Feeding

Breast milk alone is enough for the first six months. No water, no honey, no top feed unless a doctor has advised it.

A newborn feeds eight to twelve times in twenty four hours, including at night. Feed on demand rather than by the clock in the early weeks.

  • Six or more wet nappies a day means your baby is getting enough milk.
  • Babies lose a little weight in the first week and regain their birth weight by about two weeks.
  • If feeding hurts, or the baby is not latching, ask for help early. Most latch problems are fixable.

Sleep and safety

Newborns sleep sixteen to eighteen hours a day, in short stretches. Waking through the night is normal at this age.

  • Put your baby to sleep on the back, on a firm flat surface.
  • Keep pillows, soft toys and loose bedding out of the sleeping space.
  • Do not let anyone smoke near the baby.

Cord care and skin

Keep the cord stump clean and dry. Nothing needs to be applied to it. It usually falls off between five and fifteen days.

Mild yellowness of the skin in the first week is common and often settles on its own. Yellowness that appears on the first day, spreads to the palms and soles, or is still there after two weeks needs to be checked.

Visits to the clinic

Plan a check within the first week, then again at six weeks along with the first set of vaccines. At each visit we weigh the baby, check feeding and jaundice, and answer whatever has come up at home.