Baby Care Blog
Taking Baby Home - Newborn Guide
Rachael Kirkwood
Bringing baby home from the hospital is a momentous time for parents. After all, this is where your brand new family life together really begins. The early days of motherhood can be overwhelming. There will be a lot of 'firsts' for you just as much as your baby but don't worry as we have the ultimate guide to help you take care of your newborn.
Clothing your newborn baby in their going home outfit is one of those precious moments that you will remember and share with family through photos and stories for years to come. Whether you want to put your bundle of joy into a basic vest and sleepsuit combination or add a little more of your style to their outfit, the most important part to remember is, keep it simple.
Dress your baby in a comfortable, seasonally appropriate outfit which is easy to put on - chances are you’ll start your journey home with a content baby if you don’t spend a lot of time dressing your newborn into a complicated outfit.
A soft vest over the nappy, then an all-in-one sleepsuit with integrated feet, and a hat to keep their little head warm would be an ideal going home outfit.
If it’s a chilly day, you can always add additional blankets if you need to.
For you, it’s best to pack a comfortable, non-restricting and easy-to-wear clothing in your hospital bag to wear for your journey home.
Take your time, get as much as advice and support as you can from midwives and healthcare professionals, and don’t feel rushed before all your questions are answered, especially if it’s your first baby. Once given the all-clear, you should be provided with handheld notes to hand over to your community midwife when she does a home visit, contact details of where to get help should you need this when you are at home, and any medication if required.
Remember to be kind to yourself and allow yourself time to recover physically and emotionally.
Having a car seat for baby is essential and will protect your baby on the drive home from the hospital and no doubt, many car journeys to come. Choosing your baby’s car seat can feel overwhelming and you may not be sure on the most up to date regulations so it is always best to...
Be prepared for a slow car ride home as you safely travel with your precious cargo.
With all the thought of birth plans and baby clothes, you may not yet have given much thought to your first night at home with your baby. But it’s always a good idea to have a few essentials to hand for when your dream of becoming a new parent becomes reality. A valuable tip and time saver is to prepare all your essentials before your due date approaches. You will probably have already thought about your baby’s changing station (see newborn essentials guide LINK) but stocking up on essentials for mum (and dad) will also help you in the first few hours and days after getting back home with your newborn, allowing you to recover and really enjoy your newborn bubble.
Babies need frequent nappy changes, but how often they need changing depends on how sensitive their skin is.
Some babies have very delicate skin and need changing as soon as they wet themselves, otherwise their skin becomes sore and red.
Other babies can wait to be changed until before or after every feed.
All babies need changing as soon as possible when they have done a poo (stool) to prevent nappy rash.
Young babies need changing as many as 10 or 12 times a day, while older babies need to be changed at least 6 to 8 times.
Before you change your baby's nappy, wash your hands and get everything you need in one place, including:
The best place to change a nappy is on a changing mat or towel on the floor, particularly if you have more than one baby.
That way, if you need to see to another child for a moment, your baby can't fall. It's best done sitting down so you don't hurt your back.
If you're using a changing table, keep an eye on your baby at all times. You shouldn't rely on the straps to keep your baby secure. Never walk away or turn your back.
Older babies may try to wriggle away when you're changing them. You could give them a toy or use a mobile to distract them.
It's just as important to clean your baby fully whether they have wet themselves or done a poo.
If your baby's nappy is dirty, use the nappy to clean off most of the poo from their bottom.
Then use the cotton wool and plain warm water (or baby wipes) to remove the rest and get your baby really clean.
Clean the whole nappy area gently but thoroughly and make sure you clean inside the folds of skin.
Girls should be cleaned from front to back to avoid getting germs into their vagina.
Boys should be cleaned around the testicles (balls) and penis, but there's no need to pull back their foreskin.
If it's warm enough, let your baby lie on the changing mat without a nappy on for a while. Wearing a nappy all the time makes nappy rash more likely.
If you're using disposable nappies, take care not to get water or cream on the sticky tabs as they won't stick if you do.
If you're using cloth nappies, put in a nappy liner and then fasten the nappy. Adjust it to fit snugly round the waist and legs.
Chat to your baby while you're changing them. Pulling faces, smiling and laughing with your baby will help you bond and help their development.
Try not to show any disgust at what's in their nappy. You don't want your baby to learn that doing a poo is something unpleasant or negative.
Disposable nappies can be rolled up and resealed using the tabs. Put them in a plastic bag kept only for nappies, then tie it up and put it in an outside bin.
Washable cloth nappies don't have to be soaked before they're washed, but you may choose to soak them to help get the stains off. Check the washing instructions first.
Cloth nappies can be machine washed at 60C, or you could use a local nappy laundry service.
