Prenatal Visit
EXPECTANT PARENTS
Despite the fact that the last few weeks of a pregnancy are usually hectic in preparation for the arrival of the newborn, we recommend that you take the opportunity to meet with one of our doctors before you baby is born. Not only will this meeting give you a chance to interview with us and ask questions about subjects of interest or concern to you, but it also gives us an opportunity to cover certain topics, and by so doing, avoid problems in the newborn period.
As a group, we feel strongly that our duty should be to provide optimal health care for your child and that this should not be limited to treating illnesses, but should include counselling on a wide range of topics including nutrition, accident prevention, development and behavioral problems.
We are on staff at West Hills Medical Center and Encino-Tarzana Medical Center . When your baby is born the hospital will inform us and a physician from the group will come to the hospital to examine your baby.
We usually see the babies daily while they are in the hospital. A post-partum, follow-up visit is scheduled two days after discharge.
Dr Kenneth Saul takes care of our new born babies at Los Robles Medical Center.
Parents of newborns, especially their first, can expect to receive a great deal of well-meaning advice from friends and family and, at times conflicting opinions may confuse you as to what you should be doing. Whenever this happens, we would encourage you to call the office for advice. Over the course of time we expect that you will draw from our knowledge and gradually develop confidence in your own experience and judgement.
INSURANCE AND YOUR NEWBORN
In an effort to assist you with your insurance needs, and to make the process as smooth as possible, we suggest you add your baby to your insurance policy as soon as possible after birth; your baby is not automatically added.
Contact your insurance agent or human resource department to obtain the necessary paperwork and please make sure it is sent off in a timely manner.
In addition, you may contact our billing office for any questions or problems you have with your insurance. We will try to answer any questions and assist you in any way we can. Our billing department has over 20 years of experience in dealing with insurance issues.
INFORMATION REGARDING THE CARE OF YOUR NEWBORN
The American Academy of Pediatrics has some excellent books for first time parents:
- Caring For Your Baby And Young Child , Birth To Age 5 - 5th Edition
- New Mother's Guide To Breastfeeding
- Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth To Reality - 2nd Edition
- Mommy Calls: Dr Tanya Answers Parents' Top 101 Questions About Babies And Toddlers
- Our Baby's First Year - 3rd Edition
- The Wonder Years
These can be ordered on line at: www.aap.org/bookstore
Prior to your visit, if you would like to download our Newborn Instructions Booklet, our Letter of Introduction to the Practice and our Parent Information Forms click on the following:
BREASTFEEDING
If you decide to breastfeed your baby, you will find that the following two sites provide excellent advice on how to nurse sucessfully.
American Academy of Pediatrics Breast Feeding Topics La Leche League
We recommend an excellent book, published by the AAP, "New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding" by Joan Younger Meek, which is available online at healthychildren.org
CIRCUMCISION
If you have decided that you would like to have your newborm circumcised, your obstetrician will usually offer to take care of the procedure before you and your baby are discharged home from the hospital.
Some obstetricians prefers not to do circumcisions, in which case, Dr McLaren is available to perform it in the hospital.
Dr McLaren and the almost all the local obstetricians, use local anesthesia to ensure a painless experience for your baby boy. His approach is to treat you baby with care and kindness, and he makes every effort to insure a pain free procedure for your baby. Those parents who wish to observe their baby's circumcision are welcome to be there.
Information from the American Academy of Pediatrics is available in the following link: