The first days at home
A new baby is a juggling act: cuddles, round the clock feedings, dirty diapers and also administrative duties. This includes birth certificates, applying for a social security number, and alerting your medical insurance to your newest family member. Ideally, this will all be taken care of by your partner.
There’s also health issues you will need to pay attention to
What to pay attention to
Heel screening. In the US, a few drops of blood are taken from the heel for analysis before discharge from the maternity hospital. This is to detect congenital disorders— which diseases are tested for vary by state [1]. You will be informed and assigned a repeat test only if something is wrong. If you gave birth at home, then you need go get this test.
Routine checkups. Most pediatricians will see your babies 3 to 5 days after birth and then at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months [2]. These are often called well-child visits. Some practices may offer home visits instead of office visits, which are recommended by the WHO [3].
Skin condition. WHO recommends that you consult a doctor if your son’s feet or palms turn yellow. Or if there is a "marble" pattern (pale with streaks) on the skin of the chest [3].
Weight and appetite. This week, your baby boy will begin to gradually regain weight. If he continues to lose weight or trouble latching, this is also a reason to call your doctor [3].
Nothing to worry about
Frequent stool. The second week of life is a very important period in setting up digestion. The baby's intestines completely got rid of meconium and switched to milk assimilation and due to this, the stool becomes more frequent. The child can poop almost after every feeding. By one month, regularity should be established at about three to four times a day. By three months, just twice a day [4].