There's no evidence that using washing powders with enzymes (bio powders) or fabric conditioners will irritate your baby's skin.
Wash nappies that are dirty with poo separately from your other washing. You'll probably have enough nappies to make up a full load anyway.
To avoid infection, wash your hands after changing a nappy before you do anything else.
If your baby's old enough, they can wash their hands with you as it's a good habit to get into.
Your baby's first poo is called meconium. This is sticky and greenish-black.
Some babies may do this kind of poo during or after birth, or some time in the first 48 hours.
After a few days the poo will change to a yellow or mustard colour. Breastfed babies' poo is runny and doesn't smell. Formula-fed babies' poo is firmer, darker brown and more smelly.
Some infant formulas can also make your baby's poo dark green. If you change from breast to formula feeding, you'll find your baby's poos become darker and more paste-like.
If you have a girl, you may see a white discharge on her nappy for a few days after birth.
It's caused by hormones that have crossed the placenta to your baby, but these will soon disappear from her system.
These hormones can occasionally cause slight bleeding like a mini period, but in both cases it's nothing to worry about.
Read the NCT guide to newborn baby poo to find out more.
Babies do an average of 4 poos a day in the first week of life. This goes down to an average of 2 a day by the time they're 1 year old.
Newborn babies who are breastfed may poo at each feed in the early weeks, then, after about 6 weeks, not have a poo for several days.
Formula-fed babies may poo up to 5 times a day when newborn, but after a few months this can go down to once a day.
It's also normal for babies to strain or even cry when doing a poo.
Your baby isn't constipated as long as their poos are soft, even if they haven't done one for a few days.
From day to day or week to week, your baby's poos will probably vary.
If you notice a definite change of any kind, such as the poos becoming very smelly, very watery or harder (particularly if there's blood in them), you should talk to your doctor or health visitor.
If your baby's poos look pale, this can be a sign of liver disease.
Speak to your health visitor or GP if you notice this.
Disposable and cloth nappies come in a range of shapes and sizes. The choice might be confusing at first, but with trial and error you'll be able to work out which nappies suit your baby best as they grow.
Disposable and cloth nappies have different pros and cons, so you'll need to consider things like cost, convenience and the impact on the environment when you choose what to buy.
For example, disposable nappies are very handy, but washable cloth nappies work out cheaper if you add up the costs over the years your baby's in nappies.
Some cloth nappy brands and local councils offer free samples for you to try out.
If you use cloth nappies, you may want to sign up to a nappy laundry service that'll take away the dirty nappies and deliver a fresh batch each week.
Which? has more information to help you decide which type of nappy is best for your baby, budget and lifestyle.
If you're planning to bottle feed with expressed breast milk or infant formula, these tips will help keep your baby safe and healthy.
You'll need a number of bottles and teats, as well as sterilising equipment.
There's no evidence that one type of teat or bottle is better than any other.
Simple bottles that are easy to wash and sterilise are probably best.
It's important to sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment, including bottles and teats, until they are at least 12 months old.
This will protect your baby against infections, in particular diarrhoea and vomiting.
Before sterilising, you need to:
The advice above applies to all your baby's feeding equipment, and whether you are using expressed breast milk or formula milk.
There are several ways you can sterilise your baby’s feeding equipment. These include:
Expressing milk means squeezing milk out of your breast so you can store it and feed it to your baby later.
You might want to express milk if:
You can express milk by hand or with a breast pump. How often you express your milk, and how much you express, will depend on why you are doing it.
Sometimes it takes a little while for your milk to start flowing. Try to choose a time when you feel relaxed. Having your baby (or a photo of them) nearby may help your milk to flow.
You may find it easier to express in the morning, when your breasts can sometimes feel fuller.
Some women find it easier to express milk by hand than to use a pump, especially in the first few days or weeks. It also means you won't have to buy or borrow a pump, or rely on an electricity supply.
Hand expressing allows you to encourage milk to flow from a particular part of the breast. This may be useful, for example, if one of the milk ducts in your breast becomes blocked.
Hold a sterilised feeding bottle or container below your breast to catch the milk as it flows.
These tips may help:
Watch a video about expressing milk by hand, on the UNICEF website.
There are two different types of breast pump: manual (hand-operated) and electric.
Different pumps suit different women, so ask for advice or see if you can try one before you buy.
Manual pumps are cheaper but may not be as quick as an electric one.
You may be able to hire an electric pump. Your midwife, health visitor or a local breastfeeding supporter can give you details of pump hire services near you.
The suction strength can be altered on some electric pumps. Build up slowly. Setting the strength to high straightaway may be painful or damage your nipple.
You may also be able to get different funnel sizes to fit your nipples. The pump should never cause bruising or catch your nipple as it is sucked into the funnel.
