What Your Baby's First Pediatrician Appointment Will Be Like

Whether it’s your first baby or your third, bringing a new life into the world is no easy feat. The parenting journey is long, and having your own little “village” will help you navigate any bumps in the road. But with everything that your support network of friends and family can do, they can’t do it all.

That’s why your pediatrician should be a key part of your village, too. Not only do they offer support when it comes to your baby’s development, but they’re also there to answer all the weird questions that come with being a new parent, like whether your baby’s poop is normal or why your baby sleeps with their eyes open (seriously, it happens).

Every parent wants to give their child a healthy start in life, and doing so begins with baby’s first pediatrician visit, also known as a well-baby visit or well-child visit. In what will be the first of many, your baby’s doctor will check in on your little one soon after they’re discharged from the hospital to ensure everything is on track. During this visit, the doctor will not only examine your baby from tip to toe, but they’ll also take the time to answer questions you might have.

When do newborns have their first doctor appointment?

“Your newborn’s appointment should be within one to two days after discharge from the hospital,” says Dr. Emily Wisniewski, a pediatrician with Mercy Family Care Physicians. “Some babies can wait a little bit longer, three to five days even, provided there were no concerns about feeding, significant weight loss or jaundice. But otherwise, you [and your baby] should be checked on soon after discharge to make sure your baby is growing and feeding well.”

It’s worth noting that after your baby’s initial visit to the pediatrician, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends well-baby visits at regular intervals of one to three months for the first two years of your baby’s life. The recommended schedule for pediatrician appointments includes checkups at these ages:

• One month old
• Two months old
• Three months old
• Four months old
• Six months old
• Nine months old
• Twelve months old
• Fifteen months old
• Eighteen months old
• Twenty-four months old

Schedules can vary widely from doctor to doctor, so if you’re concerned about getting an appointment in time for the above age milestones, consider calling ahead (before your due date) to get a better idea of how busy your preferred pediatrician will be. There’s no harm in being proactive and scheduling your appointment in advance.

What happens during baby’s first doctor appointment?

Doctors and nurses cover a lot of ground during the first visit to the pediatrician, Dr. Wisniewski says.

“We get to know the family—especially if they’re new to the practice or a first-time parent—and ask questions about feeding, peeing and pooping, safety in the home regarding safe sleep, smoke detectors/guns in the home and other family members in the home,” she says. “We’ll also do a postpartum depression screening to check in on parents as well as baby.” In addition to the baby’s physical exam, Wisniewski says doctors will often leave time to “address any questions or concerns the parents have.”

But before the doctor even arrives, there are a few administrative tasks to take care of. Once you’ve filled out any required paperwork, the nurse will probably be the next person you see. Ahead of the doctor’s exam, the nurse will weigh your baby and measure their length (head to foot while laying on the exam table) and head circumference. They’ll then log everything on a growth chart that shows what percentile your baby is measuring.

Incidentally, your baby will need to be naked to get the most accurate measurements, so you’ll want to make sure you have an extra diaper on hand—but more on that later.

After the nurse has all the measurements and numbers plotted, the pediatrician will examine your little one from head to toe. This includes:

Checking baby’s head: Your doctor will palm your baby’s head to check for a still-soft fontanel, which you may know as the soft spot. Your baby’s head circumference should increase by about 4 inches within their first year, and the soft spots on their skull are designed to accommodate that growth. However, if they close up too quickly, that could be cause for concern.

Checking baby’s neck and collarbone: The doctor will feel your baby’s bones along the neck and collarbone to check for any breaks or fractures that occurred during delivery.

Checking baby’s hips: Pediatricians often roll babies’ hips to look for any signs of hip dysplasia. They’ll do this at every well-baby visit until your little one takes their first steps.

