Newborn Care Basics: A Practical Guide for the First Two Weeks

The first two weeks with a newborn are simultaneously the most overwhelming and the most ordinary time of new parenthood. You are learning everything at once while running on almost no sleep. This guide covers the practical basics so you have somewhere to turn when you cannot think straight.

Feeding

Newborns need to feed very frequently: every 2 to 3 hours in the early weeks, measured from the start of one feed to the start of the next. This is approximately 8 to 12 feeds per 24 hours. In the early days, you may need to wake a sleepy baby for feeds.

Signs that feeding is going well: 6 or more wet nappies per day from day 5, regular dirty nappies (breastfed babies often poo several times a day in the first weeks), and steady weight gain after the initial post-birth dip (most babies lose up to 7% of their birth weight in the first few days and regain it by around 10 to 14 days).

Sleeping

Newborns sleep between 16 and 18 hours per day but rarely for more than 2 to 4 hours at a stretch. They cannot distinguish day from night yet. This gradually improves over the first few weeks as their circadian rhythm develops.

Place baby to sleep on their back, in their own sleep space, on a firm flat surface, with no loose items in the cot.

Nappies

Expect a minimum of 6 wet nappies per day from day 5 onwards. Newborn poo changes colour dramatically in the first days: the very first nappies contain meconium, which is black and tar-like. By day 3 to 4 it becomes greenish and by day 5 to 7 a yellow, seedy texture is normal for breastfed babies. Formula-fed babies have paler, pastier stools.

Bathing

You do not need to bath your newborn every day. Two to three times a week is enough, with careful daily attention to the face, neck folds, and nappy area. Use warm water and a gentle newborn wash.

A baby bath seat or support makes solo bathing safer once you are managing alone.

Umbilical cord care

Keep the umbilical cord stump dry and clean. Fold the nappy down below it to allow air circulation. The stump will dry, darken, and fall off naturally in 7 to 14 days. Do not pull it off. See a doctor if the area around the stump becomes red, warm, or smells strongly.

When to call the doctor

Always seek medical advice if baby has a temperature above 38°C in the first three months, has fewer wet nappies than expected, is very difficult to wake or unusually lethargic, has a high-pitched cry that is unusual for them, or if you are worried for any reason.

Trust your instincts. You know your baby.