Newborn care basics: the first days home and the first month, week by week

Newborn care basics come down to a short list for the first month: regular feeds every two to three hours, sleep on the back in a cot in your room, clean nappies, a dry umbilical cord, short baths two or three times a week, and knowing the few signs that mean a doctor. Your first days home are the steepest part. By week four you will know your baby's cues, the cord will be gone, and you will have had the first polyclinic visit. This guide walks through the first day home and the first month week by week, using what KKH, SingHealth and HealthHub tell new parents, then the basics topic by topic.

It is general information only, not a substitute for your own paediatrician, polyclinic doctor or lactation consultant. If anything worries you, the safe move is always to get your baby seen. The SingHealth and KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) pages listed at the end are worth bookmarking.

Your first day home with a newborn

Most babies come home one to three days after birth. At KKH the average stay is 24 to 36 hours after a normal delivery and 48 to 72 hours after a Caesarean. Before you leave, the hospital will usually have done the following, and it helps to know what is already ticked off:

• A vitamin K injection in the first few hours, to prevent a bleeding disorder.
• The two vaccines MOH recommends at birth: hepatitis B and BCG (against tuberculosis). Both go into your baby's health booklet.
• Cord blood tests for G6PD deficiency, thyroid function and blood group, a heel-prick metabolic screen, a hearing test and a pulse oximetry check of oxygen levels.
• A first bath held back for 24 hours, in line with WHO advice on keeping newborns warm.

At home on day one, keep it simple. Put the cot in your room, set the room to about 25 degrees Celsius as KKH suggests, and keep the cot out of any draught. Feed on demand, which usually means every two to three hours, day and night. Wash your hands before feeds and after nappies, and keep anyone with a cough or flu away from the baby. Your discharge papers will list a follow-up date at a polyclinic for jaundice, weight and vaccines. Put it in your phone now.

Two pieces of admin start the clock too. Register the birth on the LifeSG app within 42 days, which replaced the old paper certificate, and then download the digital certificate from ICA when you are notified. If you have a car, your baby rides in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat from the very first trip home from hospital.

The first month, week by week

Every baby is different, so treat these as rough markers, not deadlines.

Confinement usually ends somewhere in this stretch: about 30 days for Chinese families, 40 for Indian families and 44 for Malay families, HealthHub notes. Our confinement guide covers which customs doctors agree with.

From one month to 100 days

Between one and three months your baby sleeps 14 to 17 hours a day in total, wakes more at night than you would like, and starts to smile back at you. HealthHub recommends at least 30 minutes of supervised floor play, including tummy time, spread through the day from about 4 to 6 weeks. Colicky crying, if it comes, tends to peak around 6 to 8 weeks and ease by 3 to 4 months. Mittens can come off from about six weeks so your baby can explore with their hands. Polyclinic visits for vaccines and growth checks follow the national schedule; our baby vaccination schedule guide sets out what happens when. Many Chinese families mark the 100th day with a small celebration, much like the full month celebration.

Newborn cues: what your baby is telling you

A newborn cannot tell you what they need, but they give signals well before they cry. Learning these in the first weeks makes everything easier.

• Hungry: rooting (turning towards your breast when you stroke the cheek), sucking on fists and stirring come first. Crying is a late one, so feed before it starts.
• Tired: your baby whines at small things, stares blankly into space or goes quieter than usual.
• Overstimulated: tired but unable to settle after lots of handling or visitors. A quiet room helps.
• Wants contact: crying when put down and settling in your arms. Carrying your baby is not spoiling them.
• Unwell: the cry sounds different, and there may be fever, refused feeds or vomiting as well.

Our guide on how to soothe a crying newborn has a step-by-step checklist for when the cues run out.

Feeding your newborn

Newborns have tiny stomachs and feed often. Breast milk is recommended for all infants, on demand rather than by the clock, and KKH's discharge advice is to breastfeed every two to three hours, through the night as well as the day. A baby who is feeding well needs no extra water in the first six months.

Worried your baby is getting enough? Watch the outputs: steady weight gain, a settled baby after feeds, and more wet nappies each day in the first week are all reassuring. Burp your baby after each feed by holding them upright and patting the back. If feeding hurts, your baby feeds constantly without settling, or weight gain is a concern, get help early from a lactation consultant or polyclinic. KKH's lactation team takes outpatient and video appointments on 6225 5554, and our guide to breastfeeding support in Singapore lists other options.

