Newborn Survival Guide: Tips for the first 6 weeks!
Bringing a newborn into your life is an experience like no other—full of joy, wonder, and a bit of chaos!
I remember thinking “I just want this part to be over!” and the guilt of wishing for it to go by faster ate me up. It happens to many parents, and I don’t want that to be you.
Whether you’re a first-time parent or adding another little one to your family, adjusting to life with a newborn takes time, patience, and a whole lot of grace. So let me help you find your rhythm and cherish these precious moments with your new baby!
What A Newborn TRULY Needs:
- To feel loved and safe
- To be fed
- To sleep
- To be clean
That’s it! A newborn needs nourishment, sleep, safety and a clean environment to thrive. Everything else is extra and totally fine, but don’t stress yourself out when it’s not as necessary as social media makes it seem. Like wipe warmers are nice, but your newborn will still most likely hate diaper changes and that’s just something you have to accept. *nervous laughter*
So, these 6 tips are for making life easier to provide what your baby truly needs.
1.) Bonding With Your Newborn
In the first six weeks, a newborn’s sense of safety and love is deeply rooted in the bonds they form with their caregivers. That looks like close physical contact, soothing voices, and consistent care. Your baby will recognize the people who love them most, building a foundation of trust and security. This lays the groundwork for healthy emotional development.
Contact naps, skin-to-skin, talking to them, mimicking their expressions and wearing your baby are all great options. You can not “spoil” a baby! Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
I stayed topless with a naked baby on my chest for 6 weeks because it was the best way to keep her calm and honestly the best I ever felt as well. Plus, anytime she was ready to breastfeed they were accessible and I didn’t have to deal with a shirt. No matter how convenient a nursing top was, I just didn’t want to mess with it if I was home!
Side note: Newborns don’t get bored. So don’t feel obligated to do too much to entertain them. “Play” isn’t necessary til about 3 months.
Benefits of Skin-To-Skin:
- Regulates baby’s body temperature, heart rate, and breathing.
- Promotes better sleep for the newborn.
- Reduces stress for both baby and parent.
- Encourages successful breastfeeding by stimulating the baby’s natural instincts and increasing milk production.
- Fosters a deep emotional connection and enhances bonding.
- Helps reduce postpartum depression by releasing oxytocin, the “love hormone.”
- Contributes to the overall well-being of both parent and baby.
2.) Soothing Your Newborn
Let’s look at what your baby might need again. They only know how to communicate ONE way, which can be frustrating for most people. So here’s the checklist:
Ask yourself, are they…
- Hungry? Keep track of feeding times and look for early signs of hunger, such as lip-smacking, bobbing their head, or closed/tight fists.
- Gassy? They might need to burp or poot! Click here for gas relief techniques to save for later. Gas relief drops can also help if you have a colicky baby and other options aren’t working.
- Cold or hot? Your baby should be in about the same amount layers that you are wearing.. SAFETY TIP: Remember this phrase! It’s scary but can save your baby’s life. “A cold baby cries, a hot baby…” I know, I know. I hate the phrase too. But it’s serious, to the point and easy to remember. Bundling your baby up, especially to sleep can be dangerous!
- Wet or soiled? Check the diapey!
- Overstimulated? Think about how you feel when there’s too much going on. It doesn’t take much when all you know is “breathe, eat, sleep, poo, and repeat”. Over-stimulation or an over-tired baby can be extremely fussy!
- Sick? Call your child’s doctor right away.
What To Do When All Else Fails:
Take your baby outside, or put them in water! I did it with my baby and I do it with clients. Your baby has new things to see, hear, smell and feel outside. The disruption in routine and change of scenery can help settle their nervous systems and calm them down almost instantly! If that didn’t work, bath time it is. Again, it changed the sensory input and settled the nervous system.
So if your checklist doesn’t work, remember to either go outside or put them in water.
Often times, if all their needs are met, they most likely just want some lovins. You might just have to stop everything and prioritize the cuddles. I know everything can feel overwhelming when it piles up because you needed to comfort your baby, but ya know what? You can always ask for help with chores and housework, but nobody can replace YOU.
A great way to get things done when you have a baby that needs to be on you at all times is baby wearing! I was basically a kangaroo for 6 months when I had things to do.
3.) Feeding Your Newborn
Now this can be a touchy topic to discuss here online, but I don’t care… I’m going to put it out there for you. FED IS BEST! I love breastfeeding, I even have a blog post all about Thriving During Breastfeeding. But it’s not for everyone because of a variety of reasons. Maybe your hormones cause you to experience postpartum rage. Maybe you truly don’t produce enough and it weighs on your mental health. Maybe you have to go back to work and pumping just isn’t working out. There’s also the simple fact that you just don’t want to! Whatever the reason, I’m not judging you and I don’t welcome that energy either.
So, whether you choose to go the breastfeeding route or not, I recommend not putting too much pressure on yourself either way.
If you want to breastfeed, read the blog post I linked above and that will help you prepare yourself. If you find yourself struggling in the beginning, use that can of formula and call a Lactation Consultant asap. Don’t stress yourself out or beat yourself up.
The point of this section is to relieve the anxiety that comes from societal pressure from peers, friends and family. If you take care of your baby by feeding them and not letting them suffer from malnourishment, I’M PROUD OF YOU. Formulas not cheap and breastfeeding ain’t easy!
