Before your appointment
- Find out when baby day is at the clinic (they may change, so it’s better to check this closer to your visit).
- Nowadays, many clinics have rooms or at least corners separated by a screen for feeding children. Find out in advance where exactly they are located. This will help you later not to run around the floors looking for a quiet place with a sobbing child in your arms.
Infant day at the clinic, what is it?
The long-awaited day has come when your baby is born.
This is the most joyful event in the life of every family. Now your daily routine will change, and will be built only taking into account feeding and caring for the baby. The most important thing for parents is the health of their baby. In the first months after birth, both local pediatricians and visiting nurses help with this. While still in the maternity hospital, your local clinic receives information about the birth of the child. He is registered by the local pediatrician. When you return home, a doctor comes to your home over the next three days. He not only needs to examine the newborn, but also check the conditions in which he is located, as well as get to know the parents and family members. The doctor will leave you all the necessary telephone numbers for the clinic, nurse, call service, and emergency ambulance. The visiting nurse will visit you once every three days during the first month. She will check how the umbilical wound is healing and answer all your questions about the care and feeding of the baby. You will need to provide her with an extract from the maternity hospital, which contains basic information about the newborn - height, weight, how the birth went and Apgar score. She will record all this information in your medical record. If you subsequently need massage sessions, she will be able to conduct them at home or in a children's clinic. Every clinic has a baby day. This may be one of the working days when babies under one year of age are given priority services. On this day, no routine medical examination is carried out in order to limit as much as possible the contact of infants with adult children and their parents. This is especially convenient when your baby is about to get vaccinated. All necessary specialists are at their workplaces. If older children come to the appointment, then infants are allowed in out of turn.
You can refuse to visit the clinic, but to do this you must issue a written refusal to join and refuse service. If financial resources allow, you can be observed in a private clinic or use the services of a family doctor. Each family decides this issue independently.
Infant day, up to what age?
Infant day is set for examining babies up to one year old. In some clinics, children two or three years old may also be a priority on this day.
Read more: Payments at the birth of a child in the Kemerovo region
Dress code
When going to the clinic, choose the most comfortable clothes and shoes. Running around the floors with valuable cargo in your hands sometimes takes a lot of time and takes a lot of energy. Don’t make the situation worse with uncomfortable “equipment.”
Dress yourself and your child in layers so as not to get too steamy or cold in any case. Choose “going out” clothes for your baby so that you can quickly undress and put him back on (the best option is a slip/onesie).
For your child's belongings, provide a roomy and lightweight bag or backpack.
How to choose a visiting time
During the first month after discharge from the maternity hospital, a nurse and pediatrician visit you at home.
Usually the pediatrician comes the next day after discharge, he examines the baby, asks how the birth went, creates a card and takes the children’s part of the statement from you (it is pasted into the child’s card.
In the future, the nurse in charge of your area visits you 1-2 times a week.
After a month, you will need to make your first visit to the pediatrician.
As a rule, all children's clinics have an “infant day”
- this is one day a week when the pediatrician sees only babies from 1 month to a year, with the exception of some emergency patients. Call yours and find out exactly when it is held. It is better to choose this day for your first trip to the clinic, since there is less chance of encountering sick children and less waiting time.
Regarding the time of day, rely on your pediatrician’s schedule and your child’s routine. It’s more convenient if you can get an appointment during the period between feedings and on time when the baby is awake, but this is an ideal situation, it’s unlikely to work out that way, especially if you need to visit several specialists in one day.
It’s good if you can sign up for a specific time - this will significantly save you time and nerves.
In any case, it is better to schedule the first visit to the clinic with a newborn in the morning - usually there are fewer people at 8-9 am.
What to take with you (list of things)
Bring several diapers to your doctor's appointment. The pediatrician will have to repeatedly transfer the baby (from the changing table to the stadiometer, scales and back). Holding the baby with one hand and spreading the diaper with the other is not very convenient. What if you need to visit another doctor later? In this case, if there is only one diaper, you will have to be careful not to confuse the clean side and the side that was in contact with different, not always sterile, surfaces. And it’s easy to drop a diaper in the bustle of reception.
So make your life easier - grab 3-4 pieces, which you can then simply put in your bag without thinking about how to fold them correctly or spread them out again.
It is better to take flannel diapers, because calico diapers are too thin, the child can feel the coldness of the surface through them and be nervous because of this.
In addition to spare diapers, bring a change of clothes for the baby: babies have a habit of spitting up at the wrong time, and diapers sometimes leak.
