Newborn Care Solutions
for Niagara Falls, Lewiston, NY; and the Surrounding WNY Area

Congratulations on the birth of your child! All the staff at Summit Pediatrics look forward to meeting and caring for your child. We welcome any questions you may have, and we hope this brief guide makes your early days as a parent a little easier. When it comes to becoming new parents, our office provides adequate and comforting infant care to your little one and does our best to support you and your partner in this transitional period. Our goal is to make sure you feel prepared for any uncertainty, as caring and providing infant care is completely situational and different for each child. We take a gentle approach and ensure that we consult you before providing any medication, therapy options, or other forms of infant care to your newborn.

If you would like to schedule a visit with our team of pediatric doctors or lactation consultants, do not hesitate to contact our pediatric offices today. Our highly trained pediatric nurse practitioners have been proud to offer in-depth newborn care to families and new parents across Niagara Falls, Lewiston, Lockport, North Tonawanda, Grand Island, Ransomville, Youngstown, Wheatfield, Pendleton, Wilson, Cambria, Buffalo, NY; and the surrounding WNY communities for over 50 years!

The Early Days of Infant Care

As a parent, you have a lot of things to think about. Caring for your baby is a full-time task in and of itself, but knowing when your baby requires medical care is important as well. Summit Pediatrics offers comprehensive infant care services to families in the greater Buffalo, Lockport, and Grand Island areas. We understand how important your baby's health is and will provide an exemplary level of service for your peace of mind. Whether you are a new parent or have been expanding your family, having reliable infant care you can trust makes the world of a difference. Each baby is different, therefore the infant care one of your children may have received may be different from the next baby. We take a specialized and unique approach to each of our patients and make sure that you as parents are equally as involved throughout the infant care for your child.

One of the most important things we can do to benefit newborns is to enhance the quality of care around the time of birth and the first weeks of life. Your infant will have his or her first doctor visit within three to five days of birth. During this appointment, we will check your baby in several ways. You should expect us to do the following as a basic start to infant care:

Take Measurements: We will measure and record your baby's weight, length, and head circumference. This helps us monitor how your infant grows.
Physical Exam: We will complete a complete physical exam for your baby, including observing reflexes, vision, hearing, and other senses.
Ask Questions: We will want to know how your baby is eating and sleeping, as well as any other information that you might feel is relevant. We'll also ask about your home environment and how it might affect your infant. This helps us get an idea of any additional care your baby might need and offer advice as necessary.
Discuss the Future: We'll talk about what you can expect in the coming weeks until your baby's next visit; we can also answer any questions and provide information about any test results we might have.

Our office provides knowledgeable insight about your baby's health needs to put your mind at ease. We understand that being a new parent can be stressful, so we are here to provide answers and guidance. Reach out to us today to schedule an appointment for infant care!

What You Need to Know About Infant Care

Office Visits - Your baby should have his or her first office checkup when they are one week old unless your baby needs our attention before then. Examples include jaundice, not feeding well, not waking for feeds, vomiting, etc.

Getting to Know Your Baby - Sometimes new mothers are a little unsure of themselves. As long as your baby is well fed, warm, comfortable and has tender loving care, these few simple infant care instructions should help you to relax and enjoy your new gift.

The most valuable thing parents can do for themselves and their children is to simply enjoy them. Your baby will do things all babies do. He or she will sneeze, yawn, belch, have hiccups, pass gas, cough and cry. Sneezing is the way babies clean their nose of mucus. Hiccups are little spasms of the diaphragm muscle. Coughing is their way of clearing their throat. Crying is their way of saying, “I’m hungry,” “I'm wet,” “I'm thirsty,” “I'm too hot,” “I'm too cold,” “I have a stomachache,” or “I'm bored.”

Gradually, you will know what your baby means. Almost all infants have a fussy period which mostly occurs in the late afternoon or evening. This is not colic, but a normal occurrence for which there is no explanation. Colic typically appears within the first two weeks and is known to often disappear suddenly.

Homecoming - There should be no visitors the first days at home. The first 24-48 hours at home should never be expected to be easy. Both you and your baby will fare better if you have time to adjust to new circumstances and each other. Limit visitors during the first few weeks because a newborn baby has had no time to build up a resistance to infections, which can be easily transferred. Discourage people from holding your baby; there will be plenty of time for that in the future.

Preventive Measures - Limit the number of visitors to your home. If a loved one is ill, they should stay away until they are better. Everyone that does visit should wash their hands before holding your baby. It is also important to keep your baby at home the first two months; do not to take them out to malls or supermarkets and try to avoid large crowds of people.

Feeding - Feeding is one of your baby's first experiences. The baby's first feeling of love for their mother also comes from feeding. At feeding time your baby receives nourishment from food and nourishment from the mother's care. Food that is properly administered helps the baby to grow healthy and strong. Comfort is extremely important for you and your baby. We suggest you choose a chair that is comfortable as it will help you to be calm and relaxed as you feed your baby. Your baby should be warm and dry so that he or she is comfortable as well.

