Baby’s First-Year Checkups: A Month-by-Month Guide

As a new parent, you’re entering wildly unpredictable territory. No one can tell you ahead of time whether your baby will sleep for long stretches or struggle to stay down, whether or not they’ll need a bottle warmed before they’ll accept it, or if you should stock up on pacifiers or skip them. But in that first year of your baby’s life, one thing that’s usually pretty predictable is regular visits to the pediatrician. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a set of checkups (also called “well-baby visits”) at specific intervals. Over the course of the year, your pediatrician is there to monitor your baby’s growth and development and help guide you through early parenthood. Here’s what you can typically expect from those visits. 

The AAP recommends that your baby have eight regular checkup appointments during the first year (plus any needed additional visits if they’re sick). Individual pediatricians’ schedules may vary, but the visits will more or less adhere to this schedule.  

A note for babies born prematurely: Development can look a little different for babies who arrive early. Your pediatrician may use your baby’s corrected age when looking at developmental milestones, so the milestones mentioned here may happen on a different timeline. Your pediatrician can help you understand what’s appropriate for your baby.

One Day Old 

Within your baby’s first 24 hours of life, they will typically be seen by a pediatrician. Dr. Andrea Alexander, a New Jersey-based pediatrician with the Maven Clinic, says the AAP recommends the first checkup be comprehensive and include everything from review of the baby’s birth history to a full physical exam. 

Your baby may also receive the hepatitis B vaccine, along with two preventive treatments: vitamin K, which helps the blood clot normally, and antibiotic eye ointment to protect against certain bacteria that can be transferred during delivery.

At one to two days old, babies also typically get the newborn screen, a blood test taken via heel stick, which checks for genetic conditions, as well as a hearing test, a heart screening, and a bilirubin check, which looks for jaundice. 

Three to Five Days Old

After your baby’s first pediatrician visit at home or in the hospital, it's likely that this visit will be their first at their regular pediatrician’s office. 

There are no routine vaccines scheduled for this appointment, although your baby may be eligible for RSV immunization, which is given as a long-acting antibody rather than a vaccine. If you received the RSV vaccine during pregnancy, your baby may already have protection and may not need RSV immunization. Your pediatrician can help determine what's recommended based on timing and your baby's health.

This time, your pediatrician will weigh your baby and discuss their growth with you. They may also talk to you about newborn care such as safe sleeping practices, and answer any questions you have. In addition, you’ll likely fill out a postpartum depression screening form and talk to the pediatrician about how you’re feeling.  

(Want a deeper dive into this first visit? Read What Your Baby’s First Pediatrician Appointment Will Be Like). 

One Month Old

This checkup is similar to the last one. Your pediatrician will likely check your baby’s growth, do a full physical exam, and make sure that your baby is beginning to hit developmental milestones like looking briefly at objects and holding up their chin.

There typically aren’t vaccines scheduled for this appointment, although your baby may receive a hepatitis B dose depending on their vaccination schedule.

Two Months Old

The two-month visit is a big one for routine vaccines. In addition to the usual growth and developmental checks, your baby will likely receive vaccines that protect against diseases including diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), polio, pneumococcal disease and rotavirus. They may also receive a hepatitis B vaccine, depending on their vaccination schedule.

For a closer look at visits through the first three months, read our guide to Scheduling Your Baby’s Doctor Visits for the First 12 Weeks.

Four Months Old

Your four-month checkup will probably include the routine you’ll have come to expect: taking your baby’s height and weight and looking at their growth chart, a full physical exam, and discussions of developmental milestones. At this visit, your pediatrician may talk to you about starting solids (somehow, it's already near time to break out your bibs!), and brief you on signs of readiness. Your baby will also likely receive additional doses of several vaccines they received at their two-month visit, including DTaP, Hib, polio, pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines.

Six Months Old

At six months, there are more developmental milestones to discuss, like rolling over and sitting up briefly on their own. If you didn’t talk about solids at the last visit, you will likely discuss them now, and your pediatrician can answer any questions you have about how to get started. Your pediatrician may also bring up safety topics like childproofing your home and understanding what to do if your baby starts to choke. 

Vaccines are usually part of the six-month visit, too. Your baby may receive additional doses of DTaP, Hib, polio, pneumococcal, rotavirus and hepatitis B vaccines, depending on which vaccines they’ve received and their dosing schedule.

Starting at six months, your baby may also be eligible for flu and Covid-19 vaccines. Your pediatrician can tell you which vaccines are recommended and when based on your baby’s vaccination history and the current immunization schedule.

The first routine MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is given starting at 12 months. In some circumstances, including certain international travel or during a measles outbreak, babies ages six through 11 months may be recommended to receive an earlier dose. Talk with your pediatrician if either situation applies to your baby.

Nine Months Old

Your baby’s nine-month checkup will likely be focused on growth, developmental milestones, and any questions you have. There aren’t typically routine vaccines scheduled specifically for the nine-month visit, although your baby may receive vaccines that are due based on their individual schedule. Your pediatrician can review their vaccination history with you.

In addition to the usual physical exam, your pediatrician may observe your baby and look for things like use of basic hand gestures, sitting well without support, and banging objects together. One thing to keep in mind: developmental milestones are just ranges. “Some kids are ahead and some kids are behind and that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a major problem,” says Dr. Alexander. 

12 Months Old 

When your baby reaches one year old, it’s time for another checkup. And while it may feel monumental, this appointment will be much like the others. It typically includes a physical exam and talk about how your baby is developing; you may discuss things like whether your child has tried to stand or walk on their own, how feeding is going, and other new behaviors you may be encountering such as tantrums. Your baby is also eligible for the following vaccines: 

• MMR (Measles, mumps, and rubella) 

• Hepatitis A

• Varicella (Chicken pox) 

They may also receive additional doses of vaccines they’ve had at earlier visits, depending on their vaccination schedule.

Pediatricians generally also check for anemia at this visit, and they may do a finger prick to test lead and hemoglobin levels. 

Exceptions to the Schedule 

Although this schedule is widely used, it is not always accurate down to the day. Your pediatrician’s office may be closed for a holiday or personal reason and need to shift an appointment, or you may need to push one. On the other hand, your pediatrician may ask you to come more frequently—to check weight at seven months instead of waiting until nine months, for example. Dr. Alexander notes that pediatricians have flexibility within this schedule. 

Helpful hint: If you have something that feels urgent to discuss with your pediatrician at any of these appointments, start by bringing it up at the beginning rather than waiting until the end. “If the pediatrician knows that you need to talk about a particular thing, they’ll make sure to make time for that,” says Dr. Alexander. She cautions that if you raise it as the visit is wrapping up, you may feel rushed and leave without getting the depth of answers and guidance that you need.