Your baby's first doctor's visit is an important milestone. This is a chance for your pediatrician to look over your baby thoroughly and make sure they are beginning to grow up healthy and strong. However, it is also a good opportunity to ask questions about your baby, their care, and their health. Here are some questions worth asking at this first visit.

Is your baby sleeping the usual amount?

Infants sleep a lot. But sometimes, when they wake up a lot in the middle of the night, it can feel like they are not sleeping enough. In most cases, your baby will be getting enough rest over time. However, it's a good idea to give the doctor an overview of when and how much your baby is sleeping. They can then either reassure you that your baby's sleeping habits are normal and let you know what amount of sleep should have you worried.

How much should your baby be eating?

How much a baby needs to eat depends on their exact age and size and on the richness of your breast milk. Formula-fed babies will eat different amounts, depending on the formula you feed. So, it can be helpful to tell the doctor more about your baby's diet and habits and ask for more specific recommendations as to how much they should be eating. Your doctor will tell you whether you need to be feeding a bit more, and if so, they can give you tips to help you achieve this.

What's the best way to bathe your baby?

Since doctors often recommend not bathing your baby for the first few days of their life, it's common for babies to attend their first doctor's visit, a few days after birth, without having been bathed. So, ask your doctor how they recommend bathing an infant. They'll generally give you all sorts of tips and insight that will make that first bath and all subsequent baths less traumatic for the both of you.

What symptoms mean you should call the doctor?

Ask the baby doctor for a list of symptoms that should prompt you to call them. They'll tell you how high of a fever should trigger a call. They may also give you some other symptoms, like vomiting or failure to nurse, that should cause you to call them.

If you ask these questions at your baby's first doctor's visit, you'll emerge feeling much more informed.