ABSTRACT
As any new parents might attest, the day they take home their baby for the first time is a day overcome with emotion. They may feel an overwhelming sense of love, gratitude, and joy potentially alongside a healthy mix of fear and bewilderment. All of a sudden, the parts of everyday life that are often taken for granted or little noticed, like eating, sleeping, and digesting, take on a new monumental importance—and new parents may realize quickly (perhaps even before leaving the hospital) that helping their baby to thrive and develop may take much effort and guidance. It may come as no surprise, then, that the words parents hear prior to leaving the hospital with their newborn, “Make sure to make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician within the next few days,” are typically welcome (aside from the dread of figuring out the early logistics of actually leaving their home with a newborn).
