What To Expect In The First Months With A New Baby

When it comes to the eating, snoozing and, we’re just going to say it, pooping habits of the newest member of your family, let’s just say it’s wise to expect the unexpected, like the fact that newborns can’t really tell day from night.

Sleeping

While your cherub is likely to sleep for approximately 16 in every 24 hours, they’ll split that time over a series of different snoozes throughout the day and yep, you guessed it, the night. Many babies may want to sleep nestled up close to you and while it can make getting anything done tricky, it’s perfectly normal behaviour for a newborn who’s still a bit befuddled at being outside the cosy confines of the womb. ‘Play time’ for the first month is minimal, with your bub usually spending most of their time asleep or feeding.

Feeding

Whether you’re breast or bottle-feeding, your baby will usually want to be fed every two to three hours, potentially with a longer, four-hour stretch overnight. It’s not uncommon, however, for your little one to want to stay ‘perma-latched’ or feed very frequently during certain fussy periods, sometimes referred to as the ‘Witching Hour(s)’ between around 5pm-10pm at night. Setting yourself up a ‘feeding station’ where you can sit or lounge comfortably with easy access to snacks, water and the TV remote and/or your phone is a great idea as you’ll likely be spending a lot of time with bub in your arms.

Nappies

Newborns need to be changed frequently due to their tendency to wee out a lot of the milk they are drinking, not to mention the infamous poo-plosions that are common place during the first month. It’s not uncommon for a new baby to poo between six to eight times per day, at least for the first few weeks, though breastfed babies can sometimes go a few days without a bowel movement. Consistency, as in texture and colour is the key thing to take note of. Breastfed babies usually have slightly more liquid, mustard coloured stools while formula fed infants have a thicker, yellow or tan coloured poo. If your baby is passing hard, pellet like poos or you notice streaks of blood, consult your doctor or health care provider as they may be suffering constipation. When your partner wants to get involved and spend some time bonding with bub, suggesting they take care of nappy change time is a genius stroke as you can remain poo and wee free, at least for a short period.