Description

Young parents Ereka Vetrini and Randy Burkholder take you with them while they go to their baby's first doctor's visit.

Transcript

Ereka Vetrini: So our trip out as a family Randy, Joslin and I, was to the doctor's office, which is right around the corner. Let's go to doctors. And I was kind of excited for the first doctor's visit. And Justin sort of cooperated. All right. So here we are. It's been about three days since we left the hospital. And this is our very first doctor's appointment. It's called the wellness exam. I am a little anxious. I am kind of interested to see what she has to say? Hope everything is okay. Dr Tiku: Okay. So go over the questions real quick and tell me if you have any other ones. Ereka Vetrini: Oh! Man. I want you to be okay. It was a really important to me and Randy to find the pediatrician that really, we will be comfortable with. So about two months before I gave birth, I interviewed Dr Tiku from Riverside Pediatrics, and I fell in love with her. Just the tone of her voice was enough to put me at ease. Dr Tiku: It's a lot of work nursing so she gets tired. Ereka Vetrini: It was kind of fright to hear the doctor say that breast feeding makes breast newborns tired, because I know it definitely makes me tired. Dr Tiku: I doubt you probably get her to suck hard enough to get milk unless she's got the energy. Ereka Vetrini: Okay. I was also relieved to find out that breast feeding every ten minutes was normal, who knew? Dr. Tiku: That's the cord. This is going to fall off, and you will able to see that. Randy: Okay. Dr Tiku: And you are going be freaked out a little out, so you just have to --. Ereka Vetrini: To see doctor Tiku touch little Joslin's umbilical cord, when it was definitely not ready to come off yet, kind of freaked I think, both me and Randy out. But you know, she is pretty comfortable doing it, so I guess I should be. Dr. Tiku: But generally you know the biggest part of the visit is just to see how much weight she has lost or gained? Ereka Vetrini: And the jaundice. Dr. Tiku: Yeah the jaundice, but she is not jaundice. Ereka Vetrini: Okay, good. Dr. Tiku: So we don't have to worry about that, we don't have to check it again. Ereka Vetrini: Other than Jioslin's birth weight, the other major concerns for me was jaundice. When I went to see doctor Tiku, she told that it is way below 7.9, and that I shouldn't be concerned. Dr. Tiku: So this is the way the jaundice works. It goes from head to toes. Ereka Vetrini: Oh! It's not that bad anymore? Dr. Tiku: It's very slight. So if you see it here. It's about a seven, here is about a twelve, here is about a sixteen, here is about a twenty. Ereka Vetrini: Okay. Dr. Tiku: So numbers, double digit numbers are more concerning, nurse babies have jaundice for up to six weeks. Ereka Vetrini: Okay. Dr. Tiku: She hardly has any. Ereka Vetrini: Okay. While I had read all about the fact that a little girl can actually get a period, because of my hormones, I was not prepared to see Joslin have a little bit of sort of red discharge. It was definitely a shock to me, even though I read about it. I just, it was hard to say, but the doctor said it was completely normal and I trust her. I am clearly obsessed with my daughter's diaper, if my husband changes the diaper and I haven't seen it, I will go out and get it from the garbage can and look at the color, the texture. It just such a good way of understanding how she is doing? And I want to make sure that she is actually getting breast milk. So, the doctor is just lucky that I didn't bring one to the office. Well Dr. Tiku is definitely thorough in her assessments of my daughter's reflexes, her hip alignment. It was just really, really hard to watch. One, I mean in one way I was kind of concerned in the way she is handling her, and on the other hand it kind of made me feel better. I realized that she is really not as delicate as I thought. Dr. Tiku: No. If she has a fever, that's an emergent --. Ereka Vetrini: What level? At what degree? Tiku: Technically 100.6 and up. Ereka Vetrini: Well, that's high. Dr. Tiku: 100.6 Ereka Vetrini: Oh, oh! That's not that high, if you are 100.6. Dr. Tiku: 100.6 or highly we would want to know. A 100, I'd like you to just call me, because I want to know what's going on. Ereka Vetrini: Okay! Dr.Tiku: Is it because she is over bundled? Is it because the room is really hot? Randy: And that's a good question too. What temperature should we keep the apartment? Dr. Tiku: Under 72. Randy: Under 72. That's good. Ereka Vetrini: Oh actually, I didn't know it is hot, I was keeping it higher. Randy: It's 77. Ereka Vetrini: I was under the assumption that the warmer the better in the apartment. I am really glad that Randy asked what temperature the apartment should we kept at. Of course, he likes it nice and cool. And he is actually right. Dr. Tiku: Her eyes, sometimes they get a little crusty. Ereka Vetrini: Yes, a little though. Dr. Tiku: Because their tear ducts are not formed yet very well. So she doesn't know how to, she doesn't really get to rub her own eyes, so what you can do is just white the crust off. You can put a little bit of breast milk on there sometimes. Ereka Vetrini: Dr. Tiku had so much great information. One that I hadn't heard about was rubbing the tear ducts, so if there is any sort of, kind of congestion in there, you can sort of just rub the tear ducts and generate tears and kind of clear it all away. Dr. Tiku: That's the tears kind of moving along. Ereka Vetrini: It was such a relief to know that we had access to our doctor 24×7 that I can call at any hour, and there will be somebody available. I would recommend to all moms actually that they have not just their pediatrician's number, but also policing control in their cell phone or post it somewhere where it's easy to access. It was so great to have Randy with me for the first doctor's appointment. There is so much information to absorb and it's just great to have another set of ears to take it all in. Randy: So when 100.6, lower the heat in the place a little bit. Dr.Tiku: The emergency number is the regular number. Ereka Vetrini: Same number. Randy: We have talked about ahead. Everything is so scary. Yeah, I think we have covered everything. Ereka Vetrini: Alright, that was our fist doctor's appointment, A's across the board. Randy: Lots of good information. I feel really good leaving. Ereka Vetrini: I know. Me too. Ready to go home Jos? Randy: Let's take her home. Ereka Vetrini: Yes, yes. Let's go.