Safe sleep and reducing the risk of SIDS

Safe sleep is one of the few areas of newborn care where the set-up really matters, because it lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Put your baby fully on the back for every sleep, naps included. Side and tummy positions are not recommended for sleep.

• Use a firm, flat sleep surface in a cot or bassinet, clear of loose bedding, pillows, cot bumpers and soft toys.
• Have your baby sleep in their own cot in your room. Bring them into your bed only to feed or comfort, then return them to the cot.
• Never fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair, where a baby can slip into a gap or be smothered against a cushion.
• Keep your baby away from cigarette smoke.
• Avoid overheating: dress for the room and keep it at about 25 degrees Celsius.

Breastfeeding is also linked with a lower risk of SIDS. Tummy time is good for development, but only when your baby is awake and watched. Newborns mix up day and night, and it can take six months or more to sort out; keep daytime feeds bright and chatty and night feeds dim and quiet. Our baby sleep schedule tool shows typical sleep by age.

Nappies and what they tell you

Nappy changes double as a free health check. Expect up to six to eight nappies a day. Wet nappies should increase over the first week, to at least five heavy ones a day from about day five.

Stools change fast: black and sticky meconium for the first two to three days, then golden yellow over the first week. Breastfed babies' stools are often runny with small seed-like bits. Anywhere from eight to ten a day to one every three or four days can be normal, and a red face and straining sounds are normal too. Wipe gently from front to back and let the skin air-dry before the fresh nappy goes on. SingHealth's newborn care sheet says to see a doctor for a bloated tummy, frequent large watery stools, pale or clay-coloured stools, fresh blood on the nappy, or hard dry stools.

Bathing your newborn: when and how

Your baby's first bath happens after 24 hours, and at home two or three baths a week is plenty, as long as you wipe well at nappy changes and after feeds. Until the cord drops off, sponge or top-and-tail instead of a tub bath. Keep baths short, about five to ten minutes, and pick a calm moment between feeds rather than when your baby is hungry or sleepy.

• Fill the basin first, adding hot water to cold, never the other way round, and test with your elbow so it feels warm but never hot.
• Never leave your baby alone in or near water, even for a few seconds. Gather everything first.
• Clean the eyes first with moist cotton balls, a fresh one for each eye, then the face, then work down.
• Support the head, neck and shoulders with one arm throughout. Pat dry afterwards, and do not miss the skin folds.

Newborn nails grow fast and scratch, so start trimming at about one month, ideally while your baby sleeps.

Umbilical cord care

The cord stump dries up and drops off by itself, usually within seven to ten days. The aim is to keep it clean and dry so it does not get infected.

• Clean it with cotton wool and cooled boiled water, from the base upwards, after each bath or whenever it gets wet. You do not usually need alcohol or creams.
• Fold the nappy below the stump and dress your baby in a loose top so air reaches it. Skip bodysuits until the cord has dropped off.
• Let it come away on its own. Never pull it.
• A little blood on the stump after it falls off is normal.

Soothing a crying baby

Crying is how a newborn communicates, and in the first months it can feel relentless. Run through the usual causes, which are hunger, a wet or dirty nappy, wind, being too hot or cold, tiredness or wanting to be held. Then soothe with skin-to-skin contact, gentle rocking, a calm voice and feeding. Swaddling settles some babies: wrap the arms snugly while leaving the hips loose, never cover the face, lay a swaddled baby on the back, and stop once your baby shows signs of trying to roll.

It helps to know about the period of PURPLE crying, a normal phase rather than an illness. From around two weeks, crying tends to build, peak near the second month, and ease by three to four months. When it gets too much, lay your baby safely in the cot and step away for a few minutes. Never shake a baby; it can cause serious brain injury.

Recognising newborn jaundice

Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, is very common in newborns. SingHealth and KKH information notes that good fluid intake matters, because jaundice is often worse with mild dehydration, and that mild jaundice in the first week usually needs no treatment beyond attention to feeding. Jaundice that stays on the face is generally harmless, but as the yellow spreads to the chest, and especially the tummy, arms or legs, the bilirubin level is likely rising and should be checked. Some babies need phototherapy (light therapy) in hospital. Our newborn jaundice guide covers the checks in detail.

