by Michelle Stein posted in Parenting

After your baby is born, well-child checkups will be on your calendar for quite some time. These visits may fly by in a blur of medical forms, measurements, and vaccinations. But in order to get the most from this important time with your child?s pediatrician, communication is key. It helps to know what to expect at each appointment -- and what to ask your baby's doctor.
Dr. M. Edward Ivancic, a pediatrician in Tupelo, Mississippi, sheds some light on key developmental milestones for each checkup, along with common issues babies (and parents!) might be facing. Although the exact spacing of well-child visits may vary from office to office, here are the main questions you should be asking.
2-5 days old: Does my baby have jaundice" A checkup at 2-5 days old is relatively newer in the big scheme of things, Ivancic noted, but one of its purposes is to make sure your baby isn't experiencing jaundice. Your pediatrician is also checking to make sure your baby is feeding sufficiently. Having this early appointment, Ivancic noted, has cut back on the number of infants coming in at their 2-week visit dehydrated from problems with breastfeeding.
2 weeks: Is my baby eating enough"
?At the 2-week appointment, we want to make sure to see how the baby?s eating,? Ivancic said. ?And the baby should have regained his birth weight."
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