Dr Jubal's Key Tips for Newborn Parents

The one-page version

This is the short overview I send to families, the things that matter most in the early weeks. For each topic, I’ve linked to a detailed guide on this site if you want more.

If you’d rather explore by body region, the head-to-toe map lets you tap any part of an illustrated baby for the same kind of orientation.

For urgent symptoms, when to seek help has the full traffic-light guide — and for anything life-threatening, call 000.

During the hospital stay

Vitamin K

Shortly after birth, your baby will receive a vitamin K injection to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding, a rare but serious condition. It’s essential for blood clotting. See the vitamin K guide for the full picture, including the oral-vs-IM choice and the evidence behind it.

Feeding

Breastfeeding has clear benefits for you and your baby, and the team at the hospital will help you with positioning, latch, and any early problems.

A pattern many parents aren’t warned about: in the first day many babies don’t latch well and look sleepy. Then from the second night onwards, most babies become ravenously hungry, “cluster feeding”, until the milk comes in. This is normal and helps with both latching and milk supply.

Some mothers need to express with a pump. If breastfeeding isn’t suitable, formula feeding is also safe and effective. No standard formula brand has evidence over another; specialist formulas are for specific medical needs (like allergy), after a medical consultation.

More on attachment, signs of effective feeding, and support lines: breastfeeding support guide. If you’re unsure whether the latch is comfortable, see also the latch anatomy diagram.

Weighing and measuring

At about 48 hours old, your baby will be weighed and measured. Some weight loss in the first days is normal; loss exceeding 10% is the threshold for active review. Once home, your MCH nurse will keep monitoring; most babies are back to their birthweight by two weeks of age.

Newborn bloodspot screening: 48–72 hours

At 48–72 hours, your midwife will collect blood from your baby’s heel onto a card. The card screens for a panel of rare medical conditions that benefit from early detection. No news is good news: if results are normal, you won’t be contacted. If there’s anything to follow up, the hospital will reach out, so please keep your phone reachable.

Full detail on what’s tested and why: newborn screening guide.

Jaundice

A yellow tinge of the skin in the first days is normal in most newborns and usually resolves within two weeks. If it looks more pronounced, a quick non-invasive TcB (transcutaneous bilirubin) test on the skin will tell the team whether a blood test is needed.

For the full clinical picture (when treatment is needed, what phototherapy actually does, the warning signs that mean see-the-team-now), see neonatal jaundice.

Vitamin D drops

All babies should receive a daily vitamin D supplement as drops, this is recommended by the Royal Women’s Hospital and is available at any pharmacy without a prescription — ask the pharmacist for an infant vitamin D3 preparation. Continue daily until one year of age, or until your baby is taking a litre of formula a day.

Special Care Nursery (SCN)

Some babies need SCN admission for a stretch, common reasons include prematurity, low birth weight, low blood-sugar (hypoglycaemia), temperature regulation, or breathing difficulties. Special Care isn’t always alarming; for many babies it’s a brief observation period.

If your baby is in SCN, the late preterm journey guide and the 31-33 week journey guide explain what to expect day by day.

Transfer to the InterContinental

Well mothers and babies may be offered transfer to the InterContinental for the remainder of the stay, where a midwife visits daily to monitor weight and jaundice and notifies me of any concerns. Best suited to families who feel confident with feeding and everyday newborn care.

After discharge

A Maternal & Child Health (MCH) Nurse will visit your home, ideally in the first week, to check weight and wellbeing, and arrange regular assessments after that. The MCH service is universal in Victoria and free, call 13 22 29 any time.

The two-week rule of thumb

By two weeks of age: back to birth weight, and jaundice resolved. If either hasn’t happened, your baby should be reviewed. One exception that can’t wait two weeks: pale, white or chalky stools, or dark urine, need a same-day GP review (or an emergency department) whatever your baby’s age.

Hip, kidney, or spinal ultrasounds (if needed)

If your baby needs an ultrasound, the practice team will let you know and book the appointment for you. We aim to email you the result within a week of receiving the report. If you haven’t heard from us after the investigation, please contact the rooms, and ideally book a telehealth or clinic review so we can discuss the results properly.

Thyroid or other pathology tests (if needed)

If a blood test is needed after discharge, the practice team will email a pathology slip for you to take to a pathology collection centre that is set up to do heel-prick tests on babies. We aim to email or SMS the result within a week. Same rule: if you haven’t heard from us, contact the rooms and book a review to discuss the results.

Reviews after discharge: why they keep happening

A newborn is a body in transition: feeding, weight, jaundice and circulation change by the day, and some issues start subtly and only show themselves on repeated review. The MCH surveillance schedule (first home visit ideally in the first week) and the 6-week GP check are essential, and a paediatric review at 6 weeks is recommended. Where jaundice, weight, feeding or a hospital finding needs an earlier look, it will be in your discharge plan, please book that in as soon as you’re home.

Whooping cough (pertussis) booster

To protect your baby, parents and frequent adult caregivers should have a whooping cough (dTpa) booster if their last dose was more than 10 years ago — ideally at least two weeks before spending time with the baby. Mum is usually already covered by the vaccine given during pregnancy, and if she also had the RSV vaccine in pregnancy, that protection carries into the first months too. This is one of the most effective things the adults around the baby can do.

The unsettled peak

Most babies are reasonably settled in the first two weeks, then increasingly unsettled from weeks 2-3 onwards. The crying typically peaks around 2 months of age, then improves through 3-4 months.

Parents often describe the baby as upset in the stomach, squirming, gassy, straining with stools. This pattern is normal and well-described.

You should feel well supported through this stretch. The MCH nurse and your GP can help; the unsettled-baby-peak guide has the detail. Occasionally a medical cause (e.g. cow’s milk protein allergy) is part of the picture, if symptoms feel severe or persistent, please review with me or your GP.

The Royal Children’s Hospital page on crying and unsettled babies is a good external reference, and the Period of PURPLE Crying site has a useful chart of the normal crying curve.

Lastly: enjoy it

Congratulations again. The early weeks are hard work and often a blur, be kind to yourself, take help when it’s offered, and make time to enjoy your baby.

I’m here to support you and your child, please get in touch after discharge if you run into concerns.

Need to reach the practice?

Email admin@neopaeds.au or call (03) 9007 2099 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm). For anything urgent outside hours, MCH Line 13 22 29 (24/7) and Nurse-On-Call 1300 60 60 24 are useful first ports of call.