Your little one is a whole month old! You may still be fumbling over feedings and diaper changes (and you really can’t remember the last time you got a good night’s sleep), but you’re giving parenting everything you’ve got. All that hard work is paying off in ever-more-manageable daily routines, and of course, the best cuddles of your life.
But even as your parenting confidence grows, you’re likely wondering about, well, just about everything. The 1-month well-baby visit is your chance to share what’s been on your mind — and show off your growing newborn.
The physical checkup
All that breast milk or formula is adding up: Your 1-month-old baby is likely rounder and chubbier every day. She's gaining weight steadily now, roughly 6 to 8 ounces a week, for a total of 1 ½ to 2 added pounds since birth.
It will be time once again for your baby’s doctor to add the latest stats to your baby’s growth chart and perform a thorough examination of baby’s overall health. During this visit, the doctor will also:
- Test baby’s newborn reflexes
- Check the umbilical site (the stump has likely fallen off by now and the site should be healed and looking more like a belly button) and, if applicable, the circumcision site (this should also be healed)
Developmental milestones
Your baby has been hard at work developing important skills that the doctor will want to make note of. By now, your baby may:
- Briefly lift the head during tummy time
- Bring hands to her face
- Focus on your face (as much as possible!)
Remember, some babies may speed past typical developmental milestones, while others get a late start, eventually catching up or even zipping ahead.
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1-month shots
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccinations to help protect your baby. Depending on how your doctor likes to space vaccines, your baby might get her second dose (out of the series of three doses) of the HepB (hepatitis B) vaccine at the 1-month visit.
This is also a good time to ask about the vaccines your baby will receive at the 2-month visit.
Questions to ask your doctor
Make the most of your well-baby visits by keeping a list of questions on your phone to talk over with your doctor. In the first month, for example, you may want to ask:
- How can I tell if my baby’s still hungry after I’ve fed her?
- If my baby spits up, should I feed her again?
- What’s the best way to burp her?
- What’s up with that poop? How do I tell when it’s normal and when it’s not?
- How do I soothe my baby when she cries?
- Should I start tummy time? What do I do if she doesn’t like it?
- Where should my baby sleep?
- Should I wake my baby to feed?
You should always be prepared to answer a few questions as well — and not only about your baby. The doctor will most likely ask about how you and your partner are handling this major transition into parenthood, as well as how any older children are handling becoming big siblings. A postpartum depression screening is also recommended.
Screening for postpartum depression
Sure, the pediatrician is your baby’s doctor. But you’ll be seeing plenty of him or her in the months to come — most likely, far more than you’ll see a doctor of your own. That makes the pediatrician an important first line of defense when it comes to diagnosing and fighting postpartum depression (PPD).
That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all pediatricians screen new moms for postpartum depression and other mood disorders at the 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-month well-baby visits using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (a 10-question survey) or a simpler two-question approach.
Maternal or paternal depression can devastate you, but it can also have short- and long-term developmental and emotional impacts on your baby if it’s not diagnosed and treated.
If you’re not sure whether you’ve had the screening, or if you are concerned that you or your partner has symptoms of PPD or another mood disorder, ask the pediatrician, an OB/GYN or another practitioner for help as soon as possible.
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