Week 1 of baby
You’ve got a brand-new baby. Now what? Here’s some help as you get to know your little one.
Newborns mostly sleep, eat, and poop/pee. Sometimes they make strange noises and movements, and breathe irregularly. Don’t worry, most of these are normal.
Here are some sounds that may come from your baby:
- Crying. This is how newborns communicate. Cries can mean, “I’m hungry,” “I have a wet diaper,” “I am tired,” or “I want to be held.” You’ll learn your baby’s cries and how to respond to them.
- Babies burp from swallowing air during feedings. They also hiccup, sneeze, grunt, and squeak.
- Newborns can pause between breaths, breathe rapidly and then normally for intermittent periods. Short pauses are OK.
Some of these movements are also normal:
- They curl up, just like they did in the womb.
- They throw out their arms and legs in a startle reflex.
- They curl their toes when you tickle the bottom of their foot.
- Newborns should eat eight to 12 times a day.
- You can tell they’re getting plenty to eat when they spend 10 to 15 minutes at each breast actively sucking and swallowing, or they drink 2 to 3 ounces of formula at each feeding.
- Even big eaters can lose up to one-tenth of their birth weight during their first 5 days of life. Don’t worry, they’ll gain it back by day 10. Babies that fall asleep or turn away from the bottle or breast while they feed could experience even greater weight loss. If this starts to happen before you baby is back up to birth weight, discuss it with your pediatrician. Once babies have gained back their weight, falling asleep or turning away usually means they are full.
- You should be changing at least four wet diapers a day, and one or more poopy diapers.
- Your baby’s poop is a mustard-colored mush if you breastfeed. Formula-fed poop is yellow or tan. It may also look seedy.
- Newborns sleep for 16 to 17 hours each day, and in the first 2 weeks after birth may sleep for hours at a stretch. Remember to wake your baby during the day to feed, and don’t allow more than 3 hours to go by between feedings.
- They also have tremor-type movements when stretching. You may encounter this when changing a diaper.Your Baby’s Development This WeekMost new moms stay in the hospital for a few days after delivery. Use this time to recover and rest; you’ll be very busy when you go home! The pediatrician will look at your baby here to make sure they are healthy. Ask in the hospital if you have or see any concerns before leaving for home.