Caring for Your Baby

We have lots of information on caring for your baby, but if you have concerns, you can also ask your midwife or maternity support worker for advice.

You can also find information on feeding your baby or learn about caring for your baby's health.

Signs of an unwell baby

Caring for a newborn can be nerve-wracking. They can’t tell you what they need or if something is wrong; most new parents find this quite daunting. In time, you will understand your baby’s care needs, such as feeding cues, and they will develop different cries that help you understand their need.

In the first few weeks, it can be difficult to tell if your baby is unwell, especially if this is your first baby and you’re unsure what’s normal.
Many health issues affect small babies. If you experience any of these, make an appointment to see your GP:

Oral Thrush   - Nappy rash   - Constipation   - Colic   - Reflux   - Cradle cap   - Fontanelles (soft spot)   - Jaundice 

If you feel concerned, it’s best to get your baby checked out. If you see any of these symptoms in your baby, contact your midwife, GP or 111 right away:

  • Your baby isn’t interested in feeding or is having difficulty feeding
  • Your baby is lethargic, and it’s difficult to wake them
  • Your baby has a temperature above 37.5C or below 36.5C
  • Your baby is grunting, breathing very quickly, or their breathing is laboured (you may see the skin pulling in around their ribs, their nostrils flaring, or their stomach sucking in when they breathe)
  • There are long pauses in your baby’s breathing when they’re awake or asleep
  • Your baby becomes jaundiced within 24 hours of birth, or your baby’s jaundice becomes worse
  • Your baby has not had a wet nappy for 12 hours
  • Your baby develops a rash all over their body
  • Your baby’s soft spot on their head is sunken or bulging.

Call 999 or go to A&E if your baby has any of the following symptoms:

  • Your baby is floppy and unresponsive or you cannot wake your baby
  • Your baby has a blue tinge to their lips or around their mouth
  • Your baby has a pinprick rash which does not fade when a clear glass is pressed firmly against the skin
  • Your baby feels abnormally cold to the touch
  • Your baby’s skin is mottled or blue
  • Your baby has a fit or convulsion.

Safe Sleeping and SIDS

The following resources have lots of information on the basic sleep needs of a baby.

You can provide a safe sleep environment for your baby and reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome SIDS:

Safe Sleeping Video

Umbilical Cord

The umbilical cord attaches to your baby’s tummy, connecting them to the placenta. After your baby is born, the cord is clamped and cut by your midwife or birth partner.

The cord consists of three blood vessels; it doesn’t contain any nerves, so cutting it will not hurt your baby.

After the cord is cut, your baby will be left with a small stump, with the plastic clamp still attached. Over the next few days, the stump will dry, harden and darken until it is almost black.

The stump will fall off by itself, usually 5-15 days after birth. Do not try to remove it yourself; let it fall naturally.

You can use warm water and cotton wool to wipe around the area to keep it clean. It is normal for the stump to smell slightly as the tissue dies. Most will heal with no problems; however, the stump can become infected in rare instances.

If there is any redness or inflammation around the cord or a foul smell coming from the area, contact your midwife, general practitioner (GP) or NHS 111.

Watch a video about caring for the umbilical stump

Nappies – when to worry about dry nappies

Regular wet and dirty nappies are a good sign that your baby is healthy. One thing that surprises new parents is just how often their baby does a wee or a poo – by the time your baby is a week old, they may have more than six wet nappies a day and two or more dirty nappies!

This table shows how often your baby should have wet or dirty nappies based on their age:

Day

Wet

Dirty

1-2

1-2 or more

1 or more black/dark green

3-4

3 or more

2 or more dark green/changing

5-6

5 or more

2 or more becoming yellow and looser

7-28

6 or more

2 or more yellow, watery, seedy appearance

Regular wet and dirty nappies show that your baby is feeding well and is healthy. If your baby has fewer wet or dirty nappies than usual, speak to your GP or midwife.

If your baby has had no wet nappy for 12 hours, seek medical advice right away, as they may be dehydrated.

Newborns have extremely sensitive skin, so change them regularly to prevent nappy rash. Change a dirty nappy right away to prevent damage to the skin, but you don’t necessarily need to change wet nappies immediately.

If your baby’s skin isn’t as sensitive, you can wait until before or after a feed to change them.

You may see urate crystals in your baby’s nappy, especially in the first few days. These crystals look like an orange-red stain and can be mistaken for blood. They can also be a sign of dehydration, so look for other symptoms and seek medical advice if you have concerns.

If you have a baby girl, she may have minor vagina bleeding in the early days, like a “mini period”. Babies are exposed to your hormones in the womb, so when they no longer get these, it can cause some vaginal bleeding. This is completely normal, but if you are worried, speak to your midwife or maternity support worker.

Find out more about how to change nappies, how to dispose of them, normal dirty nappies and more from NHS UK.