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Your first pregnancy was an adventure. If you’re like many women, you followed the growth and development of your baby over the months and anticipated their arrival with growing enthusiasm — and maybe a little anxiety.
After all, being a first-time parent can be intimidating, and the onslaught of information on the internet can be overwhelming.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. Dr. Venkata Vallury and Dr. Visalakshi Vallury at Redwood Family Health Center are here to help you care for your baby every step of the way. We have many years of experience nurturing newborns and watching them grow into strong, healthy children and adults. Many of our patients in McKinney and Farmers Ranch, Texas, have been with us since birth, and we love caring for the whole family.
If you just had your first child or are expecting soon, we welcome you to come see us and talk about how we can support your baby’s health throughout the first year of life and beyond. Here’s what the first 12 months look like.
We start your baby’s health care within the first week of their birth to ensure we establish important baseline health information.
The first thing we do is perform a thorough physical exam to check your baby’s weight, length, umbilical stump, reflexes (sucking, moro, tonic neck, grasping, and stepping), and skin tone (a yellow tinge may indicate the presence of too much bilirubin in the blood).
We also record certain milestones, such as the ability to move their arms and legs, focus on objects about a foot away from their face, and slightly lift their head while lying on their tummy.
Finally, we begin your baby’s vaccination schedule with the hepatitis B shot if they didn’t receive it at the hospital.
After two months, your baby is more squirmy than they were when you first brought them home, and that’s not the only thing that’s changed. Their brain has been busy growing, too, and their senses have developed considerably. At the two-month appointment, we’re looking for:
Although you may hear us talk about percentiles and how your baby compares to other infants of the same age, don’t place too much stock in these numbers. Every human develops at different rates.
You can expect another round of newborn vaccinations at this appointment.
Unless your baby gets sick or you have some questions or concerns, the next appointment occurs around the four-month mark. This is a brief visit where we perform a physical examination and administer the next round of shots.
When your baby is half a year old, it’s a good time to start introducing solid foods. Drs. Vallury can let you know which types to begin with and how to spot potential food sensitivities. Just as we do at every appointment, we complete a thorough exam of your baby’s body, checking for any abnormalities in movement or development. We listen to their heart, check their pulse, weigh and measure them, and talk to you at length about how things are going at home.
If your child is healthy and happy, you can schedule your next well-baby visit at age nine months. At this appointment, we’re looking for:
Again, there’s a wide range of what’s considered normal, so don’t be concerned if your child isn’t performing all these activities at nine months.
No shots are required at this appointment.
Happy birthday! At this appointment, we check for developmental milestones, such as language comprehension, fine and gross motor skills, verbalization, and walking or cruising (walking while holding onto furniture).
This is the time to make sure they are up to date on all their immunizations as well, especially if you missed any of the previous appointments.
At Redwood Family Health Center, we do more than just examine your baby and record measurements. We get to know you and your child personally and build a relationship they can trust throughout their childhood and into adulthood.
We’re also here to answer your questions. Is their sleep/wake cycle off? Wondering how much pee and poop is too much or too little? Can’t stop the crying? We can help. Don’t hesitate to call us between well-baby appointments. We know issues pop up with newborns, and they don’t always coincide with a scheduled visit, so reach out to us anytime.
If you just had a baby or are expecting your new arrival soon, we’d love to meet you. Call us today or book an appointment online at your convenience. Together, we’ve got your baby’s first year covered.
