01Visits
Newborn and first-year care
A weight check within 48 hours of discharge, then the whole first year mapped out: feeding, jaundice, sleep and the visits that catch problems early.
- AgesBirth to 12 months
- Visit length40 minutes for the first visit, 25 after
- ClinicsAll three
- Book byOnline request or phone
02
What this actually involves
Most newborn problems show up in the first week, and almost all of them are fixable if somebody weighs the baby. We hold newborn slots open every weekday morning so that every baby discharged from a Des Moines hospital can be seen within 48 hours, and we ask you to bring the hospital discharge summary and the bilirubin result if one was drawn.
The first visit is deliberately long. We weigh undressed on a calibrated infant scale, compare against birth weight and discharge weight, check the fontanelles, hips, red reflex, femoral pulses, cord stump and skin, and then we spend most of the time on feeding, because feeding is what the next three weeks are actually about.
If this is a medical emergency, or your child is struggling to breathe, unresponsive, having a seizure, or badly injured, call 911 now. Call 911.
03
What is included
Six things we do every time, not a list of aspirations.
Naked weight and trend
Plotted on the WHO 0 to 24 month chart. A loss of more than 10 percent of birth weight, or a baby not back to birth weight by day 14, changes the plan the same day.
Jaundice assessment
Transcutaneous bilirubin in clinic, plotted on the hour-specific nomogram. We draw a serum bilirubin when the transcutaneous value is within 3 mg/dL of the treatment threshold.
Feeding observation
A full latch observation with our IBCLC if you are breastfeeding, or a paced bottle-feeding review if you are not. We do not rush this part.
Newborn screen follow-up
We confirm the Iowa newborn metabolic screen, the hearing screen and the critical congenital heart disease pulse oximetry result are all on file, and we chase the ones that are not.
Safe sleep and car seat
Alone, on the back, in a crib, every sleep. We check the harness height on your seat in the exam room if you want us to.
Parent screening
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at the 1, 2, 4 and 6 month visits, for whichever parent is in the room. Postpartum mood is a pediatric issue.
General information, not medical advice. It is not tailored to your child and it does not replace a visit.
04
How it runs
- 01Before discharge
Call us from the hospital. We book the 48-hour visit while you are still on the postpartum floor and send the portal invite to your phone.
- 02Day 2 to 4
First weight check and jaundice assessment. Expect 40 minutes and expect to undress the baby twice.
- 03Day 7 to 14
A second weight check if the first showed a slow start, otherwise we go straight to the one month visit.
- 04Months 1 to 12
Visits at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months, each with growth plotting, developmental surveillance and the immunizations due that day.
05
Why families choose us for this
- Newborn slots held open every weekday, not fitted in around the schedule
- An IBCLC in the building four days a week, not a referral three weeks out
- Direct phone number for the newborn nurse for your baby's first 30 days
- Weight checks are never billed as a separate visit in the first month
06
Questions parents ask about this
Not answered here? Call the front desk or send a portal message. Neither is a silly question.
All FAQsSome loss is expected. Up to about 7 to 10 percent of birth weight in the first few days is within the usual range for a breastfed newborn, and most babies are back to birth weight by day 10 to 14. Beyond that we look at feeding, output and hydration the same day rather than waiting.
Call us for jaundice that reaches the belly or below, a baby who is hard to wake for feeds, fewer than four wet diapers by day four, or any jaundice in the first 24 hours of life. We can check a level the same day.
Yes, but they are short nurse visits and we keep them open. Call the front desk and ask for a newborn weight check rather than booking online, so we can put you in the right slot.
A rectal temperature of 100.4 F or 38 C or higher in a baby under three months is an emergency evaluation, not a clinic visit. Call us on the way, but go to the emergency department.
07
Related services
Feeding and lactation support
An IBCLC in the building four days a week, weighted feeds, latch clinics, bottle refusal, reflux and the introduction of solids.
Well-child visits
The full Bright Futures periodicity schedule from the first week to age 21, with the screening, plotting and anticipatory guidance each age actually needs.
Immunizations
The complete ACIP childhood and adolescent schedule on site, including catch-up schedules, Vaccines for Children, and honest conversations about spacing.
Bring your child to people who have the time
Request an appointment online and we call you back within one business day. Newborn requests are called back the same morning.