Two-Month Visit Issue | Date

Congratulations, your baby is two months old! This is an exciting time as your baby starts to become more interactive. Safety Tips Feeding and Nutrition • Your baby may start • Babies at this age are still • Don’t use a microwave to heat rolling over anytime in feeding every 2-4 hours but you formula or . the next few months. may find your baby sleeping in Never leave your baby • Thaw frozen breast milk in the unattended on the bed, longer stretches (3-5 hrs) at fridge and use within 24 hours. night and therefore taking more couch or changing table. Fresh breast milk can be feeds during the day. • • Your baby’s car seat stored: • Only give your baby breast should remain in the o fresh at room temperature back seat facing the milk or formula. Babies should (66-72°F) for 4-6 hours delay starting all other foods rear window. Never o in a fridge (39°F or less) for (including water) until 4-6 leave your baby alone up to 3 days months. Never give a baby in a car even for a few honey. o in a freezer attached to a minutes. fridge for up to 3 months • If your baby is breastfed • Have a smoke detector • Store milk in 2-4 ounce amounts exclusively or taking less than on every floor of your to reduce waste. 32 oz of formula/day, he should house. be taking a Vitamin D • Be careful not to leave supplement (400 IU/day). hot liquids (e.g. coffee or soup) near your baby. Skin Care • Turn your hot water Sleeping o heater down to 120 or • At this age babies will start • Some babies may develop lower. Before bathing to sleep between feedings cradle cap (scaly, flaking skin your , check the at night. Don’t wake your on the scalp). It is not harmful. water temp with your baby up to feed. Wash the hair with mild baby wrist. and brush off the • Start putting your baby • Keep small and sharp flakes. Massaging the scalp down for sleep when she is objects out of reach. with a few teaspoons of olive still awake but drowsy. This Anything that fits inside a oil can help as well. will teach her to be able to toilet paper roll is a fall back asleep on her own • Avoid direct sun exposure choking hazard. when she wakes up in the (especially 10am-4pm when middle of the night. UV rays are strongest). Use Pooping large brimmed hats and light, • Continue putting your baby • may have 0-10 long-sleeve clothing. Sun- to sleep on her back in her poops a day. Green, screen is ok for babies, but own crib (no co-sleeping). yellow, and brown are all test it first on a small patch of normal colors. Call your skin. doctor if you see blood. Crying/Colic • For diapering, girls should be • Your baby may start wiped front to back to avoid • and colic pooping less often at this - aliquam. infection. The area usually peak at 6-8 weeks age. Going several days should be dry before applying and begin to improve without pooping is barrier creams (Desitin, around 12 weeks - the normal as long as the Balmex, etc). Don’t retract worst should be over if poop is soft when it your son’s foreskin at this age. your baby is colicky. comes out. continued >

LoremTwo- IpsumMonth Visit continued… Issue | Date

Development • Babies vary greatly in development. At this age, many babies will: 1) Coo and smile in response to your voice or touch. 2) Begin to follow an object moved in front of him past the middle of his face. 3) Hold their heads up and lift their upper chest when lying on the stomach. • Try these tips to help with development: 1) Talk and sing out loud to your baby. Take turns allowing him to ‘talk back’ responsively. It is never too early to begin reading books to your baby. TV is not recommended at all for your baby until after 2 years. 2) Hang or hold different objects in front of him to bat and reach for. Give him small safe objects to hold (rattles, squeak toys, etc). 3) When your baby is awake, help improve his neck strength by giving him ‘tummy time’ on a firm surface several times a day.

Immunizations Other Helpful Hints (*vaccine schedule may • At this age, all infants with a rectal temperature vary slightly by practice) above 100.4 F should be evaluated by a Today: 3 shots and 1 oral vaccine pediatrician. -DtaP / Polio / HIB (combined) • At this age, use Acetaminophen (Tylenol) only after -Pneumoccocal -Hepatitis B talking to your doctor or after shots. -Rotavirus (oral) • Babies often get colds at this age. There are no medications for congestion that are safe or effective Next Visit (at 4-months-old): for infants. Congestion can be gently suctioned -DtaP / Polio / HIB (combined) using a bulb syringe or rinsed with sodium chloride -Pneumoccocal (0.9%) drops. Call your pediatrician for fevers, -Rotavirus (oral) -Hepatitis B (if not given #1 at birth) poor feeding, persistent cough, problems breathing or any other concerns.

Fever and fussiness are a common. • Washing your hands with soap and water is the most reaction to vaccines. Discuss with your effective thing you can do to prevent the spread of doctor Acetaminophen (Tylenol) colds and other infections to your newborn. dosing and concerns that should prompt immediate medical attention.

Important Numbers Websites • Poison Control (MA) • AAP Healthy Children  http://www.healthychildren.org 1-800-682-9211 (Health topics and news updates from the American Academy of • Parental Stress Line ) 1-800-632-8188 • HAVEN Domestic Violence • AAP Info  http://www.aap.org/immunization Help Line (Research-based information about childhood vaccines) 1-617-724-0054 • Talk, Read & | http://www.talkreadplay.org • Smoking Quit Line (free): (An informational campaign to support families with children 1-800-TRY TO STOP ages birth to five) • Your doctor’s Office

______Your child’s next routine visit is recommended at 4 months-old. Dolor Sit Amet 2