The birth of your child is a special time in your life! We welcome new families to our practice and treasure the opportunity to partner with you in the care of your newborn or adoptive child.
We maintain one of the world's largest teams of highly trained pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, with extensive sub-specialty expertise across dozens of programs and services, including ones exclusively.
Our doctors and staff will work with you during your pregnancy and delivery, assuring that that all of your health and information needs are met. After delivery, the first few weeks with your baby are an exciting time. There is much for you to learn about your baby, and your baby has much to learn about you and the family. Our nurses and providers look forward to the opportunity to help educate you about your child and your role as parent.
Once your baby is born, it is important for you to contact our office and arrange a followup appointment. Your child’s first appointment in our office should be within the first week of life, and is often one or two days after discharge from the hospital. After delivery but prior to being discharged from the hospital, a mother should get her Tdap vaccine. This is a crucial aspect in preventing your newborn baby from getting pertussis, or whooping cough. We strongly recommend that all adults and adolescents who will be around young children get this vaccine. It is also recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Nurse Midwives, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At your baby’s first appointment in our office we will present you with a copy of “Your’s Babys First Year,” which is an excellent resource for parents published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This book covers normal infant growth and development as well as sections on common illnesses and symptoms of infants. During your visit with one of our physicians, we will assess your child’s health, answer questions that may have arisen during those first few days of life, and provide education about normal infant feeding and behavior.
At the two-month well-child visit, we will start the regular vaccine series. Prior to this visit, the only vaccine you need to make sure your child gets is the Hepatitis B vaccine. This should be given in the hospital before you go home. We very strongly encourage you to make sure that all of your vaccines are up to date as well, especially your annual flu shot and your pertussis shot.
If you are an adoptive or foster parent, we encourage you to schedule an appointment in our office as soon as possible for a comprehensive visit that includes a review of the child’s past medical history and physical exam. This visit provides an opportunity for our providers to get to know you and your child, and answer any questions you may have about your child’s health and development. If you have adopted an international child, that is a clinical interest of Dr. Russell, and we encourage you to schedule your child’s initial visit with her. It is recommended that you schedule a pre-adoption visit with Dr. Russell so that she can discuss with you the special considerations of international adoption.
We are committed to providing support for families who choose to breastfeed. In addition to seeing a provider during your child’s office visits, breastfeeding mothers are given the opportunity to meet with a lactation consultant.
For more information about your newborn, we have included several links, including our newborn brochure. You can also find good information from UpToDate about whether or not you should have your new son circumcised and how to care for the penis whether you decide to circumcise or not. Also, the AAP has some information about caring for the uncircumcised penis.
Lastly, during this time of adjustment and recovery, it is important that you take good care of yourself. If you are taken care of, you can take good care of your baby.