Newborn Visit
Simply Pediatrics is a holistic practice dedicated to creating wellness that lasts a lifetime. From birth through age 21, Jennifer Zethner, R.N., M.S., C.P.N.P. provides pediatric well visits while integrating a holistic approach. Well visits aim to guide families toward optimal wellness by avoiding common and preventable obstacles that can lead to disease and support the health of your child.
“It is my absolute joy to welcome your baby into my practice. On our first meeting, know that I can feel your new parent’s anxiety. Not only because I have witnessed it so many times before but because my own first days as a mom so many years ago are still quite vivid in my head. I understand. And I strive at every interaction with you to empower you as a parent. The healthy, strong, confident children I see in my practice have adults in their life who are confident in their parenting” – Jennifer Zethner
For most (unless you deliver your baby at home and the midwife visits you to examine your baby) the first newborn well exam takes place within the first few days after being discharged from the hospital. The focus of this visit is not only to assess your newborn but also to assess the family as a whole, to confirm mom and baby are being optimally supported and identify and address any potential obstacles that could prohibit mom and baby’s optimal health.
There is a focus on maintaining your baby’s healthy gut microbiome by way of breastfeeding, mom’s diet, and mom’s nervous system. Available sources of support for mom- nutritionally, emotionally, and physically are reviewed and reinforced.
As needed optimal options for formula are thoroughly reviewed with a focus on selecting a formula that would be best for your baby.
Support for mom is discussed at length, especially during the first few visit where guests are strongly discouraged instead Jennie makes the following recommendations for all families of newborns under the age of 3m “The only guests allowed in the home where there is a newborn are those bringing mom great comfort, cleaning her home, cooking meals, doing laundry and/or caring for the other children.
There is no hosting of guests where there is a newborn. There are no guests coming over just to “meet the new baby”. And any guests that bring mom stress/anxiety in any way are not welcome during this time. If a mom is unnecessarily stressed then so are her children. Stress will make us sick.
The early days with a newborn
If your baby has any of the common complaints in the first weeks of life such as colic, constipation, rash, vomiting, or weight gain, the focus is not to alleviate these symptoms with medications but to identify why these symptoms exist in the first place and remove those obstacles/triggers/root causes of potential/future disease.
Identifying and removing any root causes of symptoms early in life is so incredibly critical because these are the obstacles that go on to cause more issues down the road. Early days of colic, for example, turn into skin, digestive and/or neurological issues when the root cause of the colic isn’t addressed and is instead medicated.