• Treat jaundice as urgent if your baby also has a fever, becomes listless or drowsy, or is not feeding well.
• Yellowing in the first 24 hours always needs urgent assessment.
• Breastfed babies can stay mildly yellow beyond two to three weeks. See a doctor if jaundice lasts beyond two weeks, or if pale stools and dark urine appear. Our guide to when a baby's fever is a worry in Singapore covers the overlap with an unwell baby.

Keeping your baby healthy

A newborn's immune system is still finding its feet. Wash your hands with soap before preparing feeds or latching your baby on, and after nappies, and ask visitors to do the same. If you have a cough or flu, wear a mask; you can keep breastfeeding. Family or visitors with flu symptoms should stay away from the baby. Keep your home smoke-free.

A normal temperature taken under the arm is 36.5 to 37.5 degrees Celsius. If your baby feels warm, check it. Keep your baby's health booklet with you for every appointment; routine vaccinations and developmental checks happen at your polyclinic, and our vaccination schedule tool works out the dates for your baby.

Looking after yourselves, too

A parent running on no sleep cannot care well for anyone, so sleep when your baby sleeps, eat regularly, and accept every offer of help. HealthHub notes that a confinement nanny or an experienced relative helps many mothers through the first weeks. The baby blues are common. You may feel tearful or irritable in the first week, and it usually fades by itself. If it goes on for more than two weeks or deepens, or you have thoughts of harming yourself or the baby, speak to your doctor. Our guide to postnatal depression help in Singapore lists who to call.

When to call a doctor

Newborns cannot tell you they are unwell and can go downhill quickly, so seek advice early rather than wait and see. SingHealth's newborn care sheet says to take your baby to a polyclinic or children's emergency department for any of these:

• A fever: an armpit temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius. In a baby under 3 months, treat any fever as urgent, even if your baby otherwise looks well.
• Unusual fussiness or crying that nothing soothes.
• Breathing that is faster, slower, noisier or harder work than usual, or a blue tinge to the lips.
• Vomiting rather than spitting up, especially if green or projectile.
• Refusing several feeds in a row, or far fewer wet nappies.
• Lethargy: unusually sleepy, floppy or hard to wake.
• Loose stools with mucus or blood, an unusual rash, or unusual movements.
• Jaundice that spreads down the body, shows up in the first 24 hours, or is still there after two weeks.

Related reading: our guides to what is normal in baby poop, treating and preventing diaper rash, baby sleep training for later months, and newborn head shape. Our free baby clothing size calculator helps you buy the right sizes.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do on the first day home with a newborn?

Set up the cot in your room at about 25 degrees Celsius, feed every two to three hours, keep the cord clean and dry, and put the polyclinic follow-up date in your phone. Register the birth on LifeSG within 42 days. Leave full baths until later; top-and-tail is enough.

When does the umbilical cord fall off?

Usually within seven to ten days. Keep it clean and dry, fold the nappy below it, and let it fall off by itself. See a doctor for redness around the navel, watery or smelly discharge, or bleeding that does not stop.

How often should I bathe a newborn?

Two or three times a week is plenty in the first month, with top-and-tail washes in between. Sponge-bathe until the cord falls off, then move to a short tub bath of five to ten minutes in warm, not hot, water.

What is the safest sleep position for my baby?

Fully on the back, for every sleep including naps. Use a firm, flat surface in a cot in your room, keep it clear of pillows, bumpers and soft toys, never sleep with your baby on a sofa, and keep your baby away from smoke.

When should I worry about newborn jaundice?

See a doctor if the yellow spreads to the chest, tummy, arms, legs or eyes, appears in the first 24 hours, comes with fever, drowsiness or poor feeding, or lasts beyond two weeks.

My baby under 3 months has a fever. What should I do?

Treat it as an emergency. SingHealth's newborn care advice is to see a doctor for an armpit temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius. Go to a polyclinic or children's emergency department straight away, even if your baby seems otherwise fine.

Newborn care gets easier as you and your baby learn each other's rhythms. For more, browse the wider Fussy Mama blog for practical parent guides.