Newborn Book
Instructions for Newborn Care
Congratulations!
You are now embarking on one of the most exciting times in your lives. Expect your first few weeks with the baby to be focused primarily on mom’s recovery and feeding the baby. No two babies are identical, so this process takes some detective work, flexibility, and guidance. The newborn visits in our office in the first and second week of life give us the opportunity to join you in this venture.
You likely received our Newborn Book in the hospital, but if not, please feel free to reference it here online. It answers many basic questions on topics including feeding/nutrition, baby care, sleep, and germ protection.
Breastfeeding and Pumping
We have a handout Valuable resources for breastfeeding moms with great information as well as resources available to you online and in Jacksonville. This sheet will be included in your newborn folder and is also available here. We also recommend new moms download the Breast Beginnings app developed by the University of Kentucky. It provides resources and support in learning about breastfeeding in preparation for a new baby, as well as the most common challenges that mothers face when breastfeeding throughout a baby’s second month of life. Please click on the link to learn more about Storage and Preparation of Breastmilk.
What is a Newborn Screening Test
Newborn screening tests check for rare but serious conditions in babies just after birth. All states require certain screening tests to be performed on newborns, even if they appear healthy. Most of the disorders your baby is checked for have no visible signs at birth. Catching these conditions early gives doctors a critical edge in treating them before they can cause your baby serious and lasting harm.
Mental Health and Postpartum
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research shows that about one in nine women experiences postpartum depression. Appropriate maternal depression screening is necessary to ensure that postpartum depression is addressed and care is administered in a timely manner to improve quality of care and long-term outcomes for both mother and child. Maternal depression screening identifies mothers who may be suffering from depression and may lead to treatment or discussion of referral strategies for appropriate treatment. US Preventive Services Task Force has endorsed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a screening tool that we can use to help identify mothers in need of support and we will offer this screening during your infant’s well check-ups.
Always contact your obstetrician or primary care provider if you feel you may be suffering from postpartum depression. To view the questionnaire, please click here. For local postpartum depression support groups, please call 904-202-2229.
Finally, our Infancy Section here in the Ages and Stages part of the website is the next step we take with you after this immediate newborn period.
