What To Expect At Baby's Four Month Check Up

At your baby’s four month check up, the pediatrician will do a basic physical exam similar to the one at your last visit. Your baby will be weighed and measured, and the doctor will discuss her progress on the growth chart. This progress will be discussed in terms of percentiles, but don’t stress out if it’s lower or higher than you expect it to be. The charts are to measure her rate of growth, and as long as it’s steady from one visit to the next, you’re right on track.

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After the physical exam (and sometimes during), your pediatrician will ask you about your baby’s sleeping and eating habits, and ask for an approximate count of her daily wet and dirty diapers. You will also be asked about your baby’s bowels movements at this visit-not only the quantity, but also the color and consistency of them too. The doctor will most likely discuss with you things like your baby’s crying patterns, oral thrush, teething, diaper rash, starting solids, reflux, her sleeping positions, and the importance of tummy time. You will also probably discuss things like constipation, what to do if your baby has a cold, what sounds your baby makes now, and how well her motor skills are developing.

Your pediatrician will address any concerns or questions that you may have at this point, and then tell you what you can expect from your baby in the next month or so, and answer questions you may have about that as well.

Immunizations: Your baby will get a second dose of the Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV), the DTaP (Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis), the Haemophilus Influenza Type B Conjugate vaccine (Hib), and the Polio vaccine, combined as before, and a second round of the Rotavirus vaccine (RV), once again, given orally. Shots are usually given by the nurse, and usually occur at the end of the visit.

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