What your pediatrician will ask at well-baby visits
Updated October 14, 2026
Short answer
At most well-baby visits the pediatrician asks how often and how much your baby eats, how many wet and dirty diapers a day, how and where your baby sleeps, and about milestones and how you’re doing — then measures weight, length and head circumference and plots them on WHO growth charts.
The well-baby visit schedule
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures schedule recommends checkups at:
3–5 days · 1 month · 2 months · 4 months · 6 months · 9 months · 12 months · 15 months · 18 months · 2 years · 2½ years, then yearly.
What they’ll ask
| Topic | Typical questions |
|---|---|
| Feeding | Breast, formula or both? How many feeds a day? How long at the breast, or how many ounces? Any trouble latching, spit-up, or fussiness after feeds? Is baby getting vitamin D? |
| Diapers | How many wet and dirty diapers a day? What colour and texture are the stools? |
| Sleep | Where does baby sleep, and on their back? How long are the longest stretches? How many naps? |
| Growth | They’ll weigh and measure length and head circumference, and plot them on the WHO growth charts (used in the US for babies under 2). |
| Development | Smiling, cooing, rolling, sitting, babbling — the milestones for that age. |
| You | How are you sleeping and feeling? Many practices screen for postpartum depression at the 1, 2, 4 and 6-month visits. |
| Safety | Car seat, safe sleep, smoke-free home, tummy time. |
The numbers worth bringing
- Feeds per day, and average minutes per side or ounces per day
- Wet and dirty diapers per day
- Total sleep and the longest stretch
- Any fevers, medicines or reactions to new foods
- Your home weigh-ins, if you have any
“I think about eight?” is the answer most of us give. TallyTot’s doctor-visit summary puts the real numbers since your last visit on one page — share it as a PDF or just show your phone.
Questions worth asking back
- Is my baby’s growth on track for their curve?
- Which vaccines are due today, and what reactions are normal afterwards?
- When should I call about a fever at this age?
- Does my baby need vitamin D or iron drops?
- When can we start solids, and how should we introduce allergens?
- Is this sleep pattern normal for this age?
Jot the 3am questions down as notes in TallyTot — they’re included in your doctor summary so you don’t forget them.
Sources: AAP Bright Futures / Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care; CDC growth chart guidance for children under 2; CDC “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” milestones. General information, not medical advice.
FAQ
When are well-baby visits?
The AAP’s Bright Futures schedule: 3–5 days after birth, then 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months, 2 years and 2½ years.
What should I bring to a well-baby visit?
Feeds per day (and ounces or minutes), wet and dirty diapers per day, sleep, any medicines or fevers, and your questions written down. TallyTot’s doctor summary puts the numbers on one page.