Testing baby’s reflexes: During this visit and the four that follow, your pediatrician will assess your baby’s Moro reflex (also known as the startle reflex). Typically, the Moro reflex test simulates falling. It involves placing the baby face up on a soft padded surface, lifting their head slightly above their body, then gently letting it fall into the doctor’s hand. The doctor is looking for your baby to extend their arms and draw them back quickly (what all of us do when we feel like we’re falling).

Your pediatrician will also check your baby’s rooting reflex and sucking reflex. To check the rooting reflex, they’ll touch or stroke your baby’s cheek to gauge whether or not baby automatically turns their head to that side and opens their mouth. To check the sucking reflex, the doctor will place a gloved finger in your baby’s mouth to see whether they start sucking.

Checking baby’s femoral pulse: Pediatricians typically check the baby’s pulse via the femoral artery. A weak femoral artery pulse could be a sign of a heart condition.

Checking baby’s genitalia: At every appointment, your pediatrician will check on the development of your baby’s genitalia. In this case, they’re looking for signs of infection from circumcisions and following up on undescended scrotums or labial adhesions.

Examining the umbilical stump: Doctors will also check on how the umbilical stump is healing and offer some guidance for care until it falls off on its own—usually within one to three weeks after birth.

Vaccinations during baby’s first doctor visit

Baby’s first official checkup and first immunizations will take place at the hospital or birthing center within the first 24 hours after they’re born. Typically, baby won’t get any shots during their first visit to the pediatrician, but “if your baby didn’t receive the Hepatitis B vaccine in the hospital (usually given prior to discharge), then your infant should receive this at their first pediatrician appointment,” Dr. Wisniewski says.

Questions your pediatrician will ask

Throughout the exam, the doctor will ask questions about baby’s routine, including:

• Feeding patterns and schedule: While you don’t necessarily need to keep a food diary, you should be prepared to communicate how often and how much your baby eats. This is also a good opportunity to share any questions or concerns you have about feeding baby.
• Baby’s digestive system: Peeing and pooping are indicators of overall health, so expect your pediatrician to ask questions about how many wet diapers your baby has each day and how often they’re pooping, as well as the color and consistency of their poop.
• Sleeping patterns: Your baby’s doctor will also check in on how your baby is sleeping, and they’ll likely go over safe sleeping guidelines.

What to bring to the first checkup

The short answer here is simply to bring your diaper bag. Remember that you’ll need to remove baby’s clothes and diaper for the nurse to take their measurements and get an accurate weight, so it’s a good idea to bring along at least one fresh diaper and a blanket in case it’s cold.

Dr. Wisniewski also suggests bringing the discharge summary of your baby’s hospital stay. “It helps the doctor know what happened in the hospital and if any follow-up is needed (like checking for jaundice),” she says.

Questions to ask the doctor at baby’s first appointment

While your baby’s pediatrician will ask plenty of questions about your baby’s general health, this is also the time for you to ask any and all questions you may have about your newborn.

Common questions that new parents often have include:

• How do I know if my baby ate enough?
• What should I do if my baby is not drinking enough breast milk?
• Should I give supplements to my baby?
• How can I store my breast milk?
• How can I help my baby latch on to my breast?
• What’s the best way to soothe or care for sore nipples?
• How many naps should my baby take?
• How many hours a day should my baby sleep?
• Is it okay if I wake up my baby to eat?
• How can I help my baby stay asleep?
• Is it safe for my baby to sleep on their back?
• How can I try to avoid sudden infant death syndrome?
• Where should my baby sleep?
• When will my baby sleep through the night?

Helpful hint: Keep a digital note or write down all the questions you have for your baby’s doctor. There’s a lot of ground to cover on your baby’s first visit to the pediatrician, and if your little one is fussing or crying the whole time, you can easily get flustered and forget your questions. Keeping an actual note is the best way to ensure you walk out of the appointment with all your questions answered. But even if think of more questions after you’ve already left the doctor’s office (and you will), don’t worry—this is just the first of many routine visits, and your pediatrician is here to guide you through it all.