Hello Baby, Goodbye Sleep
The First Week with your Baby
“Sleep is like the unicorn, it is rumored to exist, but I doubt you will see any” – Anonymous
Many first-time parents remember the first week with their newborn as a blur. I myself remember feeling like I was in survival mode. I was on a constant cycle of the “life essentials” of feeding, hydrating and trying to sleep, while making an effort to sneak in a meal for myself and maybe a shower (if I was lucky). My son Josh was breastfeeding every 2 hours and only sleeping a few hours at a time. I remember the days felt super long and kind of blended together.
A little while ago I wrote a blog all about mom’s recovery after birth. In this blog I’d like to focus on what’s essential in caring for your new baby in that first week of life. Hopefully after reading it you’ll be more prepared walking into the newborn stage.
Disclaimer: This post is meant for informational purposes only and should not replace information or medical advice provided by your primary health provider.
Your Baby’s Doctors’ appointments
Let’s start with when your baby see’s their primary care provider and what happens at each appointment during the first week of life. Your baby should see a doctor two days after discharge from hospital. This means your baby gets to meet their primary care provider usually between 2-4 days old. Based on your baby’s health at this appointment your doctor will make a plan as to how often in the next few weeks they will need to see your baby again.
That said, typical baby’s appointments are as follows:
2 days after discharge from hospital (2-4 days old)
1-week old
2-weeks old
The first few doctor’s appointments are mostly about weight gain for baby. The doctor will ask about the number of wet diapers per day and how often your baby feeds. The expectation is that by 2 weeks old your baby has gained enough weight to be back up to their birth weight. Its normal for babies to lose up to 10% of their birth weight by the time they are discharged from the hospital. Your baby’s primary care provider will also perform several physical assessments like testing baby’s reflexes and measuring heart rate and breathing rate. If you’re seeing a pediatrician then they will also want to know the medical histories of both parents (allergies, medical conditions in the family, etc.) If your baby will be cared for by your family doctor then they will already know yours and your partners medical history.
Please note: make sure to speak to your baby’s primary care provider about when you need to be concerned about baby’s health. Ask them about signs of dehydration and deciding when to go to the hospital with your baby versus booking a doctor’s appointment.
Feeding your baby
By the end of the first week of life your baby will breastfeed anywhere from 8 to 12 times per day, which means your baby is feeding every 2-3 hours. Feed times are measured from the start of one feed to the start of the next feed. Soon after birth your body will make colostrum (early milk, see my Instagram post for more details) to sustain baby and between days 2 to 5, your milk supply should come in.
If you’re feeding your baby formula then talk to your nurses and pediatrician in hospital about how much you should be feeding your baby and how often.
Diapering
When it comes to diapering your baby lots of diapers have that helpful yellow line that turns blue when your baby has peed. As a first-time parent it can be hard to tell if your baby has peed so diaper companies have made it a little easier to tell. When changing your baby’s diaper always remember to wipe your baby front to back and making sure to wipe between the folds and especially under the scrotum for boys (there’s always some poo hiding under there). With each day that your baby gets older the number of pees and poo’s should increase by 1. For example, by day 4 your baby should have at least 4 pees and 3-4 poo’s that day. By day 6 your baby’s number of pees and poos will level off to a minimum of 6 pees per day and 4 poos per day. If you have concerns about how often you’re changing diapers then speak to your baby’s primary care provider. Don’t be alarmed at the colour of your baby’s poo. It goes from a sticky black/green colour (meconium) to yellowy green colour (all are perfectly normal).
Bathing
Believe it or not but your baby only needs a bath 2-3 times per week using gentle soap. These baths should be more of a sponge bath. Most expectants parents purchase a special baby tub that can be placed in their bathtub. Remember your baby should never be left alone in the tub and should not be submerged in water. Use a cloth to gently wash your baby and always be mindful of the temperature of the water. When you’re washing your baby remember to start from clean to dirty. What this means is that you should wash baby’s head and face before his/her genitals. Lastly, don’t scrub the umbilical cord. Wash around it and gently pat it to dry.
Download a baby tracking app
If this all seems overwhelming and difficult to keep track of, you’re not alone. I thought so too when I was in my first week at home with my son Josh. Luckily a nurse and my husband had the brilliant idea to download an app to track all baby related things. With the app we were able to track how often I was breastfeeding, number of wet diapers, what day was bath day and his weigh-ins at the doctors’ appointments. It really kept us organized and allowed me to keep my sanity knowing my son was growing and healthy.
It takes a village
The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” definitely rings true and it starts early. During the first few days, try to focus on you and your baby. Ask your partner to take over any household chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry) that were previously your responsibilities. Most people genuinely want to help. So, if asked if there’s something they can do, get family and friends to drop off food and supplies if you run out. Put the people in your life to work, they want to help!
The first week of life has many ups and downs. You and your partner are thrilled to welcome your new baby but the sleep deprivation and recovery from the birth can take its toll. My advice is to try to take it easy and just focus on the essentials (eat-sleep-poop) and download an app to keep organized and reduce stress. Take it one day at a time and communicate openly with your partner about how you’re feeling and what you need. Remember the newborn stage is not as long as it feels, you got this!