“I’d like to tell you the secret: There is no schedule. In the very beginning, newborns are completely overwhelming themselves. They’re all over the place, and so the more that we try to get them on the schedule, the more frustrating it can be. It’s just more comfortable to follow your heart and your soul – and not think so much. Watch the baby, learn them, read their cues – their feeding schedule is all over the place. That’s why we say feeding on demand and, whether we’re giving formula or nursing, we’re going to support you in that quest here at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. We follow the baby’s lead, and then that becomes our schedule in the first couple of months. Newborns are a different creature, perhaps even until three months old. Then you can play your card and get them on a schedule. We’ll talk about sleeping, nutrition, development at each pediatric visit. So even from the first newborn visit at day of life three, four, or five we’ll give a plan for you. Then you’ll play your card when the time is right. But, in the newborn period, just buckle up and get ready for the ride. It can be very intense. It’s extremely rewarding but can be completely overwhelming. So hang in there, and we’ll do it together.”
Hugh Gilgoff, MD is a board-certified pediatrician at Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights. He has a particular interest in newborn care, asthma, and development issues, incorporating teachings from both Eastern and Western medicine. He is a contributing author on the parenting blog, A Child Grows in Brooklyn, and is very active in the local community, speaking at PS 29, the Dodge YMCA, and several child-birth classes. Dr. Gilgoff is fluent in Spanish. He offers free prenatal consultations every month. Mount Sinai Doctors Brooklyn Heights is a two-floor practice with a walk-in urgent care center and more than 35 specialties. Located at 300 Cadman Plaza West, the practice is situated on the 17th and 18th floors.