For length, Noah was 22.25 inches (25th percentile) and his head circumference is 15.25 inches (22nd percentile). Dr. Kovarik says he's very strong, but we're supposed to give him more tummy time. He should have 2-3 minutes of tummy time at least 7-8 times per day.
Noah got 4 immunizations (3 shots and 1 oral). We gave him Tylenol to help with the pain and possible fever. Baby Tylenol is a thick liquid. Noah got cherry flavored Tylenol and liked it very much. (If only he liked to take his Zantac as much.) The doctor also told us to start a vitamin supplement. (All breast-fed babies take this now.) It's a combo of Vitamin A, C and D. Dr. Kovarik said he wouldn't like the taste at all and she was right. The vitamin drops make him gag and sometimes throw up. I tasted them and don't blame him for his dislike... they really do taste pretty gross.
We had a lot of questions for the doctor. Since some came from Grandma and others, I've posted all of the answers below.
-Sneezing milk out his nose is normal. Just suck it out with a bulb syringe. He's old enough for this now.
-His wheezy/raspy breathing is completely normal. Dr. Kovarik doesn't hear anything that would make her worry when she listens to his lungs.
-He will continue to have periodic breathing (stop breathing episodes) for a while. Not to worry.
-His cold/clammy hands and feet are normal. He's using his warmth efficiently by keeping it at his core. This will improve as he gets older.
-He should settle into a routine (napping/sleeping) on his own. It's best not to try to force a routine on him.
-We should clip his fingernails and toenails. We shouldn't be filing them anymore. They're too soft and we could file too much away.
-He should eat whatever amount he desires during a feeding. When he stops eating, we should not be worried about giving him more.
-Bedtime at 10:30 is okay. He may just be a late to bed baby. They can be this way. We can try putting him down earlier and letting him fuss a little to see if he will sleep. If he does a panic cry though or does more than just fuss, we should pick him back up.
-His feet are still supposed to be bent in. The doctor doesn't worry about whether they are straight or not until he's been walking for a while.
-Noah should be able to pick up his head during tummy time now. If he needs, we can hold his elbows in so that he doesn't slide around. He'll get much stronger in a few days as we give him more tummy time.
-He may take the Zantac until he's 13 or 16 months old. Generally Dr. Kovarik doesn't adjust the dose as he grows and if he starts acting like the reflux is bothering him again, she'll up the dose. If he doesn't, at a future visit she'll say he's on such a tiny dose for his size that he must have grown out of the reflux and doesn't need the Zantac anymore. Some babies grow out of GERD at 3 months, some it takes much much longer. We'll just have to wait and see.
Noah's next appointment will be in 2 months when he's 4 months old. He'll get immunizations at that appointment too.