And don't forget:
- the child’s medical policy or a copy thereof,
- wet and dry wipes,
- diapers (the child is undressed during examination, but there is no need to re-put on an already wet diaper),
- bottles with water and formula (if the baby is artificial), so that the mixture does not get cold, you can use a special thermos, or you can simply wrap the bottle in a new diaper, they also retain heat well.
How to make visiting the clinic easier
The first visit to the pediatrician is stressful for both the baby and the mother, especially if the child is the first and you don’t know how everything is organized and how to behave.
What can you do to make your visit easier:
- If possible, bring another adult to the clinic to help. Carrying a baby, running around offices or to the reception desk is easier if you have someone to replace you.
- Make sure that the baby's clothes are easily removable - in clinics they often open windows for ventilation, so it is important that the baby does not sweat and is not exposed to air.
- Don’t forget that in addition to you, there are many sick children in the clinic with various viruses, of course, on infant day there are fewer of them than usual, but still make sure that the baby does not touch the mattress and the side of the changing table with his face, be sure to wash a fallen toy or pacifier (or better yet, give give your baby a spare one, and remove the dirty one and wash it at home). Just in case, smear your baby's nose with oxolinic ointment. Lately there have been doubts about the effectiveness of its use, but in any case it won’t hurt.
- Take care of your nerves - in the clinic there are a lot of people who want to quickly get into the office, and the phrase “I’m just asking” is familiar to everyone who has ever been to our medical institutions. Therefore, try to be calmer about what is happening. Still, as a rule, on “baby day” the parents in line behave quite adequately.
- Remember that there are categories of children who can be examined without a queue.
Prepare for your visit to a medical facility in advance. Go to the doctor in a good mood, try not to be nervous or angry, because your mood is transmitted to the baby.
Follow the recommendations given in the article, look for additional information about how the first visit goes, and what the pediatrician is interested in. Prepare everything you need and your first visit to the pediatrician will go without problems. Then you will decide for yourself what is best to take with you, what is not necessary, and what time is best for your visit.
The first trip to the clinic with a newborn is a difficult task. But we will simplify it for you. We will tell you when it is better to come to the doctor so as not to wait long for your turn. We will also remind you what things you need to take with you.
The baby is growing very quickly. Only a month has passed since his birth, but the doctor no longer comes to the house himself. The time has come for the first trip to the clinic, and not just to the pediatrician, but for a whole medical examination (visiting several doctors). And such trips will have to be made every month (monthly to the pediatrician and some specialists). Later, you will begin to feel confident in the clinic, like at home. But the first time can make you nervous. What do you need to consider? I'll tell you about this in detail.
Write everything down
Before visiting the clinic, it is better to write down the questions you want to ask the doctor. Otherwise, in the hustle and bustle, you risk not asking half of what worries you. Don’t be afraid to seem overly persistent; try to dispel your doubts as much as possible.
Also have a pen with you so you can write down the answers to your questions and the doctor’s recommendations and then not have to “decipher” the doctor’s handwriting. And best of all, turn on the recorder, you never know, the baby will be capricious, and you will have no time for recordings (warn the doctor about this).
Baby Day: what to expect at the clinic
Baby Day at the clinic is an exciting moment for a young mother . There are especially many questions if you are going to see a doctor for the first time.
What you should take care of on this day and what you should be prepared for is in our material.
Let's get acquainted with the concept
Baby Day is a normal practice for children's clinics. Its essence is that on a certain day of the week, for example, every Thursday, the pediatrician sees only babies of the first year of life.
This was done so that children, while staying within the walls of a medical institution, do not become infected with various diseases from older children, which is especially important when the baby is scheduled to undergo a routine vaccination.
We are planning our first visit
If you are going to the doctor with your child for the first time, first find out the address and telephone number of your local children's clinic and call them back.
Please check the following points at the registration desk:
- whether your address is in their service area;
- the next “baby day”;
- which office should you go to with your child;
- last name, first name and patronymic of your pediatrician;
- schedule for its administration.
It is better to write down all data and place it in a visible place so as not to lose or forget if necessary.
Read also : First visit to the clinic with a baby: which doctors should you visit
What to take with you to the clinic on baby day
Going to the clinic with a child is a whole ritual for parents, because it is necessary to prepare for any development of events.
What you may need on baby's day:
Documentation . Usually the medical card is kept at the clinic’s reception desk, but if you have it in your hands, you must take it with you. During the first visit, you may need the child’s birth certificate (original and copy) to issue the card. Also, just in case, take your passport; sometimes parents are asked for documents at the reception.
