Newborn Care and Breastfeeding Support

There are few things in life that are more exciting (and often exhausting) than bringing your beautiful newborn baby home from the hospital. At Southdale Pediatrics, we love helping families with this amazing transition. Our pediatricians are currently accepting new patients and would be honored to start this special journey with you and your little one.

Newborn Care

Our expert pediatricians make rounds at Fairview Southdale and Fairview Ridges Hospitals. Depending on which hospital you deliver at, you may meet one of our friendly pediatricians in the hospital or at your first visit to the clinic. Newborns are typically seen in our office within several days of hospital discharge. Your infant will be weighed and measured and given their first post-hospital physical exam. The first visit with one of our pediatricians is the perfect opportunity to ask questions and address any concerns that you have about your baby including weight loss, jaundice, and lactation support.

We welcome new parents to make an appointment to meet one of our pediatricians and learn more about Southdale Pediatrics prior to your baby’s arrival.

Weight Loss

Newborns typically lose between 8-10% of their weight, and we expect most babies to be back at their birth weight by two weeks of age. We typically recommend frequent feedings every 2-3 hours until a baby is back at their original birth weight.

Jaundice

Jaundice is the yellow discoloration of skin or the whites of the eyes due to an increase in the bile pigment bilirubin in the blood. Newborns are at increased risk for jaundice due to immature liver function, increased number of red blood cells, and the occasional difference in blood type between a mother and her infant. Jaundice typically peaks between 3-5 days of life. Your baby will be evaluated for jaundice in the hospital and at your first clinic visit. Frequent feedings help prevent the development of jaundice. If your baby has significant jaundice, your pediatrician may recommend treatment with phototherapy at home or in the hospital.

Lactation Support

Southdale Pediatrics strives to support our breastfeeding mothers. Our board-certified lactation consultant, Lisa Kroening, CPNP, IBCLC offers in-office lactation support in the newborn period. Your pediatrician may suggest a visit with Lisa to assist with feeding difficulties, and families are more than welcome to make an appointment with her as well. Lisa has over fifteen years of experience as a lactation consultant at Southdale Pediatrics. While breastmilk has some nutritional advantages, we support all families in their decision about breastmilk and/or formula for their infants.

Lactation visits are billed through your infant’s health insurance plan and your copay or deductible benefits may be applied.  We are unable to bill through mom’s insurance as a lactation consult visit.  Please check with your carrier regarding coverage for these visits.

Download Breast Milk Storage & Prep Techniques 

Vitamin D supplementation

Vitamin D is an important vitamin to support bone growth and mineralization in infants. We recommend that all infants who are breastfed receive 400 IU of vitamin D daily. This is available as an over-the-counter vitamin drop.

Infants well visit schedule

After the initial newborn visit at 3-5 days old, infants are seen for the following well-child visits during their first year of life: 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and one year. Southdale Pediatrics excels in well-child and adolescent visits, so your growing child can receive consistent, knowledgeable, and friendly care from a place they know and trust.