Newborn guides
Short articles for this stage, reviewed against AAP and CDC guidance.
TLDRNewborn: the few things to know, for busy parents
- Under 3 months, a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher means call the pediatrician right away. Call 911 for blue lips, struggling to breathe or a limp baby. Read the guide
- Every sleep: alone, on the back, on a firm, flat, bare surface. Share a room, not a bed, ideally for the first 6 months. Read the guide
- Feed on hunger cues, 8-12 or more times a day. Crying is a late cue. Read the guide
- From day 5, expect 6 or more wet diapers a day. Fewer is a same-day call. Read the guide
- Losing 5-7% of birth weight is expected; most babies are back to it by 10-14 days. Yellow skin in the first 24 hours needs a call the same day. Read the guide
- Crying peaks around 6-8 weeks and eases by 3-4 months. If you're losing your cool, put the baby down safely and step away. Never shake a baby. Read the guide
Feeding 15
- Breastfeeding: Positions, a Deep Latch and Building Supply Positions, a deep latch, signs milk is getting in, and building supply.
- Breastfeeding Problems: Pain, Engorgement, Clogs, Mastitis and Tongue Tie Sore nipples, engorgement, clogged ducts, mastitis and tongue tie.
- Pumping and Storing Breast Milk Choosing a pump, flange fit, pumping schedules and storing milk.
- Diapers: What's Normal and When to Call Wet and dirty diaper counts by day and month, meconium to yellow stools, diaper rash care, and the diaper signs that mean call the doctor.
- How Much and How Often Should My Baby Eat? Birth to 12 Months How much and how often babies eat, from the first week to 12 months.
- Bottle Nipple Sizes: How to Tell if the Flow Is Too Fast or Too Slow Nipple flow levels, signs the flow is too fast or slow, when to size up or replace nipples, and choosing bottles.
- Which Baby Formula Is Best? Choosing and Switching Formulas Formula types and what the evidence shows, store brands, switching safely, and signs of milk protein allergy.
- Combination Feeding: When to Introduce a Bottle to a Breastfed Baby Mixing breast and bottle, when to start a bottle, protecting supply, bottle refusal and how much milk to leave.
- How to Make Formula Safely, Store It and Sanitize Bottles (CDC) Mixing powder formula, safe water, warming, how long formula lasts, and cleaning and sanitizing bottles.
- How to Bottle Feed a Baby: Paced Feeding, Positioning and Burping Step-by-step paced bottle feeding, how to hold baby, burping positions, fullness cues and bottle safety.
- Should I Wake My Newborn to Eat? How Long Babies Can Go Between Feeds When to wake a sleeping newborn to feed, when it's OK to let them sleep, and how to wake a sleepy baby.
- Donor Breast Milk and Milk Sharing: Is It Safe? How milk banks work, the risks of informal milk sharing, and how families lower them.
- Exclusive Pumping: Schedules, Supply and Weaning From the Pump How often to pump, supply goals, cleaning, and making exclusive pumping sustainable.
- Low Milk Supply: How to Tell and How to Build It Up How to tell if supply is truly low, common causes, and step-by-step ways to make more milk.
- Oversupply and Fast Letdown: Why Baby Chokes at the Breast Signs of too much milk or a forceful letdown, positions that help, and safe ways to bring supply down.
Crying 2
Everyday care 7
- Cord Care and Bathing a Baby How to care for the umbilical cord stump, when it falls off, sponge baths, how often to bathe a baby, and signs of infection to call about.
- Newborn Care and Routines: Sleep, Feeding and Everyday Care Getting ready before baby, everyday infant care, and simple routines, from the Doctors Bjorkman.
- Pacifiers: When to Start, SIDS, Safe Use and Weaning When to offer a pacifier, how it relates to SIDS and breastfeeding, safe use and cleaning, and how to wean.
- Circumcision Care and Caring for an Uncircumcised Penis How to care for a healing circumcision day by day, and why to leave an uncircumcised baby's foreskin alone.
- How to Dress a Baby for Hot and Cold Weather The one-extra-layer rule, cold-weather and car seat tips, sun protection under 6 months, and signs of too hot or cold.
- Newborn Poop Colors: What's Normal and What Needs a Closer Look A color-by-color guide to baby poop, from meconium to yellow seedy stools, and which colors need checking.