Rules For Feeding:
1. Breast milk or Formula ONLY
Breast milk is the ideal food for babies — But if breastfeeding isn’t working out, use infant formula. NO cereal, water, juice or other fluids.
2. Watch your baby’s cues
Most newborns need 8 to 12 feedings a day — which is usually feeding every 2 to 3 hours.
Look for early signs of readiness to feed. Signs include sucking on fists and fingers, lip smacking, fussing and crying. Crying is a sign you shouldn’t wait for. It might be harder to get them latched!
When your baby stops suckling or turns away from the nipple or bottle, they’re probably full or simply taking a break. Burp your baby or wait a minute before trying to get them to go back to feeding.
3. Expect variations in your newborn’s eating patterns
Your newborn is a bit unpredictable for the first few months because everything changes so rapidly for them. During growth spurts, your newborn might take more at each feeding or want to be fed more often. That’s why it’s best to go by cues and not a schedule or routine.
5. Trust your instincts
Babies usually know just how much they need. Don’t focus on how much, how often or how regularly your newborn eats. Instead, look for:
- Weight gain
- Fussiness
- Wet diapers and 2+ bowel movements a day
Contact the doctor if your newborn isn’t gaining weight, wets fewer than 6 diapers a day or doesn’t seem hungry that often.
6. Consider this bonding with your newborn
This applies to breast or bottle feeding! Hold your newborn close. Look them in the eye and speak with a gentle voice. Use feedings as an opportunity to build your newborn’s sense of security, trust and comfort.
7. Stay consistent
If others will be feeding your baby part of the time, make sure they’re using the same feeding routines and methods you use.
8. Know when to ask for help!
If you’re breastfeeding, just know it’s not as “natural” and “straightforward” as you would expect. You may need help and that’s okay! Talk to your Ob, midwife or pediatrician for a lactation referral. If you’re formula feeding, consult with your pediatrician about which formula would be best for your baby.
4.) Sleep with a Newborn
You’ll hear “just wait” a lot while you’re pregnant. “Sleep while you can.” But I have some good news. Your level of tired during pregnancy is nothing like newborn tired!
This is because your body is no longer build-a-baby. *nervous laughter*
But this doesn’t mean the newborn phase isn’t exhausting. You’ll need to prioritize your sleep. Yes, sleep when baby sleeps is great advice but it’s one of those “easier said than done” situations. So let’s set some boundaries so you can get rest as much as possible.
Sleep rules!
- Strive for 2 big sleeps at night, and at least 1 little sleep during the day. That looks like two 4 hour sleep periods at night, with a wake window to feed and change baby. Then take at least 1 nap during one of your baby’s naps, during the day!
- Limit Guests. UNLESS they’re “helpers”. Helpers are the folks that come by to help with laundry, dishes, meals, etc. Things that make life easier! An even simpler rule to follow is: If you wouldn’t leave your newborn with them while you shower or sleep, a visit can wait until you’re ready.
- Forget Routine. You baby’s needs and wants will change and you will constantly be figuring things out. The sooner you accept that, the easier your life becomes. Sometimes you won’t be able to get 2 big sleeps, so you’ll be just sleeping when you can! Sometimes they’ll eat every 3 hours, then BOOM cluster feeding happens. Have guidelines, but don’t put pressure on yourself with routines!
- Don’t keep them up. A piece of advice that’s super outdated and harmful is “just keep them awake so they’ll sleep longer at night!”. It doesn’t work like that babe… An over-tired baby = a fussy baby. You’ll have a much harder time getting them to sleep and they’re more likely to wake up frequently. So, good sleep during the day = better sleep at night.
- Watch for sleepy cues. Red eyebrows, yawning and rubbing eyes are the early cues. Go ahead and start rocking them or put them down for sleep. Crying, a rigid body or pushing away are all signs of over-tired!
Safe Sleep Practies:
Visit AAP.org for in depth information about safe sleep practices. But here are their guidelines:
- Place infants on their backs for sleep in their own sleep space with no other people.
- Use a crib, bassinet or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet. Avoid sleep on a couch or armchair or in a seating device, like a swing or car safety seat (except while riding in the car).
- Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers and other soft items out of the sleep space.
- Breastfeed if possible and avoid smoking.
5.) Take Care of Yourself
DO NOT put yourself on the back burner. It’s easy to do during the newborn phase. But you can not pour from an empty cup!
A happy Mother = A happy Baby.
Please read my blog post all about Taking Care of Yourself during Postpartum.
Self-care helps reduce the risk of exhaustion, postpartum mood disorders, partner disputes and promotes healthy family integration, self-esteem, bonding and so much more. So don’t think it’s just a selfish thing to take care of yourself! It benefits your baby and YOU deserve to be healthy and happy as well.
You’re a Good Mom!
Taking care of a newborn can be challenging and so you have to give yourself time, patience and grace to not only get through it, but enjoy it. Remember this, PLEASE. A good mom, always feels like they’re never doing enough. The fact that you’re here and learning as much as you can, means you’re already a good mom.
A “bad” mom wouldn’t care this much.
You will fail and that’s okay! Accept and expect this. You’ll learn, grow and surprise yourself in more than a hundred ways a day.
Education & Empowerment Childbirth Course
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