Hold your baby in your lap, with the head slightly raised and resting in the bend of your elbow when bottle feeding. Whether breastfeeding or bottle feeding, make sure to hold your baby close.

Breast Feeding - Breast milk is the most easily digested food for your baby. It produces less gas and spitting up. Breastfeeding has many advantages; it's economical, it provides a certain immunity to illnesses and most importantly, it allows for you and your newborn to bond. Allow yourself and your baby time to learn proper breastfeeding techniques. Sometimes classes on breastfeeding taken during pregnancy are helpful. We have a lactation consultant at all of our offices that can help with breast feeding. Initially your baby will need between 8-12 feedings in a 24-hour period but don’t worry about watching the clock. Avoid pacifiers or supplemental feedings for the first two weeks and learn to recognize when your baby is getting enough milk. As an example, listen to your baby swallowing and remember, your baby should have at least six soaking wet diapers in 24 hours.

It is important to recognize early feeding cues such as wiggling, moving of arms or legs and fussy squeaky noises. A full cry is a late sign of readiness to feed. There are a few different feeding positions. You should choose one that is most comfortable. Make sure you have plenty of pillows for support. The mother should guide her breast to assist her baby in taking it to the mouth. Make sure your baby's nose is not pressed into the breast and feed your baby from both breasts at each feeding. The mother should drink to thirst and keep a glass of water nearby while feeding. Mothers should maintain a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water.

Vitamins - If you are breast-feeding, supplement your baby with multivitamins. Breast-fed babies do not get enough vitamins through breast milk. When you give your baby vitamin drops, point the opening of the dropper toward the inside of the cheek in your baby's mouth, so that the drops do not fall too far back in the throat.

Bottle Feeding - Seated comfortably and holding your baby with the head supported, tilt the bottle so that the neck and the nipple are always filled with formula. This helps your baby get formula instead of sucking and swallowing air. Air in the stomach may give your baby a false sense of fullness and can make your baby uncomfortable. If your baby doesn't waste energy sucking air, he or she is more likely to take in the correct amount of formula. Your baby has a strong, natural desire to suck, and sucking is part of the pleasure of feeding time. Babies will keep sucking on nipples even after they have collapsed, so make sure to occasionally take the nipple out of your baby's mouth to avoid this collapsing. Many bottles made now allow for air to escape from the bottle while the baby is sucking, thereby avoiding this issue. Never prop up the bottle and leave your baby to feed; the bottle can easily slip into the wrong position. Remember, your baby needs the security and pleasure to be held at feeding time. It's a time for both of you to relax and enjoy being together.

Burping - Burp your baby after ten minutes of feeding and again after feeding is complete. Even if fed properly, the baby usually swallows some air. Hold your baby upright over your shoulder and pat or rub the back very gently until he or she lets go of the air. You can also place your baby face down over your lap and gently rub the back. After feeding, sit your baby upright for at least 30 minutes.

A Schedule with Flexibility - Feeding schedules are usually most satisfactory if the hours are generally set and the baby is allowed eat an hour before and an hour later than the scheduled time. For example, if the bottle is due at six o'clock, feed anytime between five and seven o'clock. Newborn babies usually need to be fed about every three hours and can often go four hours between feedings. If your baby occasionally wakes up and cries less than two and a half hours after feeding, hunger is probably not the issue. However, should he or she consistently awaken and cry less than two and a half hours after feeding, the amount of formula you are giving may be insufficient.

How Much Formula - The amount of formula your baby takes will vary. Most babies feed for 15 or 20 minutes. You will probably find that your baby will sometimes take all the bottle and sometimes not. But don't worry; this is normal.

If Formula Warming Is Desired - Just before feeding, remove a bottle from the refrigerator and warm it in a pan of hot water for a few minutes. Check the temperature of the formula by shaking a few drops onto the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm, but not hot. Do not microwave formula as this could burn your baby's mouth.

Test Nipples Regularly - Testing nipples regularly will save time when you're ready to feed your baby. Nipple holes should be the right size to help your baby suck easily. When the nipple holes are the right size, warm milk should drip at a moderate rate without forming a stream.

After Feeding - Once feeding is done, sit your baby upright for 30 minutes. After you have burped your baby, place him or her in bed. Your baby should sleep in a supine position, not prone. After bottle feeding, rinse bottles and nipples with cool water. This removes milk before it forms a film, allowing for easier washing. Squeeze water through the holes of the nipples as you rinse them. Washing can be done whenever it's convenient for you and it is not necessary to sterilize bottles. Do not use bottled water because it does not contain fluoride.

Water - Offer your baby lukewarm, boiled water in a nursing bottle once or twice daily, but not within an hour of the next feeding. Some babies don't like water and your baby may refuse it. But it’s a good idea to offer it, especially during the warm weather when your baby may perspire more. Do not give more than 1-2 ounces of water per day. Use regular tap water since it contains fluoride that is necessary to help prevent dental decay.