Always make sure that the pump and container are clean and sterilised before you use them.
You can store breast milk in a sterilised container or in special breast milk storage bags:
Breast milk that's been cooled in the fridge can be carried in a cool bag with ice packs for up to 24 hours.
Storing breast milk in small quantities will help to avoid waste. If you're freezing it, make sure you label and date it first.
Breast milk that's been frozen is still good for your baby and is better than formula milk.
It's best to defrost frozen milk slowly in the fridge before giving it to your baby. If you need to use it straightaway you can defrost it by putting it in a jug of warm water or holding it under running warm water.
Once it's defrosted, use it straightaway. Don't re-freeze milk that has been defrosted.
You can feed expressed milk straight from the fridge if your baby is happy to drink it cold. Or you can warm the milk to body temperature by putting the bottle in a jug of warm water or holding it under running warm water.
Once your baby has drunk from a bottle of breast milk it should be used within the hour and anything left over thrown away.
Don't use a microwave to heat up or defrost breast milk. This can cause hot spots, which can burn your baby's mouth.
If you're expressing breast milk because your baby is premature or sick, ask the hospital staff caring for your baby for advice on how to store it.
Read our guest blog post Challenges of Breastfeeding a Preemie
If you are finding it difficult or uncomfortable to express your breast milk:
Make sure your bottles and teats are sterilised and wash your hands thoroughly.
If you're using infant formula, follow the instructions on the packaging carefully when you make up the feed.
Good hygiene is very important when making up a formula feed.
Your baby's immune system isn't as strong as an adult's. That's why bottles, teats and any other feeding equipment need to be washed and sterilised before each feed.
This will reduce the chance of your baby getting an infection, in particular diarrhoea and vomiting.
Loosely fill the scoop with formula powder, according to the manufacturer's instructions, and level it off using either the flat edge of a clean, dry knife or the leveller provided. Different tins of formula come with different scoops. Make sure you only use the scoop that comes with the formula.
Even when tins and packets of powdered infant formula are sealed, they can sometimes contain bacteria.
Bacteria multiply very fast at room temperature. Even when a feed is kept in a fridge, bacteria can still survive and multiply, although more slowly.
To reduce the risk of infection, it's best to make up feeds one at a time, as your baby needs them.
Use freshly boiled drinking water from the tap to make up a feed. Don't use artificially softened water or water that has been boiled before.
Leave the water to cool in the kettle for no more than 30 minutes. Then it will stay at a temperature of at least 70C. Water at this temperature will kill any harmful bacteria.
Remember to let the feed cool before you give it to your baby. Or you can run the bottle (with the lid on) under a cold tap.
Don't use bottled water to make up formula feeds
Bottled water is not recommended for making up feeds, as it's not sterile and may contain too much salt (sodium) or sulphate.
Bottle feeding is a chance to feel close to your baby and get to know them.
Make sure you're sitting comfortably. Enjoy holding your baby and looking into their eyes as you feed them.
Hold your baby fairly upright for bottle feeds. Support their head so they can breathe and swallow comfortably.
Brush the teat against your baby's lips and, when your they open their mouth wide, let them draw in the teat.
Always give your baby plenty of time to feed.
When bottle feeding, keep the teat full of milk, otherwise your baby will take in air.
If the teat goes flat while you're feeding, gently poke your little finger into the corner of your baby's mouth to release the suction.
If the teat gets blocked, replace it with another sterile teat.
Your baby may take short breaks during a feed and may need to burp sometimes.
When your baby has had enough milk, hold them upright and gently rub or pat their back to bring up any wind.
Throw away any unused formula or breast milk after you have finished bottle feeding your baby.
All babies are different. Some want to feed more often that others, and some want more milk.
Just follow your baby's lead.
Feed them when they seem hungry and don't worry if they don't finish the bottle.
Never leave your baby alone to feed with a propped-up bottle as they may choke on the milk.
Talk to your midwife, health visitor or other mothers who have bottle fed if you need help.
You'll find the phone number for your health visitor in your baby's red book.
If your baby swallows air while bottle feeding, they may feel uncomfortable and cry.
After a feed, hold your baby upright against your shoulder or propped forward on your lap. Gently rub their back so any trapped air can find its way out.
There's no need to overdo it – wind isn't as big a problem as many people think.
It's normal for babies to bring up a little milk during or just after a feed. This is called possetting, regurgitation or reflux.
Keep a muslin square handy just in case.
Check that the hole in your baby's teat is not too big. Drinking milk too quickly can make your baby sick.
Don't force them to take more milk than they want during a feed.
Sitting your baby upright on your lap after a feed may help.
