Your Baby's First Year of Life

By
Shannon M. Clark, MD
|
May 5, 2021
Your Baby's First Year of Life

First-time parent stress

Some people spend months, sometimes even years, awaiting the arrival of a newborn baby. I was one of those people! I began trying to start a family at age 39. After five failed cycles of IVF, I finally became pregnant via egg donor and delivered my twins Sydney and Rémy in September 2016.

But after all that time waiting for their arrival and even with my medical background, like many new parents, I still had several questions about how to actually care for my babies once they arrived. Much as I would have liked, they did not come out of the womb with an instruction manual!

Googling answers at odd hours of the day and night is often the solution, and we all know how scary the internet can be when searching for answers. The sheer volume of information can cause stress and be overwhelming. Additionally, it’s hard to really know what sources to trust. The alternative is seeking guidance from friends and family, but what works for your friend or sibling's baby, may not work at all for yours.

A solution to help ease the anxiety

That’s why when I heard about the online course created by Dr. Kathrym España, I thought it was genius. She is a qualified medical doctor, with decades of experience working with thousands of babies and parents, who can give you advice that works.

Dr. Kathrym has made a comprehensive series of indexed videos that tell you what you need to know when you most need it, all in the most convenient place in your world - YOUR PHONE! Her online program, Your Baby & You: The First Year, is a great resource to get answers to all the questions you have during your first year of parenthood.

Your Baby and You

A pediatrician discusses baby's first year of life

I dove into some of the questions I first had when my twins were born, and questions we commonly hear from new parents, with Dr. Kathrym. We discuss navigating baby’s first year of life, including the following topics:

  • How to know your baby is getting enough to drink
  • Timing your breastfeeding
  • Wet diapers/poop diapers
  • Acid reflux and colic
  • Supplementing with formula
  • Thrush
  • Baby periods
  • Fevers in babies (when to be concerned, what it means, how to treat)
  • And More!

Baby's First Year of Life

Navigating life with a new baby is a rollercoaster. You are getting to know your baby and your baby is getting to know life outside of the womb. It’s not always easy, which is why I believe sharing these resources and conversations is so important! Having support when you need it most can help ease the anxiety and stress and make things a little easier!

Listen to the podcast here!

Shannon M. Clark, MD

Shannon M. Clark, MD

Shannon M. Clark, MD, MMS is a double board certified ObGyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, and founder of Babies After 35. In her roles as a clinician, educator and researcher at UTMB-Galveston, she focuses on the care of people with maternal and/or fetal complications of pregnancy. Dr. Clark has taken a special interest in pregnancy after the age of 35, which according to age alone, is considered a high-risk pregnancy.

Follow Shannon on TikTok @tiktokbabydoc, Facebook @babiesafter35, and Instagram @babiesafter35.

Need help choosing the right products or services for your journey?

Check out the products for TTC through parenthood in the Babies After 35 Amazon shop, online courses and other services that come "Dr. Clark-approved"!

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