They're One... Now What?

January 25, 2024

You've made it one whole year... now what's next?

There are so many questions that first year of your baby's life (and your first year as a parent), but some of the biggest ones come when the first birthday approaches. Here are a few of the most frequent questions we get asked.

"What type of milk should I feed my child now?": Now that your child has turned 1, you are able to add in whole milk. Prior to this, you could give your baby foods with dairy in them, but he/she needed the extra nutrition that breastmilk or formula provides. Now you can start the transition to whole milk. Some kids can make the switch "cold turkey," but others need to be gradually transitioned. If your child needs to ease into whole milk, go ahead and do 1/3 whole milk to 2/3 breastmilk/formula. Then you can move to 1/2 and 1/2, 2/3 whole milk and 1/3 breastmilk/formula and finally all the way on to whole milk. You can make this transition over about 1 week.
"When do I stop the bottle?": This goes hand-in-hand with the previous question. Ideally, we like to get kids off the bottle by 15-18 months of age. One of the easiest ways to do this is to start introducing whole milk in a cup rather than in the bottle. This way you take care of 2 issues at the same time. If your child needs a little extra time weaning off the before-bed bottle, switch out the milk in this bottle for water. It'll be less damaging to the teeth and less exciting.
"Can my child eat honey?": Yes. Until 1 year of age, babies should NOT have honey due to a risk of botulism. After a year of age, you can go ahead and feed your child honey. And as a bonus, honey has been shown to help soothe a cough, so you just found a natural remedy for pesky coughs.
"Can my child face forward in the car seat?": No. For your child's safety, he/she should remain rear-facing in the backseat of the car until at least 2 years of age. Now in Washington state, this is also the law. In the unfortunate event of an accident, your child's neck has more support if facing backwards and so it is better protected.
"When does my child need to see the dentist?": It is recommended that children have their first dental visit around 1 year of age. This gives the children a chance to get used to having someone examine their teeth, and the dentist can talk about dental care and spot if there are any issues with those developing teeth. We are very lucky to have some amazing pediatric dentists in Spokane!

There is no way we can list absolutely every question on here, but that is why we always encourage you to ask us.

*Picture used with parental permission.

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What You Need to Know About Measles

September 2, 2025

As everyone has probably heard at this point, there are confirmed cases of measles in and around Spokane and all over the country. Our job as your family's pediatric provider is to provide accurate, scientific information about illnesses such as measles and ways in which you can keep your family and others protected. Measles is HIGHLY contagious . It will linger in a space for 2 hours after the infected person leaves. Often, we tell patients that you can do your best to avoid a sick-appearing person (maybe someone with a rash), but if you happen to step into a space in which a person with measles was within 2 hours of that person leaving, you are at-risk of contracting the virus. The MMR vaccines is highly effective. After the 1st dose, a person is 93% protected and with 2 doses on-board, the protection is 97%. We typically give the MMR at 1 year old and 4 years old; however, doses can be done as early as 6 months old* (especially if there is upcoming travel or concern for exposure during an outbreak). We can also give them closer together than 1 year and 4 years. We know there can be questions surrounding vaccines, especially the MMR. We are always happy to answer these questions, but in brief, there has been NO link between the MMR vaccine (or any vaccine for that matter) and autism. Someone who is immunocompromised is at great risk of serious complications of the measles virus, and since the MMR vaccine is a live-virus vaccine someone who has a suppressed immune system cannot get the vaccine themselves. 92-94% of the population needs to be immune to measles (by vaccination or history of infection) in order to limit/prevent spread of the illness. Some retro things are fun and cool... like My Little Pony, Lincoln Logs and Strawberry Shortcake, but one thing is for sure, and that is that measles is absolutely not. As a pediatric practice, we know how a successful vaccine can save the lives of so many, and we will continue to do our part to protect children. *A dose given at less than 1 year old does not qualify for the 2-dose series needed for school entry and confirmed immunity; however, it counts that you may protect your child against measles.

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Coming Soon -- Lactation!

By Jennifer Kalisvaart • March 4, 2025

Much like you get excited to announce your new baby's arrival, we have been keeping a little secret that we can't wait to share! We will soon be offering lactation services at our clinic with a certified IBCLC and RN -- Chelsea Wilhelm! She brings with her years of knowledge as a lactation specialist and postpartum nurse and an excitement for educating new families that is contagious. More details to come soon, but we couldn't hold the news in any longer!