Know what to expect when taking care of your newborn baby.
Help your baby adjust
Here are some tips for helping your baby get used to life outside the womb.
Create a soothing environment
Your baby is used to being in a cozy place. Some babies are soothed by being cradled or rocked.
Help your baby adjust to the space around them by keeping the lighting low. Place the baby on their back with a light blanket tucked under the mattress.
Keep loud sounds to a minimum. Your baby is used to the muffled sounds of your world from the womb.
Practice skin-to-skin care
Have skin-to-skin time with your baby. Being against your skin gives your baby a familiar, warm and safe environment and lowers stress. This also helps soothe a fussy baby at any age.
Keep your baby warm
Dress your baby like you are dressed. You will feel if your baby’s room is too warm or too cold.
Keep your baby in a dry and clean diaper. When diapers are wet or dirty, they are cold. Your baby may have been used to the wet womb, but it was warm.
Skin-to-skin care
It is a good idea to place your baby naked (except for a diaper and hat) on your bare chest for at least one hour a day. The baby should be semi-upright so you are chest-to-chest. This is also called kangaroo care.
How it helps your baby
- less crying and stress
- encourages breastfeeding (warm, calm babies latch better and hunger cues are easier to see)
- better sleep
- helps breathing, heart rate and temperature
- makes your baby’s immune system stronger
- helps your baby bond with you
How it helps you
- less stress, depression and anxiety
- helps you make breastmilk and get to know your baby’s feeding cues
- helps postpartum bleeding and pain
- helps blood pressure
- helps you bond with your baby
How it helps your partner
• helps your baby bond with your partner
When your baby can’t stop crying
Babies cry for many reasons. They may be hungry, need a diaper change, need to be cuddled, not feel well or need to release tension.
All babies will have times when they cannot stop crying no matter what you do. It does not mean that your baby is being bad or that they are angry with you. It also does not mean that you are a bad parent.
Use these tips so you are ready for when your baby does not stop crying.
Make your baby as comfortable as possible
Making your baby comfortable may help them stop crying. You can:
- hold your baby close to your chest
- try feeding
- make sure your baby is not too hot or too cold
- keep your baby clean and dry
- give your baby a gentle back rub
Try gentle motion
Giving your baby gentle motion can help them relax. You can:
- walk or rock with your baby
- use a baby swing
- carry your baby in a sling or front carrier
- take your baby for a car ride in a safely secured infant seat
Play soft music or other relaxing sounds
Music or soothing sounds may help your baby stop crying. You can:
- try humming or singing a lullaby
- the sound of a vacuum cleaner, clothes dryer, or dishwasher can sometimes calm a baby
Feed your baby slowly and burp them often
Gas in your baby’s tummy can be painful. If you think your baby’s crying is linked to feedings, talk to your health care provider or public health nurse.
Keep yourself calm and take breaks
Before your emotions get out of control, place your baby in a safe place like a crib, leave the room and shut the door. Take a 15-minute break to relax and calm down before you try to soothe your baby again. Never shake a baby for any reason.
Make a plan with someone you trust
Plan to have someone you trust come over right away if the crying becomes too much to handle. Try to arrange breaks from childcare so you can get some rest.
Keeping your baby clean
Wash your hands before you touch your baby or after changing their diaper.
Bathe your baby with mild soap and warm water. Be careful not to get soap in their eyes. Make sure to dry their skin folds well, but do not use baby powder. Lotions are not usually needed, but if you want to use lotion, use a scent-free, hypoallergenic one.
Clean your baby’s diaper area well with every diaper change. If the skin in the diaper area looks red, or if there is a rash, use a barrier cream (such as a zinc-based product). If the redness or rash does not get better or gets worse, see your healthcare provider.
Cord care
When your baby was born, your healthcare provider put a clamp on their umbilical cord and then cut the cord, leaving a small piece attached to their belly button. The clamp will be on your baby’s cord when you go home from the hospital and will stay on until the cord falls off.
Your baby’s cord will dry up and fall off in one to three weeks after birth. When the cord falls off, you may see a small amount of blood. If the cord is still attached when your baby is three weeks old, tell your healthcare provider.
How to care for your baby’s cord
Having the cord cleaned is not painful for your baby. Look at your baby’s cord two or three times a day. If there is pee or poop on or around the cord, clean it off.
Follow these steps to keep the area clean.
- Wash your hands before and after cleaning or touching the cord.
- Use a cotton swab or a clean cloth soaked with water to clean the base of the cord. You may also bathe your baby in a bathtub.
- Dry the area well.
- After cleaning and drying the cord area, fold the diaper below the cord to help the cord dry.
When to call for help
Call your health care provider if the cord or the skin around the cord:
- continues to bleed
- is red, warm or swollen
- has fluid that smells bad
- is very wet and draining clear fluid
Pees and poops
Use the chart below to see how much your baby should pee and poop depending on how old they are. If you are worried about your baby’s pees or poops, talk to your healthcare provider.
| Age | Pees per day | Poops per day |
|---|---|---|
| Less than one day (first 24 hours) |
|
|
| One to two days (24-48 hours) |
|
|
| Two to three days (48-72 hours) |
|
|
| Three to five days (72-120 hours) |
|
|
| Six to seven days and older |
|
|
Adapted from Healthy Parents Healthy Children Pregnancy and Birth.
Understanding your baby’s hunger
How to know if your baby is hungry
Your baby may be hungry if they:
- make sucking motions
- smack their lips
- put a fist or fingers in their mouth
- search with an open mouth
- cry
How to know your baby is full
Your baby may be full if they:
- slow down or stop sucking or swallowing
- seem content and relaxed when coming off your breast
- open and relax their arms beside their body
- fall asleep after feeding
Your baby’s tummy size
Caring for your baby’s genitals
If you have a baby boy
When your baby boy is born, the tip of his penis (called the glans) is covered by a fold of skin called the foreskin. This is normal. The foreskin is usually stuck to the glans at birth and will slowly separate on its own as your child grows.
