Newborn Care: Surviving (and Thriving) in the First Week
The first week with a newborn is beautiful, exhausting, and overwhelming. Here's your practical guide to feeding, sleeping, umbilical cord care, and knowing when to call the doctor.
Feeding Your Newborn
Newborns need to feed every 2–3 hours — that's 8–12 times per day. Whether breastfeeding or formula feeding, watch for hunger cues: rooting, sucking on hands, turning head side to side. Crying is a late hunger cue.
How Much Sleep Is Normal?
Newborns sleep 16–17 hours per day in short stretches of 2–4 hours. They don't yet know the difference between day and night. Expose them to natural light during the day and keep nights calm and dark.
Umbilical Cord Care
Keep the stump clean and dry. Fold diapers below the cord to avoid rubbing. The stump will dry out and fall off within 1–3 weeks. Call your doctor if you see redness, swelling, or discharge around the base.
Newborn Appearance: What's Normal
- Blotchy skin and peeling — normal
- Crossed eyes occasionally — normal (usually resolves by 4 months)
- Jaundice (yellow tint to skin) — common, but monitor closely
- Soft spots on the head — normal, these are the fontanelles
When to Call the Doctor
- Temperature above 100.4°F (38°C)
- Fewer than 6 wet diapers per day after day 4
- Yellow or jaundiced skin spreading below the belly button
- Not waking to feed