Caring for a newborn comes down to a short list of essentials: feeding every few hours, safe sleep, lots of skin-to-skin contact, and learning to read your baby’s cues. The first weeks can feel overwhelming, but most of what your baby needs is straightforward once you know what to expect.
Feeding: How Much and How Often
In the first days of life, your baby will want to eat every one to three hours. That’s not a sign that something is wrong. It’s normal, and it helps establish your milk supply if you’re breastfeeding. By the first few weeks, most breastfed babies settle into eating every two to four hours, which works out to about 8 to 12 feedings in a 24-hour period. Formula-fed babies tend to eat slightly less often because formula takes longer to digest.
The best way to know your baby is getting enough is to count diapers. On day one, expect one wet diaper. By day two, two wet diapers. By day four and beyond, you should see four to six wet diapers every 24 hours. In the first week, breastfed babies typically have two to three bowel movements a day. The stool starts black and tarry (that’s meconium, the stuff that built up before birth), then shifts to greenish-brown, and eventually becomes a mustard-yellow, seedy consistency.
Skin-to-Skin Contact
Holding your baby against your bare chest is one of the most valuable things you can do in the early days. Skin-to-skin contact helps regulate your baby’s body temperature, lowers their stress response, and reduces crying. For the parent, it triggers a surge of oxytocin that supports bonding and, for birthing mothers, helps the uterus contract and reduces bleeding.
Babies held skin-to-skin shortly after birth go through a remarkable sequence of instinctive behaviors: crying briefly, relaxing, becoming alert, eventually crawling toward the breast, and then nursing. This process coordinates all five of the baby’s senses. The benefits extend well beyond the first hours. Studies have found that early skin-to-skin contact improves breastfeeding success, lowers the baby’s pain response, and is linked to better infant self-regulation even at one year of age. There’s no set daily minimum, but the more you do it, especially in the first weeks, the better.
Safe Sleep Basics
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing your baby on their back for every sleep, on a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet. That means a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard. Nothing else goes in the sleep space: no loose blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, or bumpers. Room-sharing (your baby sleeping in your room but in their own space) is recommended, but bed-sharing is not.
Avoid letting your baby sleep on a couch, armchair, or in a swing or car seat outside of the car. These surfaces increase the risk of suffocation. If your baby falls asleep in a swing or bouncer, move them to their crib on their back.
Tummy Time
You can start tummy time from the very first days at home. Place your baby on their stomach on a firm surface while they’re awake and you’re watching. Aim for two or three short sessions a day, about three to five minutes each. Many newborns protest at first, and that’s fine. Even a minute or two counts. By around two months, the goal is 15 to 30 minutes of total tummy time spread throughout the day. This builds the neck, shoulder, and core strength your baby will eventually need to roll over, sit up, and crawl.
Bathing and Cord Care
Newborns don’t need frequent baths. Two to three times a week is plenty, and sponge baths work best until the umbilical cord stump falls off. The stump typically separates on its own within the first three weeks. While it’s attached, keep it dry and exposed to air. Fold the front of the diaper down so it doesn’t cover the stump, or cut a small notch in the diaper’s waistband.
Don’t swab the stump with rubbing alcohol unless your pediatrician specifically tells you to. If you notice clear or slightly blood-tinged fluid seeping from the base, clean it gently with a damp cotton swab and let it air dry. If stool gets on the cord, wash it with a soapy cloth and pat dry. Never pull the stump off yourself. Signs of infection include thick yellow discharge (pus), redness or red streaking around the base, swelling, warmth, or a foul smell. If the stump hasn’t fallen off after three weeks, mention it at your next visit.
Soothing a Fussy Baby
Newborns cry. Sometimes a lot. When feeding, a clean diaper, and a comfortable temperature don’t solve it, a well-known method called the 5 S’s can help:
- Swaddling. Wrapping your baby snugly in a blanket recreates the tight, warm feeling of the womb.
- Side or stomach hold. Holding your baby on their left side can help with digestion and calm fussiness. This is only for soothing while you’re holding them. Always place them on their back once they’re asleep.
- Shushing. A loud, steady “shhhh” mimics the constant whooshing sound of blood flow your baby heard in the womb. White noise machines work the same way. Babies don’t need silence to sleep. In fact, total silence can make fussiness worse.
- Swinging or swaying. Gentle, rhythmic rocking in your arms recreates the motion your baby felt before birth. Support the head, neck, and body, and keep the movements slow and steady.
- Sucking. Offering a pacifier or a feeding can calm a fussy baby quickly. Babies can’t cry and suck at the same time. If your baby refuses the pacifier, don’t force it.
The First Doctor Visits
Most babies have their first pediatric checkup two to three days after coming home from the hospital. This visit focuses on weight (many newborns lose a small percentage of their birth weight in the first few days), feeding, jaundice screening, and how you’re adjusting. The next standard visit is at one month old. These early appointments are a good time to ask every question on your mind, no matter how small it seems.
Car Seat Safety
Your newborn’s car seat should be rear-facing and reclined at roughly a 45-degree angle. This keeps the airway open and prevents your baby’s head from slumping forward, which can restrict breathing. If the seat doesn’t stay at the right angle on its own, a firm roll of cloth placed under the base (below the baby’s feet) can help. To keep your baby from slouching in the seat, tuck a rolled receiving blanket between the front of the diaper area and the crotch strap.
When a Fever Is an Emergency
A rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby under one month old is an emergency. Go to the nearest emergency room, even if your baby seems otherwise fine. Newborns have immature immune systems, and a fever at this age can signal a serious infection that needs immediate evaluation. For babies between one and three months, the same temperature threshold applies, but you can start by calling your pediatrician. If they can’t see your baby right away, head to the ER.
Taking Care of Yourself
Up to 80% of new mothers experience the “baby blues” in the first week after delivery: tearfulness, mood swings, irritability, trouble sleeping, and feeling overwhelmed. These feelings typically peak around the first week and resolve by day 10 to 14. They don’t interfere with your ability to care for your baby, and they pass on their own.
Postpartum depression is different. It’s more severe, lasts longer, and can include persistent sadness, low self-esteem, intense anxiety, difficulty bonding with the baby, and trouble functioning day to day. It can start anytime in the first year and may last months without treatment. If your low mood isn’t lifting after two weeks, or if you feel unable to care for yourself or your baby, that’s worth bringing up with your doctor. Partners and other caregivers can develop postpartum depression too.