If it happens a lot, or your baby is violently sick, seems to be in pain or you're worried for any other reason, talk to your health visitor or GP.
When using formula, always use the amount of powder recommended on the packaging.
Don't add extra formula powder. Using too much can make your baby constipated and may cause dehydration.
If your baby is under 8 weeks old and hasn't done a poo for 2 to 3 days, talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP, particularly if they are gaining weight slowly.
Your baby should be gaining weight and have plenty of wet and dirty nappies.
If you think your baby might be allergic to or intolerant of formula, talk to your GP. If necessary, they can prescribe a special formula feed.
Some formula is labelled as hypoallergenic, but this isn't suitable for babies with a diagnosed cows' milk allergy.
Soya formula should only be given to babies under medical supervision.
Always talk to your GP before using hypoallergenic or soya-based formula.
All babies cry, and some more than others. Crying is your baby's way of telling you they need comfort and care.
Sometimes it's easy to work out what they want, and sometimes it's not.
The most common reasons for crying are:
There may be times of the day when your baby tends to cry a lot and cannot be comforted. Early evening is the most common time for this to happen.
This can be hard for you, as it's often the time when you're most tired and least able to cope.
The amount babies cry tends to peak at about 7 weeks, then gradually tail off.
Try some of the following ways to comfort your baby. Some may work better than others:
Some babies cry and seem unsettled around the time of a feed. If you're breastfeeding, you may find that improving your baby's positioning and attachment helps them settle.
You can go to a breastfeeding drop-in group and ask for help if there's one available in your local area.
The Breastfeeding Network's website can provide information on the nearest group to you.
You can also ask your health visitor for advice.
Crying during feeds can sometimes be a symptom of reflux, a common condition where babies bring back milk after feeds.
Speak to your health visitor or GP for more information and advice.
There are several reasons that can cause a baby to cry excessively.
It can be exhausting if you have tried everything and nothing seems to comfort your baby.
Excessive crying could be a sign that your baby has colic. Everyone agrees that colic exists, but nobody knows what causes it.
Some doctors think it's a kind of stomach cramp. The crying sounds miserable and distressed, and stops for a moment or two, then starts up again, which suggests it could be caused by waves of stomach pain.
The crying can go on for some hours. There may be little you can do except try to comfort your baby and wait for the crying to pass.
If your baby's crying constantly and you cannot console or distract them, or the cry does not sound like their normal cry, it can be a sign they're ill.
Or they may be ill if they're crying and have other symptoms, such as a high temperature. If this is the case, contact your health visitor or GP.
During the day, Monday to Friday, contact your GP surgery. At evenings and weekends you can call NHS 111 or your GP's out-of-hours number.
Call 999 and ask for an ambulance if your baby:
Trust your instincts. You know what's different or worrying behaviour in your baby.
You can talk to a friend, your health visitor or GP, or contact the Cry-sis helpline on 08451 228 669, open 9am to 10pm, 7 days a week. You'll be charged for your call.
Cry-sis can put you in touch with other parents who have been in the same situation.
You can also visit the Cry-sis website for information on coping with crying babies.
If you decide to talk to your health visitor or GP, it can help to keep a record of how often and when your baby cries.
For example, this might be after every feed or during the evening. This can help your health visitor or GP to work out if there's a particular cause for the crying.
Keeping a record can also help you identify the times when you need extra support. You could think about possible changes to your routine.
There may be times when you're so tired and angry you feel like you cannot take any more. This happens to a lot of parents, so do not be ashamed to ask for help.
If you do not have anyone who can take care of your baby for a short time and the crying is making you stressed, put your baby in their cot or pram, make sure they're safe, close the door, go into another room and try to calm yourself down.
Set a time limit – for example, 10 minutes – then go back.
No matter how frustrated you feel, you must never shake your baby. Shaking moves their head violently and can cause brain damage.
Babies don’t need to be bathed everyday. You may prefer to wash your baby by “topping and tailing” by gently cleaning their face, neck, hands and bottom. Choose a time when they are awake and content. Get everything ready beforehand and make sure the room is warm. A bowl of warm water, a towel, cotton wool, a fresh nappy and clean clothes.
You don't need to bathe your baby every day, but if they really enjoy it, there's no reason why you shouldn't.
It's best not to bathe your baby straight after a feed or when they're hungry or tired. Make sure the room you're bathing them in is warm.
Have everything you need at hand: a baby bath or clean washing-up bowl filled with warm water, two towels, a clean nappy, clean clothes and cotton wool.
Some babies are born with long nails and it's important to cut them in case they scratch themselves. You can buy special baby nail clippers or small, round-ended safety scissors. If you find the idea of cutting your baby's nails too nerve-wracking, you could try filing them down with a fine emery board instead.
References NHS.uk
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