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A well-child checkup is a great opportunity to monitor your child’s growth and development, and it's also a chance to establish a trusting relationship with your child’s pediatrician and have your questions answered. What to Expect at Each Checkup At every checkup, a comprehensive physical examination will be conducted to assess your child's growth parameters, including height, weight and head circumference. A developmental assessment will evaluate the progress of your infant or young child in achieving age-appropriate milestones, encompassing language skills, motor development, problem-solving abilities and psycho-social skills. In addition, your pediatrician will address common concerns such as feeding, sleep patterns, oral health and general infant care. Unless there are specific needs or concerns for your baby, routine laboratory tests are typically unnecessary. Your pediatrician will provide guidance on immunization schedules, post-vaccination expectations and when to seek medical attention. Furthermore, during each visit, you will receive age-specific guidance to help you anticipate your child's expected growth and development, along with essential safety precautions and illness prevention measures. Your pediatrician will discuss various topics, such as placing your baby to sleep on their back, utilizing rear-facing infant car seats until around age two, maintaining home water thermostats below 120 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring dangerous objects and poisonous substances are out of sight and reach, emphasizing dental health and promoting the use of bike helmets, among other things. Preparing for Your Visit It is recommended that, as a parent, you write down any questions beforehand, so you don’t forget them in the moment. Most importantly, feel comfortable asking your pediatrician about anything that might seem unusual, as you are the parent, and you know best! Before leaving the pediatrician’s office, be sure that you fully understand any instructions given to you and ask for clarification if needed. From your child’s birth through young adulthood, you will be visiting your pediatrician regularly. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides what a regular schedule might look like. Well-Child Checkup Schedule Two to three days after birth and at one month Two months Four months Six months Nine months One year 15 months 18 months 24 months 30 months Three years, and yearly after

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Breast milk. It's often referred to as liquid gold. And fortunately, it can be safely refrigerated or frozen for later use, which can allow you to be a bit more flexible in your new routine with baby. Whether you're getting ready to return to work, planning for the chance date night out or just exclusively pumping, it's crucial to understand the guidelines for proper breast milk storage. Storing Breast Milk Use clean bottles with screw caps, hard plastic cups that have tight caps or nursing bags (pre-sterilized bags meant for breast milk). Be sure to label each container with the date the milk was pumped and your baby's name if the milk is going to childcare providers. You can add fresh, cooled milk to milk that is already frozen, but add no more than is already in the container. For example, if you have two ounces of frozen milk, then you can add up to two more ounces of cooled milk. For healthy full-term infants, milk can be stored as follows: Room temperature - six to eight hours (no warmer than 77°F, or 25°C). Refrigerator - up to five days at 32°-39°F (0°-3.9°C). Freezer– Varies depending on freezer type. Up to two weeks in a freezer compartment located within the refrigerator. Three to six months in a freezer that is self-contained (standard kitchen fridge/freezer combination) and kept at 0°F (-18°C). Breast milk should be stored in the back of the freezer and not in the door. Six to 12 months in a deep freezer that is kept at -4°F (-20°C). Be sure to leave about an inch of space at the top of the container or bottle to allow for expansion of the milk when it freezes. Thawing Breast Milk Place frozen breast milk in the refrigerator to thaw (about 24 hours) then warm by running warm water over the bag or bottle of milk and use it within the next 24 hours. If you need it immediately, remove it from the freezer and run warm water over it until it's at room temperature. Never microwave breast milk and do not refreeze it. Once your baby has started to drink from the bottle, you should use it within one hour. You may find that different resources provide different recommendations about the amount of time you can store breast milk at room temperature, in the refrigerator and in the freezer. Talk to your doctor or lactation consultant if you have any concerns or questions.

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