Birth to 2 Weeks

This guide was designed with first time parents in mind, especially those without much experience caring for babies.
- If you are already an experienced caregiver, you may do things differently, and that's fine too!
These recommendations apply only to the first 2 weeks of life.
- Please consult the relevant guides for older babies.

Feeding/Nutrition

In the first 2 months of life crying = hungry
- This is true no matter how recently, or how much, you fed your baby.
  - Remember: "You can't overfeed a baby."
  - There's no such thing as too much.
- Try not to let yourself be distracted by other “reasons” your baby is fussy or crying:
  - Needs to burp, needs to pass gas
  - Too hot/cold
  - Only wants to be held, hates the bassinet, hates being on his back
If your baby is crying and won’t eat from the breast, offer food from the bottle (pumped milk or formula).
- Early bottle introduction does not interrupt or derail breastfeeding in families who are motivated to make it work!
Important: If your baby won't stop crying and won’t eat from the breast or the bottle, you should contact us right away.

When you think your baby is done eating, perform The Hunger Test, by placing him down in the bassinet or crib (not your lap, a pillow, or any other comfortable/cozy location).
- If he doesn't cry, you can assume he is full and the feed is complete.
- If he cries, he is still hungry.
  - If this happens, and baby has already fed on both breasts, offer pumped milk or formula from the bottle.
    - Offer as much as it takes for baby to pass The Hunger Test.
Please remember: “You can’t overfeed a baby”
- There is no such thing as "too much."
- If your baby is full, she will stop eating, and you can verify she is actually full by performing The Hunger Test.
In the first 2 months of life, babies often fall asleep at the breast or stop crying when you pick them up.
- This does not (necessarily) mean the baby is full.
- We often tell caregivers that it's impossible to know if a baby is still hungry when they are being held.
  - Right from the start, caregivers are very good at soothing their newborn.

Feed at least every 3-4 hours, around the clock.
- Your baby will probably wake up and cry (hungry) before the 3 hour mark.
- Wake baby if it's been 4 hours since the last feed.
After your baby regains his birthweight (usually 10-14 days of life), the new rule will be "never wake a sleeping baby."
If this is your first baby, please read our guide to bringing in your breast milk on time.
- Try to feed on both breasts every time.
- 10-20 minutes on each side.
After 20 minutes, your baby will have emptied that breast.
- If baby keeps feeding she will slip to the end of your nipple, causing pain, cracking, bleeding, etc.
- Your baby may also lose extra weight trying to get food from an empty breast. Eating takes energy!

Counting wet and dirty diapers

Tracking the poop frequency is unhelpful and distracting.
- See our article on the topic for complete details.
The wet diaper frequency is what matters.
- We want to see at least one wet diaper for every day of life (1 on the first day, 2 on the second, 3 on the 3rd, etc).
  - We count the wet diapers for the day from midnight to midnight
- After the 6th day, baby should have at least 6 wet diapers every day.

Moms should continue to take the prenatal vitamin every day as long as baby is breast feeding.

Baby needs 400 IU of vitamin D every day as long as he is breast feeding. The easiest option is one where the dose is 1 drop per day. This can be given while baby is sleeping.
Here a some good options:
- Baby Brand
- Carlson Brand
Avoid options where the dose is 1 mL per day, because you'll need to wake baby up for this amount, and the taste is not well tolerated.
Formula does contain vitamin D, but if baby is taking less than 32 ounces of formula per day, she still needs the vitamin D supplement.
400 IU of vitamin D (via infant drops or 32 ounces of formula) is required every day for the entire first year of life.

Nipple cracks, blisters, bleeding

If nipple symptoms occur, the baby is not latching properly.
You should consult a certified lactation consultant (LC) to figure out why.
- Please reach out to us if you have questions or would like LC recommendations!

Most skin rashes in newborns are normal, do not require any treatment, and will come and go for the first several months.
If your baby is not feeding well or won’t stop crying no matter what you do, call the doctor.

At this age, flaking skin is not actually dry. Rather, baby is shedding layers of skin he no longer needs. This can be ignored.

Sponge bathe baby until the umbilical cord falls off and the circumcision has healed.
After this happens, use a normal baby bath and gentle baby cleanser. Every 3-4 days is plenty!

Do not wash, clean, or treat the umbilical cord in any way.
The cord will likely bleed for a day or two before and after it falls off. This can be ignored. If blood is excessive, call the doctor.
The cord may develop an odor before it falls off. This can also be ignored.

Nail care is usually not needed, but may become necessary if your baby is accidentally scratching his face.
If this happens, nails should be filed, not clipped.

Please read our guide to sleep safety for preventing SIDS for complete details.

Please read our guide to fever in the first 90 days of life for complete details.

This is normal in newborns and can be ignored. If baby stops feeding well because of congestion, call the doctor.

Taking your baby out of the home is safe for baby, and strongly recommended for the parents’ mental well-being.
Avoid crowded places when they are crowded. This is important for the first 2 months of life.

If someone has any symptoms of illness (fever, sneezing, cough/colds, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes) they should not be around the baby.
At least 2 weeks before meeting your baby, everyone must have received the flu shot for that season (September - March).
At least 2 weeks before meeting your baby, everyone must have received the Tdap vaccine in the last 10 years.