Getting Ready for Baby

There is a lot to do to be ready for your baby.  Especially if you are expecting your first child. Small Town Pediatrics would like to help.

  • Pick your baby’s primary care provider (PCP) – the hospital will ask where to send the birth records.

  • Add baby’s PCP to your phone contacts, and make an appointment for 3 days from discharge. Small Town Pediatrics always has time to see new babies.

  • Contact your insurance/Medicaid plan to learn how to get coverage for your baby.

  • Arrange back-up transportation for delivery day.

  • Pack your delivery bag.

  • Stock up on personal and baby care items.

  • Recruit helpers to snuggle your baby, help with chores and provide you some mommy (or daddy) “me-time.”

  • Practice installing the car seat and leave it installed in the car.

  • Plan easy and freeze ahead meals.

  • Have a safe place for your baby to sleep – and always follow safe sleeping rules.

  • Have a special gift when your baby comes home for sibilings (or pets) to celebrate your growing family.

Before baby arrives:

Choosing where you will bring your baby for their care is important. Small Town Pediatrics offers “Meet and Greet” visits in person or by virtual visit at no charge. Click below to request an appointment with Dr. Mark or Kourtney!

If you’ve decided Small Town Pediatrics is the place for you and your family, click here to pre-register with us.

Meet and Greet visits allow you to:

  • get to know Small Town Pediatrics
  • decide if our care, expertise, and style fit your expectations
  • develop a relationship with your child’s clinician

Care for Your Baby in the First Year

Typically, babies should have their first PCP visit within a few days of discharge from the hospital. It is a good idea to have that first appointment scheduled before you leave the hospital. All babies lose a little weight at first – that’s normal.

But, it is important to follow-up on weight and progress on baby feeding. Some babies need rechecks on jaundice or other issues.

Small Town Pediatrics is all about keeping kids and families as healthy and safe as they can be. We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics “Bright Futures” guidelines for “well-child” care. That means we will see you and your baby a lot in the first year. We will be monitoring your baby’s growth and development as well as providing protection against preventable disease.

Dr. Mark has decades of experience with thousands of newborns. At Small Town Pediatrics we offer helpful, tested, and practical guidance on all the usual questions that come with babies – like how can parents (and baby) get to sleep through the whole night again?

Click here to get a better idea of the calendar for preventive care and why this is important.

Resources
There are lots of books and more opinions about how to “properly” care for your baby.  Some of the baby care fads are frankly not good ideas.  It can be very difficult to separate the facts from the fads and the safe from the suspect…  We want to help.

The following resources can help you find current, safe and ‘evidence-based’ baby care advice:

And, of course, you can always call or text us.