Hospital Care for Newborns | NeoPaeds Melbourne

You are not alone, there is always a paediatrician on call

While you are at Frances Perry, the paediatric roster provides 24/7 on-call cover for urgent issues. Your midwife is your first point of contact and can reach us at any time, day or night. We round on most days of a postnatal-ward stay, every day if your baby is in the Special Care Nursery, with midwives updating us between visits.

Your hospital journey at a glance

Most healthy term babies follow a similar rhythm. Length of stay is usually 2–4 nights after a vaginal birth and 3–5 nights after a caesarean, adjusted to how you and your baby are doing.

Day 1 (birth day): skin-to-skin, first feed, Apgar scores, vitamin K and the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine (if consented), identification bands. The midwifery team checks your baby and flags anything that can’t wait.
Day 2–3: first full paediatrician examination, feeding established, first weight, jaundice monitored, first hearing screen if ready.
Day 3–4: newborn bloodspot screening (heel-prick, done at 48–72 hours), weight and feeding review.
Day 4–5: weight and feeding trend assessed, jaundice reviewed, discharge planning begins, MCH follow-up arranged.
Before discharge: the final paediatric review and discharge (“green book”) examination — done during the stay, by the day before you go home — the discharge summary written, and follow-up confirmed (MCH visit and a paediatric review).
Discharge day: midwife-led — your copy of the discharge summary and Medicare enrolment paperwork given, and your first MCH or GP appointment confirmed. The discharge check happens during the stay (by the day before), so there is no routine paediatric visit on the day you go home.

Discharge is based on clinical readiness, feeding, and safe follow-up.

Who you’ll see

Midwives: your main day-and-night care team. Ring the bell any time.
Paediatrician: rounds on most days (every day in Special Care), usually in the morning; the midwives keep us updated between visits.
Lactation consultants: for positioning, latch and feeding plans.
Special Care nurses: if your baby needs extra support.

Each baby gets a daily weight, feeding review, nappy review, jaundice check, and a general examination of behaviour, tone, colour and breathing.

What we’re routinely looking for

Most babies are well. Some need a little extra monitoring or treatment, and that’s what we’re here for.

Newborn jaundice, about 6 in 10 term babies look a little yellow in the first week
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), monitored in defined risk groups (late preterm, SGA/LGA, diabetic mother)
Transient tachypnoea, short-lived fast breathing that settles in 1–3 days
Common newborn findings, the rashes, bumps, noises and behaviours that can look alarming but are often minor in a well baby
Less common but more serious problems, such as infection, or significant heart or metabolic conditions, picked up early through examination and screening, when treatment works best

Routine screening offered to every baby

Newborn bloodspot screen (“heel prick”), usually day 2–3, screens for more than 30 rare but serious conditions (35 on the current Victorian panel)
Newborn hearing screen (AABR), gentle, non-invasive, done during your stay
Pulse oximetry: checks oxygen levels for critical congenital heart disease
Full paediatric examination: a head-to-toe check early in your stay and again at the discharge examination (by the day before you go home), including hip dysplasia screening
Babies of mothers with thyroid disease get extra checks, see thyroid screening

Feeding support

Establishing feeding is one of the biggest parts of your stay, whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, or doing a bit of both. Lactation consultants are available throughout the stay; some babies need a formula top-up in the first days, which is common and doesn’t mean breastfeeding has failed.

For full markers of how feeding is going, see breastfeeding support.

Special Care Nursery

Some babies need a little more support and will spend time in the Special Care Nursery: for prematurity, low blood sugar not responding to feeds, jaundice needing phototherapy, breathing support, infection concerns, or feeding difficulties needing a tube-feeding plan. You’re welcome with them and included in every decision.

Relevant guides: The preterm journey 31–33 weeks, The late preterm journey 34–36+6 weeks, hypoglycaemia, breastfeeding support during a special-care stay.

Parent education before you go home

We cover these before discharge, each links to its guide:

Safe sleep · cord care · common newborn findings and cradle cap · tummy time · the unsettled baby (crying peak) · infant first-aid course · warning signs. A written discharge summary documents everything for you to take home.

Going home checklist

Before you leave, make sure you have:

Final paediatrician examination completed
Newborn bloodspot screen done
Hearing screen done
Vitamin K + hepatitis B given (if consented)
Feeding plan written down
MCH home-visit referral made
Follow-up plan clear: MCH visit in the first week, paediatric review at 6 weeks (earlier if your discharge plan says so)
Car seat correctly fitted
Copy of the discharge summary

Once you’re home, the first weeks at home walks you through what to expect.

When to speak up during your stay

Tell your midwife straight away if you notice:

Baby not feeding or losing interest · very sleepy and hard to rouse · breathing fast, noisy or hard work · pale, blue or mottled · jaundice in the first 24 hours or spreading down the body · no first poo (meconium) by 24 hours · fever (38°C or above) or low temperature (below 36.5°C) · or anything that doesn’t feel right, even if you can’t say what.

You won’t be told off for asking, if something feels wrong, speak up early.

For more detail, see when to seek help.

Get in touch

Still expecting, in hospital, or heading home, we can help.

In Hospital — Your Baby's First Days