- How to Trim Baby Nails, Plus Hair, Ear and Everyday Grooming How to file and clip tiny nails without tears, what to do if you nick skin, and simple hair, ear and eye care.
Getting out 2
- Outings and Travel in the First Month Can we go out with a newborn? Walks, long drives, flying, crowds and loud events in the first month, and what to wait on until vaccines.
- Visitors and Germs in the First Months Newborn visitors and germs: who should wait, handwashing, cold sores, Tdap and flu shots for family, RSV protection, smoke and pets.
Health 11
- Hiccups, Spit-Up and Reflux in Babies Baby hiccups, spit-up and reflux: what's normal, what helps after feeds, safe sleep with reflux, and the vomiting signs that need a call.
- Newborn and Young Baby: When to Call the Pediatrician or 911 When to call the pediatrician or 911 for a newborn or young baby: fever under 3 months, breathing, feeding, jaundice, vomiting and behavior.
- Newborn Skin, Eyes and Other Little Things Baby acne, cradle cap, sticky eyes and other normal newborn things.
- Newborn Weight Loss, Weight Gain and Jaundice: What's Normal How much weight newborns lose and gain, how to read growth charts, and how to check for jaundice.
- Baby Flat Head and Torticollis: Prevention, Therapy and Helmets Why flat spots and tight neck muscles happen, how to prevent and fix them, and when helmets or a specialist come in.
- Preemie and NICU Parents: Kangaroo Care, Pumping and Going Home A NICU guide for parents: kangaroo care, pumping for a preterm baby, corrected age, discharge, RSV protection and coping.
- Blocked Tear Ducts and Sticky, Crusty Eyes in Babies Why newborns get watery, crusty eyes, how to clean and massage a blocked tear duct, and how it differs from pink eye.
- How to Take a Baby's Temperature: Rectal, Forehead, Armpit or Ear Which thermometer to use at each age, how to take a rectal temperature step by step, and what counts as a fever.
- Newborn Breathing Sounds, Sneezing and Stuffy Noses: What's Normal Why newborns snort, sneeze and pause while breathing, how to clear a stuffy nose, and signs of working too hard to breathe.
- Stuffy Nose and Colds in Newborns and Babies Under 3 Months Easing congestion with saline and suction, feeding through a cold, what not to give, and fever rules under 3 months.
- Thrush in Babies: White Patches in the Mouth and How It's Treated How to tell thrush from milk tongue, how it's treated, and stopping yeast passing between baby and nursing parent.
First days 3
- The Newborn's First Week, Day by Day What to expect each day of week one, from the hospital to the first checkup.
- The First Weeks with a Newborn An overview of feeding, sleep and crying in the first weeks.
- The First Hour After Birth: Golden Hour, Cord Clamping and Newborn Shots What happens in the golden hour: skin-to-skin, delayed cord clamping, the vitamin K shot, eye ointment and the first feed.
Sleep 6
- Newborn Sleep, Day and Night: Wake Windows and Night Feeds How much newborns sleep, short wake windows, bright days and dark quick night feeds, and the first gentle steps toward a routine.
- Safe Sleep for Babies: Back to Sleep, a Bare Crib and Room-Sharing (AAP) Back to sleep, a bare crib and room-sharing, for every sleep in the first year — from AAP safe-sleep guidance.
- Contact Naps: Safe Holding and How to Transfer a Sleeping Baby Why newborns love sleeping on you, the one rule that keeps contact naps safe, and how to transfer to the crib.
- Baby Room Temperature and How to Set Up a Safe Sleep Space The right nursery temperature, what baby should wear to sleep, and a checklist for a safe crib or bassinet.
- How to Swaddle a Baby Safely and When to Stop Swaddling How to swaddle step by step with hip-healthy legs, safe-sleep rules, and when and how to stop.
- White Noise Machines, Night Lights and Baby Sleep Aids: What's Safe How loud and how close a white noise machine should be, the best night light, and sleep products to skip.
Connection 1
Play and development 2
- Newborn Hearing and Vision: Screening Tests and What Babies See and Hear The newborn hearing screen and follow-up, what newborns can see, eye checks, and hearing and vision milestones.
- Newborn Reflexes: Startle, Rooting, Grasp and When They Fade What the startle, rooting, grasp, fencing and stepping reflexes look like and when each usually fades.
Want to go deeper? See the experts and books behind these guides, or the library Cradle answers from.