The first days at home

Keep the cord stump clean and dry. Let the air reach it. Fold the top of the diaper below the stump so urine does not soak it. You do not need alcohol or any other product. If the stump gets dirty, clean it with plain water and pat it dry.

The stump dries, turns dark and falls off on its own. This usually happens within 1 to 2 weeks, and by about 3 weeks at the latest. A few drops of blood when it falls off are normal. Do not pull on it, even when it hangs by a thread.

Give sponge baths until the cord falls off. After that, your baby can go in a small tub. Your baby does not need a bath every day. About three baths a week is enough in the first year. More can dry the skin.

• Use a few centimeters of lukewarm water. Test it with your wrist or elbow.
• Use plain water, or a little mild, unscented baby wash on dirty areas.
• Pat dry and pay attention to the skin folds.

Never leave your baby alone in the bath, not even for a second. If you need to leave, take your baby with you.

Wet diapers tell you your baby is getting enough milk. In the first 4 days, expect 2 to 3 wet diapers a day. From day 5, expect at least 5 to 6.

The first stools are black or dark green and sticky. This is called meconium. Over the first week, the stools turn green, then yellow. Breastfed babies often have soft, yellow, seedy stools. Babies fed with formula have firmer, darker stools.

Change diapers often and let the skin breathe. A thick layer of plain barrier cream helps with redness.

All newborns lose some weight in the first week. This is expected. Weight gain usually starts around day 5. Most babies are back to their birth weight by about 2 weeks. Almost all are back by 3 weeks. Your doctor will weigh your baby at the first visits to check this.

Newborn skin goes through many changes. Most are harmless and go away on their own.

• The skin may look blotchy: pink, red or a bit blue on the hands and feet.
• Dry, peeling skin is common, mostly on the hands and feet.
• Tiny white dots on the nose and cheeks fade in a few weeks.
• Small pimples on the face, called baby acne, often appear around weeks 3 to 5. Do not squeeze them.
• Yellow, greasy flakes on the scalp are called cradle cap. They are harmless.

Skip perfumes and scented creams. If the skin or the whites of the eyes look yellow, read our guide to jaundice.

Newborns do many things that surprise parents. These are normal:

• Sneezing clears milk and dust from the small nose. On its own, it does not mean a cold.
• Hiccups are common after feeds and do not bother your baby.
• At a sudden noise or movement, your baby throws the arms out, then pulls them back in. This startle reflex fades over the first months.
• Your baby may breathe fast, then slow, with small snorts. This noisy, uneven breathing is fine if your baby is pink and calm.
• Boys and girls can have small swollen breasts from the mother’s hormones. Girls may have a little white or pink discharge.

Everyone wants to meet the baby. Your baby’s defenses are still weak. Set rules for visitors.

• Ask everyone to wash their hands before holding your baby.
• Ask visitors not to kiss your baby’s face or hands.
• Ask anyone with a cough, cold or fever to visit later.
• Nobody should smoke cigarettes or argileh near your baby.

If your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38 °C or more, see a doctor right away. Do this even if your baby seems well. Read our guide to danger signs in newborns.

Call the doctor the same day if:

• the skin around the cord is red, the cord smells bad or has yellow fluid, or it bleeds more than a few drops
• the cord is still attached after 3 weeks
• your baby has fewer wet diapers than expected
• your baby has not had a stool in the first 2 days after birth
• the stools are white, grey or pale
• your baby is very sleepy or does not wake for feeds

Call the Red Cross on 140 or go to the emergency room if your baby breathes very fast, grunts, or the skin pulls in under the ribs. Go too if the lips or face turn blue, or if your baby is floppy or hard to wake.