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The journey

At Home — The First Weeks with Your Baby

Settling into life at home, daily care, sleep, feeding, when to seek help, and looking after yourself.

Last reviewed

A young girl lying cheek to cheek with her sleeping newborn sibling

The first weeks at home are mostly about finding a rhythm with feeding, sleep and settling. Lean on the MCH nurse and your GP early when something doesn’t look right — the MCH Line (13 22 29) is there 24/7. The paediatric review at 6 weeks, or earlier where we’ve arranged it before you go home, is the scheduled recheck of growth, feeding and examination; for anything that appears in between, the list below is the guide.

The first 2 weeks

What’s normal for baby: feeding every 2–3 hours, sleeping 14–17 hours a day in short stretches, regaining birth weight by day 10–14, jaundice that may appear around day 3–5 and clear by 2 weeks, the umbilical cord drying and falling off around 7–14 days, peeling skin, hiccups, and intermittent nasal congestion (a snuffly, noisy nose that comes and goes; babies breathe through their noses, and the passages are tiny).

What’s normal for parents: many parents feel overwhelmed at times; baby blues around days 3–5 (tearful, sensitive) usually settle within a week; ongoing tiredness is common. Your body is still recovering. If low mood persists past two weeks, is getting worse, or is affecting how you function, see the support section below.

Key appointments in the first 6 weeks

  • MCH home visit: ideally in the first week home, to check weight and wellbeing. Free under the Victorian universal schedule.
  • Paediatric review with us: at 6 weeks for most families — what the six-week check covers; earlier where jaundice, weight, feeding or a hospital finding needs a closer look (we’ll tell you before you go home).
  • MCH centre visit: at around 2 weeks, then continuing at scheduled key ages.
  • GP visit: for the 6–8 week immunisations and your own postnatal review.
  • First dental visit: by 12 months or within 6 months of the first tooth (teething).
  • Developmental review: at every MCH visit. For preterm babies, structured follow-up is offered through your hospital. → neurodevelopmental milestones.

Tip: keep a running note of questions on your phone between appointments.

Postnatal and feeding support

If your baby is under Dr Jubal’s care, our practice nurse Judy Jackson is available by phone in the first six weeks for weight and settling questions and to organise any tests or follow-up your baby needs, call (03) 9007 2099 (Mon–Fri 9–5).

For breastfeeding and lactation support, the Frances Perry House Maternity Care Centre runs lactation consultations and feeding support after discharge, our first suggestion for hands-on feeding help.

For anything urgent or after hours, use when to seek help.

Daily care: the short version

  • Feeding: on-demand, 8–12 feeds in 24 hours, follow hunger cues. Depth in breastfeeding support, the feeding calculator, tongue tie, reflux. From 4–6 months, when your baby shows readiness signs (not before 4 months), starting solids.
  • Bathing: 2–3 baths a week is plenty (more dries the skin); top-and-tail in between. Lukewarm water, fragrance-free wash if you use any.
  • Cord care: keep dry, fold the nappy down, small amount of dried blood when it separates is normal. Full detail in cord care.
  • Nappies: change frequently; warm water + cotton wool or fragrance-free wipes. Nappy rash covers the signs that it’s thrush rather than ordinary irritation.
  • Skin: peeling skin is normal in the first 2 weeks. For everything else, common newborn findings is a head-to-toe “is this normal?” companion. Cradle cap, eczema for the dry, itchy patches.

Sleep and settling

Safe sleep covers the Red Nose six in detail, back to sleep, head and face uncovered, firm flat mattress in a safe cot, smoke-free, share-room not share-bed, breastfeeding where you can. Worth re-reading every few weeks as the baby grows and the situation changes.

Awake-and-supervised tummy time from day 1 is the counterweight to back-sleep, it builds neck strength and helps prevent a flat head (positional plagiocephaly).

Around 6–8 weeks, many babies have a peak in crying and fussiness. Normal, time-limited, not a sign you’re doing something wrong. → the unsettled baby peak. And: never shake a baby. If you’re at the end of your rope, put baby down somewhere safe, walk away, and phone someone.

A few markers along the way

Wide variation around each is normal, these are landmarks, not deadlines. The green book’s development stages are online in the Service Victoria Parent Portal — for a baby born early, read them by corrected age:

  • Week 1: sleeping 16–17 hours/day in 2–3 hour bursts; some birth-weight loss before regaining (active review needed if >10%)
  • Week 2: cluster feeding (wanting to feed very frequently) is common; baby starts focusing on faces, especially yours
  • Week 3: common growth spurt; awake periods stretch to 45–60 minutes
  • Week 6: first social smiles (real, not gas); stronger head control during tummy time; some babies now have one longer sleep stretch (4–5 hours) overnight

When to seek help at home

Green — usually fine

Normal: no action needed

  • Crying for up to 2–3 hours a day (more in the 6–8 week peak), as long as your baby is feeding well, breathing normally and settles between bouts
  • Small spills after feeds; hiccups; sneezes; quiet whimpering in sleep
  • Sleeping 14–17 hours in short bursts
  • Cool hands and feet when the core feels warm

Amber — be alert

Act today: call the MCH Line 13 22 29 for advice, or see your GP the same day

  • Pale, white or chalky stools, or dark urine — needs a same-day review by your GP or an emergency department, whatever your baby’s age
  • Fewer than 4 wet nappies in 24 hours after day 5
  • Feeding less than usual for more than 2 feeds
  • Sleepier than normal but still rouseable
  • Jaundice not clearing by 2 weeks (or 3 weeks in preterm)
  • A new rash without fever
  • Persistent spitting up with poor weight gain
  • Umbilical area red, smelly, or oozing pus
  • Anything that doesn’t feel right, even if you can’t say why

Red — act now

Call 000 or go to emergency now

  • Fever 38°C or above in a baby under 3 months → Fever in babies
  • Difficulty breathing, grunting, or blue lips
  • Unresponsive, very floppy, or cannot be woken, call 000 and follow the operator’s CPR instructions
  • Seizure or jerking
  • Non-blanching rash (stays visible when pressed with a glass)
  • Severe dehydration, no wet nappy in 8+ hours, sunken fontanelle
  • Persistent green (bilious) vomiting, or blood in vomit/poo
  • Choking: if baby is coughing effectively, let them cough. If the cough is silent or ineffective, or baby can’t cry or breathe, call 000 — the operator will talk you through exactly what to do while the ambulance is coming. Infant first-aid technique is best learned in advance (where to learn infant first aid)

Key contact numbers

For more detail, see when to seek help.

Looking after yourself

Perinatal anxiety and depression are common (around 1 in 5 mothers and 1 in 10 fathers per PANDA). Common, treatable, worth raising at any review.

Watch for: persistent sadness or flat mood for more than 2 weeks · worry that stops you enjoying things · difficulty bonding with baby · irritability or anger out of character · sleep problems beyond what baby is causing.

Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby: if there’s any immediate danger, call 000 or go to an emergency department now. Otherwise seek help today — PANDA 1300 726 306, Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7), your GP or MCH nurse.

Confidential support:

Need a review?

Book via email (admin@neopaeds.au) or (03) 9007 2099 in business hours. For advice anytime, MCH Line 13 22 29; for anything urgent, 000.

References