New Baby at Home and Nervous?

November 13, 2008 at 6:37 AM by Cafe Suzanne - Comments (5)

photo by akme10607

Once we got our baby home, Mr. Cafe Suzanne and I called the pediatrician at least once a day. She had a goopy eye, she slept all day so we couldn't feed her, she only pooped seven times not eight like he said she should.

Although he was very patient, we could tell our doctor thought we were crazy new parents and maybe we were.

But if you're home with a brand-new baby and you're a brand-new Baby Mama, how do you know when something is normal or when you should call the doctor?

I just found a helpful article in the Des Moines Register called "Baby Magazine: The Doctor is In," which lists all the situations in which you should check with your baby's doctor, according to Christopher Spinelli, M.D., a pediatrician in Iowa. Here they are:

1. Excessive Drowsiness It's normal for first newborns to be sleepy and fall asleep while feeding. Dr. Spinelli suggests waking the baby up to feed.

2. Jaundice This yellowish discoloration of the skin usually shows up before the baby leaves the hospital.

3. Respiratory Illness (or ear infections) Dr. Spinelli recommends avoiding restaurants while the baby is very young, especially during flu season. Smoky environments can cause congestion, which can lead to respiratory illness or ear infections.

4. Fever Temperatures higher than 100.4 F. rectally are high enough to require a visit to the doctor.

5. Difficulty Breathing It's not normal if an infant can't breathe through her nose while feeding.

6. Gas This is usually fine and the baby may have to work it out on its own, however, your doctor can give you some gas drops.

7. Constipation Your infant also may be perfectly fine if he or she hasn't had a stool for several days. Head to the doctor if the baby is passing gas and vomiting along with constant crying and a hard tummy.

8. Crying Crying increases in frequency up to the fifth to seventh week and then can taper off. But some colicky babies cry a lot, and that is a sign to see the doctor, especially if you are having a hard time dealing with it.

Do you have a newborn at home? How many times have you called the doctor?

FILED UNDER: colic & crying, doctor visits, health, newborns