Healthy Living Today: Well Baby Clinic | Video

Michelle San Miguel | 10/18/2012

With the kind of growth we`re seeing in the capital city, it`s no surprise that hospitals in Bismarck are delivering more babies. So far this year, St. Alexius has delivered 108 more babies than last year and that also means more moms are looking for parenting advice. Every week, St. Alexius holds a clinic for parents and babies under a year old. It`s a chance for moms to ask questions, from breastfeeding concerns to dealing with postpartum depression.

Unfortunately, babies don`t come with how-to-books, which makes a baby clinic like this even more appealing for moms.

"I`m a first-time mom and so it`s just kind of comforting to have a place to come every week to see how he`s growing and developing," said new mom Jessica Brewster.

Registered nurse and certified lactation counselor Donna Hintz says once babies return to their birth weight, they should gain at least half a pound every week.

Jessica is breastfeeding her son Grayson, but will soon be going back to work and wonders when he should start using a bottle.

"I want to make sure that I start introducing it early enough so that way my babysitter can be able to still feed my breast milk but do that through a bottle," she said.

"We usually recommend waiting if you can at least month before offering a bottle to a healthy baby with no issues and then at least a couple of week or even three or four weeks before they return back to work. We do recommend the mom really start seriously pumping and storing up that breast milk and also introducing the bottle to the baby," Hintz said.

If you think this clinic is just for first-time moms, meet Justina Monroe, mother of three. She first came to the clinic more than a decade ago with her first child. And now she`s back at it with five-week old Isaac.

"I guess it gets easier, more comfortable. You pick it up quicker each time but each one`s different," she said.

Helping parents ward off any doubts and concerns, whether it`s their first go-around or their third is what these nurses say it`s all about.

St. Alexius will be holding a free pediatric screening for children two to six years old on Saturday, October 27 in St. Alexius` Boniface Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Healthcare professionals will screen children to evaluate their physical, speech and occupational health. The deadline to register is October 24.

To schedule an appointment call (701) 530-8200.

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