The following content has been created in partnership with Palomar Health. This content does not represent the opinions of NBC San Diego. Click here to learn more about Palomar Health.

Navigating your kids’ health can be overwhelming and scary. You may not know where to start or what to look for in terms of milestones or potential symptoms. You may not know how to feed them a nutritious, balanced meal. And to make matters worse, everyone seems to have an opinion on everything you do, and it’s hard to stay away from googling every question that pops into your head.

To help you navigate your parenthood journey, we’ve put together an easily digestible, general guide of the highlights of pediatric care at different life stages of your child’s life, from before they’re born to childhood.

In and out of the womb

Childcare begins before your baby is even born and includes the first key stage in their development. Prenatal care is not only crucial in reducing complications during pregnancy and delivery, but also in spotting possible conditions that may affect your child long-term. This means you should be attending all your prenatal visits (they’re there for a reason: they’re important!), taking vitamins, and making sure you’re all caught up with your vaccinations. Early and thorough prenatal care is a must regardless of whether your pregnancy is high or low risk.

During pregnancy, you’re screened for possible complications. Expect blood and urine testing, ultrasonography, and oxygen screenings throughout the duration of your pregnancy. Be on the constant lookout for new symptoms and tell your doctor right away if you notice anything unusual or something that doesn’t feel right.

Once your baby is born, the parenthood journey begins. Whether you’re becoming a parent for the first time or already have experience on that front, each baby comes with a unique personality—and challenges. And while the first weeks of your baby’s life are undoubtedly exciting, it’s also normal to feel scared and have doubts. Taking care of a newborn baby is not an easy task, but there are some things you can keep in mind to ensure your baby’s wellbeing, such as:

• Babies cannot regulate their body temperature until they’re about 6 months old. Remember this when you dress them, especially in extremely hot or cold weather.
• Make sure your car seat is installed properly.
• If you’re breastfeeding, you need an additional 300-400 calories per day. And since you’re losing fluids, make sure you get at least eight glasses of water every day.
• If your baby is eating from bottles (breast milk or formula), don’t reuse milk they’ve left behind, as bacteria from their saliva can contaminate it.

Navigating childhood illnesses

As your baby grows, and while the newborn stage may be over, your job is far from done. As kids grow up and start going to school or daycare, it’s more than likely they’ll contract some type of childhood illness such as a common cold or strep throat.

Don’t panic—this is completely normal. Children have underdeveloped immune systems, making them more susceptible to illness than adults. As their bodies build immunity to infections, these illnesses will become less frequent. In the meantime, however, it’s important you vaccinate your child for the best possible defense against illness and disease. Your pediatrician will help you come up with a vaccination plan that addresses your child’s needs.

However, it’s also important to accept that your child will inevitably get the flu or head lice during their first school years. The best thing you can do is teach them the basics of personal hygiene, such as washing their hands and covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze and having them stay home if symptoms worsen.

The good news is that pretty much all illnesses your kid may get from school clear up on their own after a few days. However, you should still monitor your child’s symptoms until they’re completely gone. If they don’t clear up, you should schedule a doctor’s appointment.

Growing older

Children grow and develop in four main areas: physical, cognitive, language, and social/emotional. Because it can be hard to keep up with the milestones to hit in each category at a particular age, there are developmental checklists you can use to track their progress and know what to expect next.

Remember that, while there are different areas of development, they are all connected and build up on each other. For instance, once a child learns to talk, they can express themselves much more freely and easier. If they fall back on a milestone, it will probably delay other ones in a domino effect.

Remember that as a parent, you play a crucial role in your child’s development. Make sure you’re the support, love, and acceptance they need as they navigate these new stages of life and mature.

Staying healthy

Good nutrition is important at every age, and it starts in the womb. Nutrition deficits during pregnancy can stunt fetal growth and lead to poor brain development. Well-nourished children, on the other hand, tend to fight infections more easily and have been found to be generally healthier and happier.

Every child is different, so nutrition can be a very subjective matter. However, there are some general practices you can’t go wrong with when choosing what to feed your kids, including:

• Making half of what is on your child’s plate fruits and vegetables
• Choose healthy sources of protein (lean, meat, nuts and eggs)
• Reduce refined grains and serve whole-grain bread and cereal

Managing your children’s health may be intimidating but know that there’s always help available. Pediatricians at Palomar Health are ready to answer any further questions you may have about your child’s health or development. Click here to learn more about Palomar Health.