The first days with a newborn bring rapid changes and plenty of questions about feeding, weight, sleep, diaper patterns and what is normal.
Newborn visits give your pediatric provider a chance to examine your baby, follow early growth and feeding, review hospital information and talk through the concerns that are already coming up at home.
Families can choose newborn care in Sylacauga, Chelsea or Birmingham’s Valleydale area.
Early Newborn Visits
Care beginning in the first days after birth.
Feeding, Growth & Hydration
Follow weight, feeding and diaper patterns.
Questions Welcome
Time to talk about what you’re seeing at home.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an initial post-discharge visit for healthy newborns around 3 to 5 days after birth, typically within 48 to 72 hours after leaving the hospital.
During this early checkup, your pediatric provider will examine your baby, assess feeding, weight, hydration, and jaundice, and review important hospital and newborn screening information.
Some babies need earlier or additional follow-up depending on their health and discharge instructions. Contact your preferred office to arrange your baby’s first appointment and discuss any instructions you received before leaving the hospital.
Your first newborn checkup is an opportunity to make sure your baby is adjusting well after birth and to give you time to talk through the questions that have already come up at home.
During an early newborn visit, your pediatric provider may review your baby’s birth and hospital information, perform a physical examination, measure growth and weight, assess feeding and hydration, discuss stool and urine patterns, and look for concerns such as jaundice. Early newborn visits also give parents an important opportunity to discuss feeding, sleep, development and everyday newborn care.
Your provider measures weight, length and head circumference and looks at how your baby is growing after birth.
Feeding patterns, weight and signs of hydration help your provider understand how feeding is going.
An age-appropriate examination helps assess how your baby is adjusting after birth.
Your provider checks for jaundice and considers whether additional evaluation or follow-up may be needed.
Stool and urine patterns can provide useful clues about feeding and hydration.
Bring questions about sleep, crying, feeding, skin changes, routines or anything else you are noticing.
Your baby’s first pediatric visits are also about helping you feel more confident as a parent. Questions about feeding, sleep, crying, weight, and diaper patterns are part of learning to care for a newborn.
Emily Johnson, CRNP, worked in neonatal nursing before becoming a nurse practitioner at Summit Pediatrics. As a mother herself, she understands how overwhelming those early days can feel.
Emily encourages parents to speak openly about their worries, no matter how small they may seem. She wants families to feel comfortable asking questions and understanding what they can do to care for their babies between visits.
“There is no dumb question, especially in pediatrics.” — Emily Johnson, CRNP
From feeding concerns to changes in your baby’s routine, our pediatric team is here to help you understand what’s expected, what deserves a closer look, and when additional care may be needed.
The first weeks of life bring rapid changes. Regular newborn visits let your provider follow feeding, weight, hydration and early development over time rather than relying on a single measurement or moment.
Feeding patterns can vary from baby to baby. At newborn appointments, your provider can discuss feeding frequency, how feeds are going, your baby’s weight and other signs that help assess nutrition and hydration.
The AAP specifically recommends careful nutritional assessment during the first newborn office visit.
Your newborn’s weight, length and head circumference help your provider follow growth over time.
It is common for newborns to lose some weight after birth before beginning to regain it. The AAP notes that birth weight is often regained within approximately 7 to 14 days, although every baby should be evaluated individually.
Even during the earliest visits, your pediatrician is getting to know your baby.
As newborn care transitions into regular well-child care, these visits create a continuous record of your child’s growth and development and give you repeated opportunities to discuss new milestones and concerns.
Newborn screening begins shortly after birth and is designed to identify certain health conditions as early as possible. Screening programs commonly include blood spot testing, hearing screening and screening for critical congenital heart defects.
The exact screening panel and follow-up process are determined by state and hospital programs. Bring any screening or discharge information you received to your baby’s appointment so your pediatric provider can review available results and discuss whether additional follow-up is needed.
If you were told that your baby needs a repeat test or specific follow-up after leaving the hospital, let the office know when scheduling the appointment.
Preventive care begins early. During newborn and infant visits, your pediatric provider can review recommended preventive care and immunizations based on your baby’s age, health history and current guidance.
As your baby grows, newborn appointments transition naturally into regular well-child visits where growth, development, preventive care and age-appropriate immunizations continue to be addressed.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before your baby’s first appointment. Bringing a few important records and questions can help your pediatric team understand how things have been going at home.
Bring when available:
Hospital discharge paperwork and birth information
Newborn screening results or follow-up instructions
Insurance information and requested patient forms
Information about feeding, diapers, or weight concerns
A list of questions about your baby’s health and daily care
A Tip From Dr. R
Dr. Sriharsha Rallapalle encourages parents to write down questions before their child’s appointment. Newborn care often involves frequent visits and new concerns as babies grow, and having your questions ready can help you make the most of each visit.
For a healthy newborn, the AAP recommends the first outpatient visit at approximately 3 to 5 days of age and generally within 48 to 72 hours after hospital discharge. Your baby’s individual medical needs or discharge instructions may call for a different schedule.
Your provider may review birth and hospital information, measure your baby’s weight, length and head circumference, perform a physical examination and discuss feeding, hydration, diaper patterns, jaundice and other questions or concerns.
Yes. If you have hospital discharge information, newborn screening information or other medical records, bring them with you. They can provide useful information for your pediatric provider.
Yes. Feeding is an important part of newborn care. Your provider can discuss how feeding is going in the context of your baby’s weight, hydration, examination and individual needs.
Newborn screening commonly includes blood screening, hearing screening and screening for critical congenital heart defects shortly after birth. Your pediatrician can review the information available from the hospital and discuss any recommended follow-up.
The first newborn appointment is the beginning of a schedule of well-child visits throughout infancy and childhood. Your provider will recommend follow-up based on your baby’s age and individual health needs.
Choose whichever office is most convenient for your family: Sylacauga Pediatrics, Summit Pediatrics – Chelsea or Summit Pediatrics – Valleydale Road in Birmingham.
Yes. Expectant parents can contact Sylacauga Pediatrics or Summit Pediatrics before delivery to ask about establishing newborn care. Choose your preferred office in Sylacauga, Chelsea, or Birmingham and call to discuss the first appointment and any steps to take before your baby arrives.
Contact your pediatric office if you have questions about feeding, weight, diaper patterns, illness, or other concerns. Your provider can help determine whether your baby needs to be seen. For a baby 3 months old or younger with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, seek immediate medical evaluation.
For healthy newborns, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the first post-discharge office visit 3 to 5 days after birth and within 48 to 72 hours after hospital discharge.
Your baby’s medical needs or discharge instructions may call for earlier follow-up.
Choose the office most convenient for your family and call to schedule your newborn’s first appointment.
Choose the Sylacauga, Chelsea or Valleydale Road office most convenient for your family. Each location page includes its phone number, address, providers, directions and other office-specific information.
115 West Clay Street
Sylacauga, Alabama 35150
134 Foothills Parkway
Chelsea, Alabama 35043
1200 Providence Park, Suite 100
Birmingham, Alabama 35242
Providing compassionate comprehensive pediatric care for infants, children, and adolescents at three convenient locations in Alabama.
115 West Clay Street
Sylacauga, Alabama 35150
Mon – Thu: 8:00AM – 5:00pm
Fri: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Mon – Thu: 9:00AM – 4:00pm
Fri: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Mon – Fri: 9:00am – 4:00pm
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