Your public health nurse will visit you at home within 48 hours of coming home from hospital. After that, she'll see your baby at the health centre at around 3 months, 7 to 9 months, and again at 18 to 24 months. There's a pre-school check before they start school too.
Every visit follows a similar pattern. The PHN will weigh your baby, check their development against the expected milestones for their age, and ask you a set of questions. These questions are mostly about feeding, sleep and nappies.
The problem is, if you can't remember the answers, your PHN can only give you generic advice. The more specific your information, the more useful her response. Here's what she'll ask and what to have ready.
The questions at every visit
Feeding
She wants to know the number of feeds in a typical 24-hour period and whether that's changed recently. For breastfed babies, she'll ask about duration too.
For bottle-fed babies (formula or expressed milk), she'll want volumes in ml. For breastfed babies, she'll ask about duration per feed and which side.
She's listening for signs of reflux, poor latch, feed refusal, or anything that's worrying you. This is the moment to mention things, not after the visit when you're in the car thinking "I should have said that."
No judgment here. She needs to know for clinical reasons: breastfed babies have different nappy patterns, and the vitamin D recommendation changes depending on how much formula the baby is getting.
Nappies
At least 6 heavy wet nappies in 24 hours is the general guideline for a baby over 5 days old. Fewer than that can indicate dehydration.
The range of normal is massive here. Some breastfed babies go after every feed, some go once a week. The PHN wants to know your baby's pattern, not whether it matches a textbook.
She's checking for anything unusual. Mustard-yellow and seedy is normal for breastfed babies. Firmer and darker for formula-fed. She'll want to know if it's changed recently.
Sleep
She wants the general picture: how many hours in 24 hours, how many night wakings, how long the longest stretch is. She's not judging your routine.
This is a safe sleep question. She'll ask about the sleeping position (back), the surface (firm, flat), and whether you're room-sharing. The HSE recommends room-sharing for the first 6 months.
This one's about you, not the baby. She's screening for exhaustion and postnatal depression. Be honest. She's heard it all and she's there to help.
Development (from 3 months onwards)
At 3 months, she's looking for social smiling, eye contact, and head control. She'll do a physical examination too.
From 7 to 9 months, she'll check hearing responses, babbling, sitting, and early mobility. She'll ask if you have any concerns about their development.
Tell her if the baby doesn't startle at loud sounds, doesn't turn to your voice, or doesn't seem to focus on faces. Early referral is always better.
General
She'll check against the HSE immunisation schedule. Bring your vaccination card if you have one.
The HSE recommends 5 micrograms daily from birth to 12 months for all breastfed babies and formula-fed babies taking less than 300ml a day.
She's screening for postnatal depression and anxiety. This affects 10 to 15% of mothers in the first year. The PHN is often the first person to spot it. If you're struggling, this is a safe person to tell.
How to prepare
The parents who get the most out of their PHN visits are the ones who can give specific answers. "She fed 7 times yesterday, roughly every 3 hours, about 120ml each time" is infinitely more useful than "she feeds a lot, I think."
You don't need a spreadsheet. A baby tracker app on your phone does the same job. Log feeds, sleeps and nappies as they happen and your data is ready when the PHN asks. Some apps (including Lullagram) will generate a printable summary you can hand over at the visit.
Tip: Write down your questions before the visit. At 3am you'll think of five things to ask. By the time the appointment arrives, you'll remember none of them. The notes screen in Lullagram has a "flag concern" feature built in for exactly this.
If you haven't heard from your public health nurse, contact your local health centre to make an appointment. All developmental checks are free of charge.
The visit schedule
Your baby will have developmental checks at these stages:
- 48 hours after discharge from hospital (home visit)
- 2 weeks: GP check, weight, feeding assessment
- 6 weeks: GP check, physical examination
- 3 months: PHN developmental assessment at the health centre
- 7 to 9 months: PHN developmental check (hearing, motor, social)
- 18 to 24 months: PHN check (walking, speech, social development)
- 3 to 3.5 years: pre-school check
Between these visits, you can bring your baby to a "well baby" clinic at your local health centre to have them weighed and to ask questions. Check with your PHN for times and locations.
Lullagram generates a printable summary of feeds, sleeps, nappies and weight, ready for your PHN visit. One tap.
Try it freeSources: HSE: Your child's health and development checks, Citizens Information: Maternity care and the public health nurse