Well-child visits are a central part of every new parent’s reality: From infancy to their first birthday, your baby’s first year of life is a period of rapid growth that’s marked by a myriad of developmental milestones and evolving needs. Attending recommended health checkups during this change-intensive time helps ensure your baby is thriving every step of the way.
Your baby’s initial series of newborn care and infancy health visits at Pediatric Practitioners of Oklahoma also give you the opportunity to ask questions, receive support, and establish a strong relationship with our team of pediatric experts — setting your baby up for a healthy childhood right from the start.
Well-child exams only happen once a year starting at age 3, when developmental pacing slows just enough to make annual checkups sufficient.
Prior to that age, however, well-child visits require greater frequency to better keep tabs on the many rapid changes that occur during infancy and the initial phase of early childhood. This is especially the case during the first 12 months of your child’s life, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends the following seven scheduled pediatric visits:
Your baby’s first wellness visit should take place two to three days after being discharged from the hospital. At this visit, we check for heart murmurs and signs of jaundice or dehydration; we also check their weight to ensure it’s within a healthy range (a little weight loss is normal in the first week).
Our central focus during this checkup is how well your baby is feeding, urinating, and pooping. If you have any feeding concerns, we can offer breastfeeding/lactation assistance to improve your baby’s latch, or help you improve your bottle-feeding skills.
Babies grow rapidly in their first month of life — from birth, most babies gain 1 ounce per day for the first 30 days, typically gaining 2 pounds by 1 month of age. After taking your baby’s measurements and vitals, we check to see how you are doing.
Topics of discussion may include your baby’s increased alertness when awake, typical sleep quantity and safe sleep practices, tummy time, swaddling, feeding, and diapering.
At this checkup, your growing infant will be far more alert and more visually engaged. After taking routine measurements, we review how well they’re feeding, soiling their diapers, and sleeping. We also discuss current milestones, and let you know which milestones are on the horizon.
Your baby also receives the first of three sets of vaccines in their “primary series,” which offers strong protection against serious bacterial and viral diseases. This series includes:
If they didn’t receive it at 1 month of age, this is also when your baby gets their second dose of the hepatitis B vaccine (the first is given shortly after birth, in the hospital).
Your 4-month-old infant is smiling, cooing, looking around, reaching for objects, and holding up their head with greater stability. After taking their measurements, we review how they’re doing, answer any questions you may have, and discuss upcoming milestones. We also start exploring when and how to introduce solid foods.
At this visit, your baby receives the second set of vaccines in their primary series.
By the fifth checkup in their first year of life, your 6-month-old is engaging more with the world around them. Typical developmental milestones include being able to recognize others, sitting up with support, and rolling over. Some babies might be scooting or crawling at this age, too. If you haven’t yet introduced solids, we’ll guide you toward getting started.
After covering the same basic measurements, vitals, and well-being topics, we administer the third and final set of vaccines in their primary series. If it’s flu season, your baby should also receive their first flu shot.
At the nine-month checkup, we check to ensure your baby’s still growing and sleeping as expected. We ask if they’re eating solids two to three times per day (supplemented by breast milk or formula) and explore infant oral care — most babies are either teething or have their first tooth at this age.
We also ask if they sit without support, respond to their name, smile or laugh when you play games, make various vocalization sounds, and express a range of emotions.
By their first birthday, your baby is likely saying “mama” or “dada” to the correct corresponding parent. If they’re not walking yet, they probably will be very soon. At this visit, we perform a quick blood test to check their lead levels and screen for anemia. Your baby also receives the following immunizations:
After checking all the same basic measures of healthy growth, we explore the many ways your baby will continue to develop physically, cognitively, and emotionally in the next few months — and offer advice on how to nurture them into early toddlerhood.
Ready to get your baby’s next wellness visit on the calendar? Call 918-283-4660 to reach Pediatric Practitioners of Oklahoma in Claremore, Oklahoma, today, or use our easy online booking feature to schedule an appointment at your convenience.
