vitamin D drops to insure that your baby’s bone are strong.  The following link is to a good vitamin D drop called D Drops:  https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ddrops-Baby-Liquid-Vitamin-D3-400-IU-0-08-fl-oz-2-5-ml-90-Drops/25860866
  3. Whenever in the car, place your baby in an infant car seat in the back seat of the vehicle.  Never place your child in a seat equipped with an airbag.
  4. Do not smoke around your child.  This includes the home and the car.  Even smoke on a parent’s clothes can cause congestion in a baby.
  5. Strictly avoid contact of your baby with sick people.  Babies have immature immune systems that do not fight infections well.  Before anyone handles the baby, they should wash their hands very well.  When your baby reaches 2 months of age, this requirement can be relaxed somewhat.
  6. If you baby feels feverish.  Take a rectal temperature.  This is done by lubricating a thermometer with vaseline and inserting it 1/2 inch into the rectum.  Any temperature above 100.5 degrees should prompt an immediate call to our office for an emergency evaluation by a physician.
  7. Make sure that you keep your baby warm enough.  Touch your baby’s hands and feet.  If the hands and feet feel cool, your baby is too cold.  Help them keep body heat by placing your child in warm clothes and placing a cap on your baby’s head.  Do not overheat your child.  You know if your child is too hot if they are sweating.
  8. If your baby should develop jaundice (a yellow color of the skin), bring your child to the office for a bilirubin check within 24 hours.
  9. As each day passes, your child will need more and more milk.  See the section on breast feeding above for information on the initiation of breast feeding.
  10. This is very important for your financial health.  Please remember to contact your employers in regards to adding your newborn baby to your health insurance coverage. Please know that this is not automatically done.  Most employers have a certain time limit for this information to be turned in which is usually between 30 to 90 days.  Please do not wait until you have received your child’s social security card to complete this paperwork. Most health insurance companies and employers will allow you to turn in proof of birth which can be a copy of the baby’s foot  prints that you will receive when you are discharged from the hospital. This enrollment is very important to do in a timely manner to avoid extremely high and unexpected medical bills.