legal requirements for newborn doctor visit...how to find out info?

Subscribe Search This Thread

Start a New Thread

post #1 of 12

9/23/12 at 3:18pm

Thread Starter

9 Posts. Joined 9/2012
Select All Posts By This User

im having a vbac homebirth unassisted in a few weeks.

i went to the clinic for a pregnancy confirmation at about 20weeks.

i dont know how to find out what im legally required to do for the newborn where i live.

my first son was planned homebirth but i transferred and he was born c-section at a florida hospital.

so they took care of the 'paperwork' and he had a doctor exam. he has never been to a doctor since because he hasn't ever been sick.

i now live in the usvi, a us territory.

i dont know how to find out what im required to do as far as a newborn doctor exam.

i try to search but im not very skilled at computer so i just get tons and tons of tourist sites and get lost in internet search hell...!

but i want to cover whatever im legally required to do.

im worried if i go ask at the clinic or a doctor's office it will raise some questions.

or is that just what to do?

anyone?

The newborn screenings/PKU only work when the blood drops are done 1-3 days (24-72 hrs) after birth. So if you want that done at the Dr that's the window to do it in. What many do prior to birth is go interview the pediatrician, ask any questions about their practice and services you have beforehand. Most places, you have options and this is to shop around. For you it's just to be prepared for what they have for you, I suppose. Registering a birth is different everywhere you go, you need to get in touch with local vital statistics and keep searching til you find the person who can handle registering an out of hospital birth. There will be certain proofs they want (proof of residence, of who you are, records of of pregnancy, and of birth), and a form. Pictures, prenatal records, birth records (fill out your own if nothing else), and newborn checkup records all make great supporting documents.

post #9 of 12

10/13/12 at 1:20pm

Thread Starter

9 Posts. Joined 9/2012
Select All Posts By This User

thanks very much everyone who took the time to reply-- i called vital stats on the next island over and they said that they have the documents for homebirthers & to just come in after baby is born to get them. i kinda wanted to look them over now in case there is something in there that i ought to be doing before the birth- but i figure having the one preg confirmation via doppler heartrate that i did should be enough. im due any day... so it's nice to not have to 'think' about paperwork right now. i'm posting this in case anyone in future has the same question, i guess, for st john resident or visiting boaters who birth here instead of going to st thomas.

post #10 of 12

10/16/12 at 12:59pm

24 Posts. Joined 8/2012
Location: Florida
Select All Posts By This User

Well we had an unassisted birth the other day. We called around beforehand to figure out what we would need to do, but turns out what we thought we knew wasn't right. The pediatrician we have been taking our daughter to for 2 years turned our newborn son down because he had not had a PKU test or a hearing screening done. So we found a new pediatrician an hour away that took him in at 4 days old and THEN ordered the testing (PKU, CBC, Biliruben, and culture). We were also told we just had to bring info to the office of vital statistics and when we called them after he was born asking what proof they needed, they sent us to voicemail twice, and so we went down there and we were told we have to go to the health department if the birth isn't registered with the office of vital statistics within 3 days of the birth. So now we are waiting to go to the health department, the vital statistics gave us an affidavit to sign stating that my husband had been present for the birth, also for family members that saw him within the first few hours of his birth.

post #11 of 12

10/28/12 at 2:10pm