You may see a white substance (called smegma) around the tip of the penis. This is normal and helps protect the skin.
It’s also normal for baby boys to have erections.
If your baby is not circumcised
How to clean
- Gently wash the baby’s penis with warm water and mild soap during bath time and after diaper changes.
- Do not pull the foreskin back. It will naturally become easier to pull back as your child gets older — usually when they are between three and five years old but sometimes not until they are a teenager.
- Once the foreskin can be pulled back, teach your child to gently clean under it as part of taking care of their body.
If your baby is circumcised
Circumcision is when the foreskin is taken off through an operation.
It’s not routinely recommended for all babies, but some families choose it for personal, religious, or cultural reasons.Your baby must be healthy and stable to have the operation, and there may be a cost.
If you’re thinking about circumcision, talk to your health care provider or visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca — Circumcision to learn more.
If you have a baby girl
It’s important to gently clean in and around your baby girl’s labia (the folds of skin around the vaginal opening). Diaper creams, sweat and other substances can collect there.
How to clean
- Use a soft washcloth with warm water and mild baby soap.
- Hold your baby’s legs apart and gently wipe from front to back between the labia.
- Use a clean part of the cloth if you need to wipe again.
- Pat the area dry with a soft towel.
- Avoid using soaps, lotions or gels with perfume. (You don’t need to use lotion on your baby’s genital area.)
Discharge
You may notice a thick, milky fluid (discharge) around your baby’s labia. This is normal and doesn’t need to be wiped away.
Some newborn girls may have a small amount of bloody discharge in the first few weeks. This is called pseudo-menses and is caused by hormones passed from the mother. It will go away on its own.
Safe sleep
Babies tend to sleep much of the night and day. To keep your baby safe from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other injuries and deaths during sleep in babies under one year old:
- Put your baby on their back to sleep, every sleep.
- Use a crib, cradle or bassinet that is free of clutter.
- Keep your baby warm but not hot.
- Keep spaces smoke-free before and after birth.
- Breastfeed your baby.
- Share a room. Do not share a bed, sofa or any other sleep surface with your baby.
- Put your baby on their tummy several times a day when they are awake and with you.
- Do not use playpens, car seats, swings, bouncy chairs, etc. for sleep.
Sleep stages
Your baby will go through five stages of sleep several times during their sleep period. Sleep cycles vary from baby to baby. Babies may wake up as they pass from deep sleep to light sleep.
Stage 1: Drowsiness
Your baby is starting to fall asleep. You may see yawning, stretching or fussing. Get the baby ready for a nap. Now is a good time to change their diaper and be quiet together.
Stage 2: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
During REM, your baby’s brain is developing and learning new skills. This is a light but active sleep where the eyes move rapidly back and forth under closed eyelids. Your baby may twitch or jerk their arms or legs and this is normal. Your baby’s breathing may also be uneven during this sleep, but you do not need to be concerned.
Stage 3: Light sleep
Breathing becomes regular, and sleep becomes less active during this stage. Your baby may move and startle with sounds. If you are moving your baby from your arms to a crib or other sleep space, they may wake briefly and go back to sleep.
Stage 4: Deep sleep
During this stage, your baby is quiet and does not move. Their sleep is deeper, and it may be harder to wake them up.
Stage 5: Very deep sleep
This stage is also called quiet sleep. Your baby’s hands and shoulders will be very relaxed. During this stage, you can usually move your baby without waking them up.
Baby falls
Babies can easily fall from furniture and other surfaces by kicking and wiggling. It can happen very fast, even when you are in the same room and before you think your baby can move much.
Babies have large heads compared to their bodies. During a fall, a baby’s head will often hit the ground first and take the impact.
Protecting your baby from falls
- Keep at your baby’s side. That is the best way to prevent falls. If you need to step away for a moment when your baby is on a raised surface, move them to their crib, a playpen or the floor.
- Always stay with your baby when they are on a high place, such as a change table. Always keep at least one hand on your baby.
- Chew gum while holding your baby to avoid falling asleep and possibly dropping your baby as a result.
- Change your baby’s diapers on the floor.
- Put car seats, baby chairs and cribs on the floor instead of on a counter, bed or sofa.
- Use safety straps when available.
Car seat safety
Your baby is safest riding in the back of your vehicle in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least two years old or reach the weight or height limit for the seat. The car seat manufacturer will state the height and weight limit.
Using a car seat safely
- Only use a car seat that has the Canada National Safety Mark from the Canada Standards Association. This means it meets Canadian safety standards.
- Read your car seat and vehicle owner’s manual so you know how to safely install the approved car seat.
- Never place the car seat in front of an airbag.
- Check the straps. The harness should be snug. You should not be able to pinch the strap at your baby’s collarbone.
- Always place the carry handle in the travel position when in a car. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the correct position.
- Avoid dressing your baby in a bulky coat or snowsuit for rides in the car seat. Dress your baby in regular clothes, buckle them in and place a blanket over the straps to keep them warm.
- Use car seats only for travelling in a vehicle.
- Stop every hour to 90 minutes when driving. Take your baby out of the car seat and let them rest flat for 30 minutes.
- Never leave your baby alone in a car seat or in a car.
- All car seats have an expiration date. Look for it on the seat or in the manual.
- If your car seat has been in any kind of accident — even a minor one — it needs to be replaced. Call your insurance company for advice.