Believe it or not, I have a one-year old! People always tell me to cherish every moment because it will fly by. In this case, boy, were they right. As a first time Mom, I had NO idea what to expect with regards to anything. Having survived my first year of motherhood, my goal now is to decode and demystify this world so that other new Moms can have a little easier time navigating it. Basically, I want to cut through the fluff, get straight to the point and give you all the facts with no sugar coating.
Today, I wanted to talk about Elia’s first year at the doctor!
How did I choose her doctor’s office?
When I was pregnant, the thought of choosing a pediatrician for Elia felt so overwhelming. Would I pick the right one? What if I wasn’t happy with them once she was born? I live downtown, so will I be able to park anywhere? Are they open on the weekends? Do they make house calls? We travel a lot, how does that impact things? Once I chose one, how would the doctor would know to come to the hospital once she was born?
My mind was racing.
I decided to take a step back and turn to my BFF, Google and search for some of the top pediatrician offices in Chicago. Once I had my short list of offices, I set up interviews at each one and brought in my list of questions for them to answer. Yes, I interviewed the Doctors, and you should, too! Each office has a slightly different philosophy and amenities. You have to make sure you choose the right one for you.
I decided on Weissbluth Pediatrics and these were my reasons why:
- They are the only pediatrician’s office in the city open 7 days a week
- They make house calls
- They are the only pediatricians office in the city who do Skype calls (great for traveling Moms)
- They are pioneers in industry regarding baby sleep. Check out the Weissbluth Method.
- They are the only practice that gave me a phone number/e-mail of my doctor which is amazing to have
- They offered me free birthing classes to prepare me for becoming a mom (breastfeeding, CPR, baby sleeping)
- They have lactation consultants and sleep experts in-house
- They are affiliated with the hospital where I gave birth. Once my baby was born, I did nothing, they just showed up and made life easier for me!
- I can come in the first hour every morning they are open without an appointment
In short, I felt that Weissbluth would help me prepare for my birth and support me through the entire process. I also love how bright, clean and colorful their office is.
The Day Elia was Born
As I mentioned before, I was so overwhelmed with the whole process and concerned about what my role would need to be once Elia was born. Would I have to call the doctor and tell them to come?
With Weissbluth, I literally had no work to do. Once Elia was born, they just showed up. They gave her a physical exam and answered the hundreds of questions I had. They helped me set up her first appointment and gave me a ton of guidance on how to survive once I got home.
What to Expect at Each Appointment
First Appointment – 3 days after Birth: This was the scariest appointment for me. I just wanted to make sure I was doing everything right (and I was also in a lot of pain from giving birth). From the moment I walked in, Weissbluth made my life so much easier. There was zero wait time, which meant no sitting down for me (if you’ve ever had a baby, that will make sense to you.)
Elia wasn’t breast feeding easily and loosing weight quickly. I was nervous about what they would say. My Doctor, Dr. Laura, couldn’t have had a more compassionate heart and bed side manner. She helped guide me and made me feel really comfortable in whatever decision I made.
2-week visit: This visit is to make sure that your baby is regaining their birth weight and to answer any feeding questions you have.
One month visit: Another visit to ensure your baby is growing on schedule and gives you another opportunity to ask questions. For me, I had a lot of questions about reflux since Elia was spitting up a lot. Dr. Laura gave me some great insight and perspective on what is normal and what is not.
Two month visit: This appointment gave me anxiety for weeks. It’s the first round of shots! Elia actually did okay becuase the staff at Weissbluth works really quickly and efficiently. For me, it helped to have a bottle on hand (or your breast if your breastfeeding) to give her right when the shot was done. She calmed down immediately. I gave her tylenol a few hours later and the next day, it was like nothing happened!
Four Month Visit: No shots at this one, yay! This is a great appointment to start talking about sleep. Since Weissbluth is sleep experts, I got a lot of advice about napping and sleeping schedules that helped tremendously.
Six Month Visit: Another round of shots and unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier. Just keep that bottle on hand for after it’s done and it will make life so much easier. This appointment is fun because you really get to start to talk about your babies development and introducing solid foods. As a foodie myself, I had tons of questions about what she could or could not eat and couldn’t wait to start cooking. Too bad she still only wanted to eat cheese…
Nine month visit: No shots, yay! Elia was crawling around and pulling her self up to stand at this point so it was fun to talk to the doctor about all her developmental milestones. I also learned she was in the 96th percentile for height and 46th for weight. I think I may have a supermodel on my hands.
One Year Visit: So, we have a few more shots, but it goes really quick! This appointment was really helpful because you start to learn all about feeding solid foods and transitioning over to whole milk. The doctor will talk to you about all the developmental milestones (walking, talking, etc) and what to expect over the next few months!
That about sums it up! I really wish I had something like this ahead of time that would have pointed me in the right direction. I hope all of this advice helps relieve a little anxiety for you!
Love always,
Erica
