New baby?

Congratulations!  There’s a lot to learn and to get used to when your bundle of joy comes home, but help is available.  Your midwife will be in touch soon after delivery, to see how you and baby are doing.  A week or two later the Child and Family Nurse (‘Health Visitor’) will be in touch – she is a useful source of support and advice for the first few years. 

It’s a good idea for mothers to have a check up at six weeks after delivery – make a routine appointment to see your doctor. 

At the same time you could book another appointment for your baby’s six week check. This is carried out by one of the doctors in our baby clinic, usually on a Tuesday afternoon - book early as it can get difficult to examine a baby’s hips satisfactorily after 8 weeks of age.    Please bring your baby’s child health record (‘red book’) to the six week check.

Childhood Immunisations

Immunisation has been so successful in reducing many childhood infectious diseases that it is easy to forget how unpleasant, even dangerous these may be.  We offer the full schedule of childhood immunisations, and strongly recommend them all.  You will be invited to bring your baby to our baby clinic for his/her first immunisations at about 8 weeks of age (two weeks after his/her check with the doctor): try not to postpone because it is important to get baby protected as soon as possible. 

Further immunisations are scheduled 4 and 8 weeks after the first ones, and then there is a gap until 1 year of age.  After the 12-15 month immunisations come the pre-school booster at 3-4 years and the school leaving booster at 15-16.

If you think your child has missed any immunisations please contact the practice nurse: she can check the records and advise if any catch-up jabs are needed.

Older children.

Older children and teenagers come with their own worries!  For help and advice, try the school nurse (through the school or through the Child and Family Nursing Team, 01353 624411). 

Links:

Direct.gov.uk (Health advice for parents)

immunisation.nhs.uk (up to date, reliable information about the UK's immunisation programme)

teenagehealthfreak.org (excellent teenage health site)