GUIDE

Your Pediatrician Visit Cheat Sheet

What to expect, what to ask, and what to bring — for every well-baby visit.

From the first checkup to the 12-month visit. No more driving home going 'ugh, I forgot to ask about that.'

Well-Baby Visit Schedule at a Glance

Visit	Focus Areas	Vaccines	Key Questions
3-5 days	Weight, feeding, jaundice	None	Is this weight loss normal? Is my milk coming in?
1 month	Growth, feeding patterns, reflexes	Hep B (dose 2)	Is my baby gaining enough? All this spit-up — normal?
2 months	Growth, development, head shape	DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, RV	Will we ever have a schedule? How much tummy time?
4 months	Rolling, reaching, social smiles	DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, RV	Time for solids? Why did sleep suddenly fall apart?
6 months	Sitting, solids readiness, teeth	DTaP, PCV, Hep B (dose 3)	How do I start solids? What about allergies?
9 months	Crawling, pincer grasp, babbling	Flu (seasonal)	Not crawling yet — should I worry? Night waking help?
12 months	Walking, first words, independence	MMR, Varicella, Hep A	Whole milk now? How much should a toddler actually eat?

3-5 days

Focus AreasWeight, feeding, jaundice

VaccinesNone

Key QuestionsIs this weight loss normal? Is my milk coming in?

1 month

Focus AreasGrowth, feeding patterns, reflexes

VaccinesHep B (dose 2)

Key QuestionsIs my baby gaining enough? All this spit-up — normal?

2 months

Focus AreasGrowth, development, head shape

VaccinesDTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, RV

Key QuestionsWill we ever have a schedule? How much tummy time?

4 months

Focus AreasRolling, reaching, social smiles

VaccinesDTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, RV

Key QuestionsTime for solids? Why did sleep suddenly fall apart?

6 months

Focus AreasSitting, solids readiness, teeth

VaccinesDTaP, PCV, Hep B (dose 3)

Key QuestionsHow do I start solids? What about allergies?

9 months

Focus AreasCrawling, pincer grasp, babbling

VaccinesFlu (seasonal)

Key QuestionsNot crawling yet — should I worry? Night waking help?

12 months

Focus AreasWalking, first words, independence

VaccinesMMR, Varicella, Hep A

Key QuestionsWhole milk now? How much should a toddler actually eat?

Vaccine schedule follows AAP/CDC recommendations. Your pediatrician might adjust things based on your baby's needs.

What to expect at each visit

First Visit (3-5 days)

What the doctor will check

Weight check — a little loss from birth weight is normal (up to 10%)
Jaundice screening (skin check and maybe a blood test)
Feeding assessment — they might ask to watch you feed
A look at the umbilical cord stump

Questions worth asking

Is this amount of weight loss OK?
How can I tell breastfeeding is actually working?
When should I worry about jaundice?
Do I really need to wake the baby to feed?

Data to bring

Your feeding log (times + amounts), diaper count since birth, and any latch or feeding concerns

1-Month Visit

What the doctor will check

Weight and length check — baby should be back to birth weight by now
Head circumference measurement
Reflex checks (startle, grasp, rooting)
Hepatitis B vaccine (dose 2)

Questions worth asking

Is my baby gaining enough weight?
Is all this spit-up normal or too much?
When will we get longer sleep stretches? (Please.)
Should I be worried about [that thing keeping you up at night]?

Data to bring

How often and how long feedings are, sleep patterns, diaper counts, and anything about spit-up or colic that's bugging you

2-Month Visit

What the doctor will check

Growth measurements (weight, length, head circumference)
Developmental check — are we getting social smiles? Tracking objects?
First big round of vaccines (5 shots + oral rotavirus)
Chat about tummy time and play

Questions worth asking

Is my baby's head shape OK?
How much tummy time should we actually be doing?
What vaccine side effects should I watch for?
Any hope for a more predictable sleep pattern soon?

Data to bring

Growth trend data, daily feeding totals, sleep schedule, and notes on how tummy time is going

4-Month Visit

What the doctor will check

Growth check and percentile update
Milestone check — rolling, reaching, laughing
Second round of vaccines
Talking about whether baby is ready for solids

Questions worth asking

Can we start solids yet?
Sleep just went haywire — is this the 4-month regression?
Should I worry about any flat spots on the head?
Any tips for going back to work / starting daycare?

Data to bring

Growth chart history, feeding log, sleep patterns, and milestone notes (rolling, grabbing, babbling)

tinylog trends screen showing feeding and sleep charts over time

Show up with the data your pediatrician actually wants to see.

tinylog builds feeding logs, growth charts, and milestone timelines for you — so you can pull up a week of real data instead of going 'um, I think it was... six feedings?'

How to actually get your questions answered

Write your questions down before you go

Your brain will go blank the second you walk in. Keep a running note on your phone between visits — add to it at 3am when you think of something.

Bring your tracking data

Pediatricians genuinely love when you can say 'she averaged 6 feeds and 8 wet diapers a day this week.' It gives them something real to work with instead of guesswork.

Ask what's coming next

Before you leave, ask: 'What should I expect before our next visit?' Knowing what's ahead makes the in-between weeks way less stressful.

Stop comparing to other babies

Percentiles show your baby's trend, not their rank. A baby cruising along at the 15th percentile who stays there is doing great. It's not a competition.

Related Guides

2-Week Pediatrician Visit — Specific prep for baby's first real checkup
When to Call the Pediatrician — Know what warrants a call between visits
Baby Growth Percentiles — Understand what the numbers on the growth chart mean

Want this guide in your inbox?

We'll email it to you so you can pull it up right before every appointment. No more blanking when the doctor asks 'any questions?'

Walk in like a prepared parent. Because you are one.

Download tinylog free — show up with feeding logs, growth charts, and milestone data ready to go.