Newborn Care in Tulsa, OK
Wondering when your baby needs to visit the pediatrician for the first time? Wondering how often they need to come in for well-child checkups? We know that as a parent there are so many questions you have about the health care your baby receives. Here at Pediatric Specialists of Tulsa, we make it our mission to provide the highest quality care to your newborn at every wellness visit.
The Importance of Newborn Care
Within 24 hours of your baby’s birth, the hospital is going to perform a comprehensive examination to make sure that your baby is healthy. Once you and your baby have been discharged from the hospital, you’ll bring your newborn into our practice a few days later for their first pediatric checkup. These checkups are vital for all newborns.
Here are some of the most important aspects of these regular wellness checkups:
- Hearing and vision screenings: We must check your child’s hearing and vision to identify potential problems early. We will perform a hearing and vision screening at their 3-month visit and again around 2-2.5 years old.
- Behavioral assessments: As your child continues to grow, we may also ask parents about certain behaviors they may be exhibiting. Just as adults can deal with behavioral and psychological issues, so too can children. By pinpointing these issues early, we can provide early treatment options to help manage everything from ADHD to anxiety.
- Physical exams: Getting a physical examination from a physician isn’t just for adults and kids wanting to play sports. These routine exams are important for infants, too! These exams allow our pediatrician to evaluate all areas of the body, from the eyes and mouth to the heart, lungs, and hips, to make sure everything looks healthy and is functioning properly.
- Monitoring developmental milestones: From crawling to walking, there are many developmental milestones that your newborn will reach as they continue to grow, and our pediatric team must monitor these developmental stages to make sure that everything is on track.
- Documenting measurements: From the very first checkup onwards, we will need to measure your baby’s weight and height, which we will compare to a standard growth chart. This will help us compare your baby’s height and weight to others to make sure there aren’t any issues.
- Immunizations: One of the best ways to protect your newborn from the threat of certain serious and contagious viruses is by getting them their proper shots. Babies will be vaccinated from the moment they are born, and they will need to come in for wellness checkups so that we can continue to administer these inoculations throughout their childhood.
We Offer Lactation Consultations for Breastfeeding Support
There are many mothers that want to breastfeed but have a difficult time doing so. This can be extremely frustrating, especially for new moms. Luckily, this isn’t something that you have to tackle on your own. Your pediatricians at Pediatric Specialists of Tulsa can explain the importance of a lactation consultation and what a lactation consultant can do for you.
What to Expect During a Lactation Consultation
Our pediatricians can help assess any issues that you may be dealing with in the process of breastfeeding your baby. This could be issues with your baby latching or sucking or even just with the position that your baby is being held in. Your consultant will also gather information about you and your child’s health and how the pregnancy and delivery went. During a lactation consultation, your pediatrician will just have you breastfeed, and they can start making adjustments from there.
You can ask any questions you may have during this consultation and voice any and all concerns. During the consultation, your consultant may make adjustments and reposition your baby as needed. Any instructions or information given to you will be written down and you’ll be able to call with any other concerns or issues that you may run into.
Your pediatrician can also give you further tools to help in your breastfeeding journey. This could be referring you to a breastfeeding support group so that you can talk to other mothers that are going through your same experience
