The early days often revolve around feeds, nappies, sleep and getting to know your baby. You can build confidence one task at a time. The most useful basics are reliable ways to meet everyday needs, a safe environment and a clear idea of when to ask for help.
Before going home, ask your midwife or nurse to demonstrate anything you are unsure about. It is fine to ask again. Keep your discharge plan and the contact details for your midwife, GP or child health nurse somewhere easy to find.
1. Get feeding support early
Follow your baby’s individual feeding plan and respond to feeding cues. Newborns need frequent milk feeds; prematurity, jaundice or other health needs can mean a more specific plan. Ask for help with painful breastfeeding, difficulty attaching, bottle-feeding concerns or a baby who is not taking feeds well.
If your baby is unusually hard to wake or too sleepy to feed, seek medical help rather than assuming they need a longer sleep. Our bottles and teats guide explains supported feeding and equipment care. Never prop a bottle or leave a baby feeding alone.
2. Make every sleep a safe sleep
Place your baby on their back in their own firm, flat, clear sleep space for every sleep, with their head and face uncovered. Keep pillows, bulky or loose bedding, soft toys and positioning products out. Use a cot or bassinet and mattress that meet the relevant safety requirements.
Red Nose recommends sharing your room, with your baby in their own sleep space, for at least the first 6 months. Keep the environment smoke-free, avoid overheating and breastfeed if possible. Safe sleep practices matter whatever feeding method you use.
Use Red Nose’s current recommendations when setting up the sleep space, and make sure other carers know them too.
3. Notice nappies without relying on rigid rules
Your baby’s poo changes over the first days and with the way they are fed. The dark, sticky first poo is called meconium; breastfed poo is often loose and yellow, while formula-fed poo is usually firmer. Learn your baby’s pattern, but ask your care team what wet nappies and feeding they expect at your baby’s current age.
A clear drop in wet nappies, poor feeding or unusually watery frequent poo needs attention. Do not dismiss reduced urine simply because the weather is hot or your baby is ill. Blood in poo or unexplained black poo after the early meconium stage should be checked promptly. Pale or white poo needs urgent medical assessment.
See our nappy-changing guide and diarrhoea guide for the practical next steps.
4. Keep bathing and skin care simple
Have everything within reach before a bath. Use comfortably warm water, support your baby’s head and body, and keep a hand on them throughout. A bath support cannot replace supervision. If you need to leave, take your baby with you; an older child cannot take over.
On a raised changing surface, keep a hand on your baby. Clean skin folds gently, dry them carefully and avoid powders. For the cord stump, use water, keep the area clean and dry, fold the nappy below it and let it separate naturally. Routine alcohol wipes or antiseptics are not needed unless your clinician gives different individual instructions.
Seek professional advice as soon as possible for redness, swelling, discharge or an unpleasant smell around the cord. If your baby is feeding poorly, unusually sleepy or otherwise unwell, seek urgent medical assessment even without fever. The fever and emergency pathways below still apply.
5. Handle your baby gently
Support the head and neck when lifting and holding your newborn. Wash your hands before care and ask unwell visitors to postpone close contact. Ask a nurse or midwife to show you comfortable ways to hold, change and settle your baby.
A little preparation helps: a clean nappy, cloth and fresh clothes nearby can make a change easier while you keep your attention on the baby. Never leave a baby unattended on a bed, sofa or changing table.
6. Keep an eye on jaundice and follow-up checks
Yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes needs advice from your midwife or doctor. Jaundice in the first 24 hours, worsening yellowing or jaundice with poor feeding or a sleepy, unwell baby needs urgent assessment.
Appearance alone cannot reliably tell you the level of jaundice. Attend the follow-up checks arranged for your baby and follow any testing or treatment plan. Do not use sunlight as a home treatment.
7. Respond to crying and make room for support
Check for hunger, a wet nappy, discomfort, tiredness or signs of illness. Holding, a gentle voice and a quieter environment may help. Persistent crying or a sudden change in behaviour deserves a conversation with your GP or child health nurse, especially if feeds are affected.
If you are becoming overwhelmed, place your baby on their back in their safe cot and take a brief break or ask another adult to help. Never shake a baby. Our bonding guide has gentle ways to connect without needing a perfect routine.
8. Know the signs that need help
At 3 months old or younger, a temperature of 38°C or more needs immediate assessment at an emergency department. Call 000 for a baby who is unresponsive, very difficult to wake, struggling to breathe or having a first seizure.
Green vomit needs urgent hospital assessment. Get prompt medical advice for poor feeding, fewer wet nappies, repeated vomiting, blood in poo, concerning jaundice or a baby who is becoming more unwell. An ill newborn may not have a fever. The fever guide explains temperature checks and escalation.
Keep newborn examinations, screening follow-ups and vaccination appointments in your care plan. If you need help judging a non-emergency concern, Healthdirect’s nurses are available on 1800 022 222. Practical support with meals or household jobs can also make space for rest and caring for your baby.
Sources and further reading
- Red Nose: Six safe sleep recommendations
- ACCC Product Safety: Baby bath aids and supervision
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: Umbilical cord care
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: Poos and wees
- Royal Children’s Hospital: Jaundice in early infancy
- Royal Children’s Hospital: Crying and unsettled babies
- Healthdirect: Fever in babies and children
- Royal Children’s Hospital: Skincare for babies
General information for Australian families. Follow the individual advice given by your baby’s care team.