What to Expect the First Few Weeks of a Baby's Life

Expect plenty of surprises the first few weeks.

After nine months of development, your baby has arrived. The birth is an exciting time, but the aftermath can be overwhelming, especially if you are a first-time parent. You will experience plenty of surprises no matter how much reading and research you've done in anticipation of the birth. Although no two babies are alike, here are some general things you should expect to happen in the first few weeks of your baby's life.

Nursing & Feeding

One thing babies are born with is the natural ability to suck. These allows them to nurse and get those important nutrients immediately. Nonetheless, if you want to breastfeed your baby, you may or may not have success depending on how well the baby can latch on to the nipple. Your doctor or hospital will recommend a lactation consultant to assist you should you need help. Sometimes it can take several days for the baby to learn to breastfeed properly. Newborns usually need to feed every two or three hours in the first weeks, and should have a wet diaper after each feeding. If you use formula, do not mix the ready-to-feed kind — which you will usually get in the hospital — with water, lest your baby not receive enough calories. Mix concentrated formula with water at a one-to-one ratio.

Sleeping

The amount of sleep newborns need can vary wildly, from 10 to 23 hours each day. Before putting your baby to sleep, put on a dry diaper, and feed and burp her. Swaddling can help the baby feel more comfortable by restricting her movements and recreating as close as possible that in-the-womb feeling. This should also help reduce the baby's crying. Place the baby on her back to reduced the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, and try to catch a nap yourself while the baby is asleep so you will be refreshed when she is awake.

Bowel Movements

Many parents describe those first few bowel movements as tar-like. It usually is sticky and blackish-green the first few days of the baby's life. This substance is called meconium. Once the baby's body gets rid of the meconium, expect the poop to change to a yellowish-orange color with seed-like particles within it. Infants usually have five to six bowel movements a day in the early weeks, with breastfed infants having fewer because breast milk is easier to digest.

Caring for the Umbilical Cord

The stump of the umbilical cord will remain on the baby's body for a few weeks before falling off on its own. Be sure to keep the top of the diaper below the navel. This will prevent urine from moistening the stump, which needs to dry out. You can get the stump wet during a sponge bath. Just be sure to dry it off with a towel afterwards. If the skin near the stump turns red or smells bad, call your pediatrician, as this could signal an infection.

References

• Parenting: Baby's First Few Weeks
• iVillage: Baby's First Month
• First Baby Mall: Newborn Care in the First Two Weeks