Hygiene products . Take wet wipes, several cloth or disposable diapers (may be needed for inspection and weighing), and spare diapers.
To calm down . A bottle of water or baby tea and a pacifier, if the child uses one, wouldn't hurt. If you plan to feed your baby in the clinic, take a scarf or stole with you to help the baby relax, or if the baby is bottle-fed, take a bottle with formula.
For fun . Rattles and a couple of teethers will come in handy if the baby has already learned to sit - take a book with bright pictures, his favorite or a completely new toy to brighten up the baby’s time waiting in line.
For changing clothes . Believe me, anything can happen during the examination - do not leave the child in wet or dirty clothes. Take a spare overall or pants with you.
For myself . Mom is a person too, so bring a snack and water for yourself, and a notepad and pen to write down the doctor's recommendations. Clothes should be designed to ensure that the baby has optimal access to the breast. Your shoes on this day should be without heels - it is not always possible to sit down in crowded corridors.
It is better to prepare everything you need the night before your visit to the doctor, so as not to fuss and rush in the morning.
Inspection day - plan everything
Health status . If the child is not feeling well in the morning, it is better to postpone the visit to the doctor and take the temperature just in case. If everything is calm, you can get ready.
How to get there . Is the clinic far away? Go on foot, combining a walk in a stroller and a visit to the doctor. If it is difficult to get there on foot, the best vehicle is a car in which the child must be in a car seat.
Where can I leave the stroller ? Many clinics have a designated area for wheelchairs, so you don’t have to worry about its placement. However, it should be taken into account that there are not always spaces available in such “stroller parking”.
Within the walls of the clinic . Indoors, the child can be placed in a stroller carrier (if he is sleeping), in a sling, or picked up.
At the doctor's . Many children start screaming and crying in the pediatrician's office. Few people like to be touched, turned over, examined, touched with cold instruments. The mother’s task is not to be irritated at this moment, but to distract the baby.
We go as a couple . On your baby's day at the clinic, you will need help - stand in line at the reception desk, hold bags or things, distract the child, walk with him on the street if there is a long line to see the doctor, dress or undress the baby. So it’s better for a young mother to walk with an assistant - this way she will be less nervous and fuss.
Extra people . Although only babies up to one year old should be in the clinic on Baby Day, quite adult coughing children are often standing in line. Therefore, the risk of contracting an infection is very high. Helpers will help you get out of the situation - while the mother is standing in line, someone is walking with the baby on the street.
What to do next ? After your visit to the clinic, go home, change clothes, wash, wash your hands and your child’s hands and other exposed areas of the body, and rinse your nose with saline solution. Such preventive procedures will significantly reduce the risk of contracting an infection.
Going to the clinic with a child is practically a feat for a young mother.
But if you use our advice, show patience and perseverance, we are sure you will succeed!
Read also : The first month of a child’s life: 7 questions for a pediatrician
Baby hygiene - how to care for a baby in the first months of his life
Blood and urine tests in children: what a mother of a baby needs to know
Calm, just calm
— To find out how the baby is feeling, a specialist sometimes has to thoroughly knead and squeeze the little patient. Don’t be alarmed if the baby bursts into tears - this does not mean that he is in pain, they just violated the order of things that was comfortable for him: they took his mother away, undressed him, twisted him around... In fact, the baby will easily forget this “violence” against his personality as soon as you press him again to yourself.
— If during your appointment you hear something alarming, or even frightening, do not worry ahead of time. It’s just that sometimes among doctors there are also alarmists and over-insurers who do not take into account the condition of a young mother who has not yet settled into a new role. Show your baby to other specialists and, most likely, it will turn out that nothing bad is happening.
Medical examination
- At the clinic, the pediatrician asks the mother questions and examines the baby;
- Undresses the newborn, listens to the heart and lungs. This is possible even if the baby is crying;
- Measures head and chest circumference, height, weighs the baby;
- Palpates the abdomen (it may be swollen);
- Listens to heart murmurs;
- Spreads the hip joints;
- Sees whether the baby fixes his gaze and reacts to sound;
- Assess the condition of the skin and oral mucosa (whether there is a white coating on the tongue);
- Monitors neurological symptoms (or their dynamics, if something is discovered during patronage) - increased or decreased muscle tone, shaking hands or chin in a calm state, posture during sleep;
- Examines the baby for congenital pathology;
- Asks mother about feeding schedule and stool frequency
