As a new parent, you can expect to spend lots of time at the doctor's office making sure your little one is developing properly. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, your child should have 10 well-child visits in the first two years, and those are just the checkups alone. Fortunately, pediatricians do their best to make each appointment comfortable while providing new parents with guidance and advice on how to keep their child healthy, and you can do your part to maximize each appointment using technology that can take the stress out of these essential visits.
Use Baby Apps to Track Essential Data
Parents are often surprised at just how important it is to keep track of their baby's feedings and diaper changes. At your baby's first checkups, you can expect to be asked about how many dirty or wet diapers your baby had along with the amounts and frequency of their feedings. You can avoid trying to recall what happened during your 3 am feeding by using a smartphone app to log your baby's information. Then, you can pull it out at your doctor's visits and enjoy easy access all those vital statistics.
Check Out the Website for FAQs
Pediatric doctors are used to almost every kind of question, and you should always feel like you can ask them anything. However, they also know that parents sometimes have questions in the middle of the night, and it is better to hear the answers from their professional practice rather than a random online search. For this reason, you can often find information about basic baby care and the answers to commonly asked questions right there on your baby's doctor's website.
Take Photos of Unusual Symptoms
Giving your child's doctor as much information as possible will help them make an accurate diagnosis. Yet, there are some symptoms that just cannot be described. Recording your baby's late night colicky cries or taking a picture of that strange rash that appears for only an hour after they eat something new can give your child's doctor a better clue as to what you are seeing at home.
Caring for a new baby is exhilarating and a little scary at the same time, especially when it comes to your little one's health. Forming a partnership with your child's pediatrician will ease those new parent jitters while allowing you to make educated decisions regarding your child's growth and development. By incorporating technology into your baby care routine, you can maximize your visits by showing up informed and prepared to discuss all of your infant care concerns.
It wasn't until three of my close family members were diagnosed with cancer that I started taking my personal health seriously. Between the heart problems, the diabetes and now the cancer that runs strong in my family, I know that I don't have much of a future to look forward to unless I start taking care of myself today. How do you do your best to stay healthy? What kind of diet should you follow? How much exercise do you really need? How often should you see a doctor? This blog will help you find the answers to these and many more questions about your health.