Questions to Ask a Pediatrician at the 2 Week Visit

The questions

Open any question to see why it works.

1. 1

   Is she back to birth weight, and how does the gain look from the hospital discharge weight?

   Regaining birth weight is the main thing this visit exists to check. The number that matters is the change since the lowest weight rather than since birth, so it is worth asking which figure the clinician is comparing against.

2. 2

   What are the length and head measurements, and what do they tell you at this point?

   Single measurements at two weeks say less than the pattern will over the coming months. Ask which of these the office will be tracking most closely, and whether anything today is a number they want to see again sooner.

3. 3

   From what I have described, how does feeding sound to you?

   Describe the actual pattern before asking: how often, how long, whether the baby comes off on her own. Clinicians are listening for frequency, transfer, and your comfort, and a description gives them more than a summary word like fine.

4. 4

   How many wet and dirty diapers should I be seeing in a day right now?

   This is the measure you can check at home between visits, which makes it the most portable answer of the appointment. Ask what number would be low enough to warrant a call rather than watching another day.

5. 5

   The stools look like this. Is that within normal for her age and how she is fed?

   Color and texture vary widely in the first weeks and change again with feeding. Photographs on a phone are more useful than a description, and it is reasonable to ask which colors would be the ones to report.

6. 6

   Is the jaundice fading on the timeline you would expect?

   Some yellowing is common at this age and the question is about the direction of travel rather than its presence. Ask whether any blood test is planned and what would prompt one later.

7. 7

   How does the cord area look, and when should it be fully healed?

   Most cords have separated by now, and the clinician is checking the skin around the base rather than the stump itself. Ask what redness, smell, or discharge would be worth a call.

8. 8

   Do I still need to wake her to feed, and if so, until when?

   The instruction to wake for feeds is usually tied to weight gain, so the answer often changes at this exact visit. Ask what the condition for stopping is rather than a date, since that is the form the answer takes.

9. 9

   How long a stretch of sleep is alright before I should do something?

   Parents are frequently given advice from friends and relatives that contradicts what the office would say for a two week old. Getting a specific number of hours from your own clinician settles the nighttime decision in advance.

10. 10

    Does she need vitamin D or any other supplement, and does that depend on how she is fed?

    Recommendations differ by feeding method and by country, and this is a routine item that is easy to leave the visit without. Ask about the form, the dose, and how long it continues.

11. 11

    What sleep setup do you want us using, and where does swaddling fit?

    Guidance on surface, position, room sharing, and swaddling has changed over the years, so what a grandparent or an older sibling's parent describes may not match current advice. Ask when swaddling should stop.

12. 12

    At this age, what temperature counts as a fever, and what do you want me to do about it?

    A fever in a newborn is handled differently from a fever in an older baby, and the threshold and the response are both specific. Ask how you should be taking the temperature, since the method affects the number.

13. 13

    Which symptoms mean call the office, and which mean go straight to an emergency department?

    Ask for the two lists separately. Having them written down removes the hardest part of a two in the morning decision, which is working out whether the situation can wait for daylight.

14. 14

    How do I reach someone after hours or at the weekend?

    Practices differ on whether there is a nurse line, an on-call number, or a message service, and the routing is worth testing before you need it. Ask what typical response time to expect.

15. 15

    Her breathing sounds irregular and noisy sometimes. How do I tell what is normal?

    Newborn breathing patterns often alarm parents who have not been told what is usual. Ask what you would see that would be a reason to call: rate, effort, color, or pauses of a given length.

16. 16

    She spits up after feeds. Is the amount and pattern something you would want to look at?

    Almost all babies spit up, so the useful part of the answer is the boundary: forcefulness, color, timing, and whether weight gain is affected. Ask what would move this from expected to worth reviewing.

17. 17

    Which vaccines are due next, and on what schedule?

    Some are given in the first days and the next set usually comes later, so this visit is the point to map the calendar. If you have questions about timing or spacing, this is the appointment with time to discuss them.

18. 18

    What are your thoughts on visitors, outings, and other children in the house right now?

    Practices vary in how cautious they advise being in the first weeks, and the answer will be shaped by the season and by whether there are siblings in school. Ask what you should be requesting of visitors.

19. 19

    I filled in the mood questionnaire. How did my answers read to you, and what happens next?

    Postpartum depression and anxiety screening happens at pediatric visits precisely because parents are seen more often than they see their own clinicians. Ask what support the practice can point you to, including for a partner who was not screened.

20. 20

    What is checked at the next visit, and what should I keep track of until then?

    Knowing what will be measured tells you what to note in the meantime, which is usually feeds, diapers, and any episode that worried you. Ask what would justify coming in earlier than the scheduled date.