New Babies and Infants

• Expect eight to twelve feeds in twenty-four hours, day and night, at first.
• Nappies show how feeding is going: wet nappies should increase over the first week, and stools change from dark to yellow or brown.
• Clean the umbilical stump by keeping it dry and exposed to air; ask your midwife about any smell, redness or discharge.
• Top-and-tail washing is enough between baths; babies do not need daily baths or any soap products in the first weeks.
• Support the head and neck when lifting, and always support a baby in a sling or car seat correctly.
• Never leave a baby alone on a raised surface, in water, or with a propped bottle.
• Some tummy time while awake and supervised helps head shape and strength.
• Talk, sing and make eye contact — it is how early language and attachment begin.

Breastfeeding, formula feeding and a combination of both are all used by families in the UK. Feeding support is free, and problems are usually solvable with the right help early.

• Breastfeeding. Ask your midwife, health visitor, infant feeding team or a national helpline about positioning, latch, pain, supply or returning to work. Local breastfeeding groups are often the quickest practical help.
• Formula feeding. Use first infant formula for the whole first year unless a health professional advises otherwise, follow the packet instructions exactly, and sterilise equipment for the first twelve months.
• Vitamins. The NHS advises vitamin D for babies and young children, with different advice for breastfed and formula-fed babies. Check the NHS guidance or ask your health visitor.
• Starting solid food. Around six months, when a baby can sit up, hold their head steady and bring food to their mouth. Introduce common allergens one at a time according to NHS guidance.
• Never add cereal to bottles, prop a bottle, give cow’s milk as a main drink before twelve months, add salt or sugar, or give honey before one year.
• Money worries. Healthy Start helps eligible families with milk, food and vitamins. Speak to your health visitor or a food bank rather than watering down formula, which is dangerous.

• Newborn sleep is broken up by feeds and is not a sign of a problem.
• Long stretches of sleep usually develop gradually over months, not weeks.
• A calm, repeated bedtime routine helps once your baby is a few months old.
• Daylight in the day and a dim, quiet room at night help the body clock settle.
• Swap night duties where possible so each adult gets one longer stretch.
• Never leave a baby to sleep unsupervised in a car seat, sling, bouncer or on a cushion.
• Ask your health visitor about sleep if exhaustion is affecting your health.

• A midwife visits at home in the first days and hands over to a health visitor.
• Newborn screening includes a physical examination, hearing screening and the blood spot test in the first week or so.
• Your baby has a GP check at around six to eight weeks, alongside a postnatal check for you.
• Health visitors offer reviews during the first years, covering growth, development, feeding, sleep and family wellbeing.
• Your red book or digital record holds weights, measurements and vaccinations — take it to appointments.
• You can contact your health visiting team between appointments about any concern, including your own mood.

• NHS childhood vaccinations are free and follow a published schedule starting at eight weeks.
• Your GP surgery normally invites you; ring them if no invitation arrives.
• Catching up late is always possible — ask the surgery to restart the schedule.
• Mild fever, irritability or a sore leg afterwards is common; ask the nurse what to expect.
• Speak to your GP or practice nurse before the appointment if your baby has a medical condition, an allergy or a weakened immune system.

We do not give medicine doses. Follow the instructions on the medicine packaging or ask a pharmacist, nurse or GP.

• Babies born early or needing extra care are looked after in a neonatal unit, which may not be your local hospital.
• Ask staff to explain equipment, monitors and feeding plans as often as you need.
• Ask about skin-to-skin care, expressing milk, staying nearby overnight and help with travel or parking costs.
• Specialist charities support parents on neonatal units and after going home.
• Neonatal leave and pay rights exist for eligible employed parents — ask your employer and check the current rules.
• Premature babies are often followed up for development; keep those appointments even when everything seems fine.

Up to a fifth of new parents experience mental health difficulties during pregnancy or in the first year, and this includes fathers and partners. It is common, treatable and nothing to be ashamed of.

• Baby blues in the first week or two are very common and usually pass.
• Low mood, anxiety, panic, intrusive thoughts, anger or feeling numb beyond that should be discussed with a GP or health visitor.
• Ask for an urgent appointment if you feel unable to care for your baby or yourself.
• If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, get help immediately: ring 999, go to A&E, or ring 111 and say it is a mental health emergency. This is treated as an emergency, not as a reason to remove your baby.
• Home visiting and family support schemes offer practical help with the everyday load.
• Partners can ask for support in their own right from a GP.

• NHS Start for Life (opens in a new tab)
• The Lullaby Trust – safer sleep (opens in a new tab)
• National Breastfeeding Helpline (opens in a new tab)
• Cry-sis – crying and sleepless babies (opens in a new tab)
• Bliss – premature and sick babies (opens in a new tab)
• PANDAS Foundation – perinatal mental health (opens in a new tab)
• Home-Start – family support volunteers (opens in a new tab)

What you may notice

• Difficulty attaching to the breast, staying attached, or feeding comfortably.
• Taking much less milk than usual, or refusing feeds.
• Falling asleep repeatedly during feeds, or feeds taking a very long time.
• Clicking, dribbling milk, or feeds that seem painful for you.

Safe general guidance

• Breastfeeding, formula feeding and mixed feeding are all valid — this section does not judge how you feed your baby, and feeding problems are common with every method.
• Wet and dirty nappies and steady weight gain are the best signs feeding is going well.
• Keep feeds responsive to your baby rather than forcing set amounts or times.

Who to contact

• Your midwife or health visitor, a local infant feeding adviser or breastfeeding group, a pharmacist, or your GP. Feeding support is free and early help usually solves the problem.
• Get urgent advice if your baby will not feed at all or appears unwell.

What you may notice

• All babies cry; crying usually peaks at around six to eight weeks and then eases.
• Colic is the name used when a healthy baby cries for long periods, often in the late afternoon or evening, and is difficult to settle. Babies with colic may clench their fists, go red in the face, arch their back or draw their knees up.

Safe general guidance

• Work through the simple causes: hunger, nappy, too hot or cold, wind, tiredness, wanting to be held.
• Try skin-to-skin contact, holding your baby upright, gentle movement, a sling, a calm dark room or a walk outside.
• Prolonged crying is exhausting and can affect your own wellbeing — needing a break does not make you a bad parent.
• If you feel overwhelmed, place your baby safely in their cot and step away briefly to breathe, then come back. Ring someone you trust.
• Never shake a baby. Shaking causes permanent brain injury.

Who to contact

• Tell your health visitor or GP if crying is relentless or you are struggling to cope — there is practical help.
• Cry-sis and Family Lives run helplines for parents of crying, sleepless babies.
• Seek medical advice if the crying sounds unusual for your baby, or comes with a fever, vomiting, a rash or floppiness.

What you may notice

• Bringing up small amounts of milk after feeds (possetting) is very common and usually harmless — most babies grow out of it.
• It may need checking if your baby also cries during feeds, arches their back, coughs or gags often, or is not gaining weight.

Safe general guidance

• Hold your baby upright after feeds and wind them as usual.
• Do not prop bottles, and always follow safer sleep guidance — do not raise the cot mattress yourself.
• Do not change formula, thicken feeds or use any medicine without advice from a health visitor, pharmacist or GP.

Who to contact and when it is urgent

• Speak to your health visitor or GP if reflux seems to be causing distress or poor weight gain.
• Forceful (projectile), green, or blood-stained vomiting, or vomiting that happens after most feeds, needs urgent medical assessment.

What you may notice

• Red, sore-looking skin on the bottom, genitals or thighs, caused by a wet or dirty nappy being on too long, friction, or sensitive skin. On brown or black skin the area may look darker, purple or ashen rather than red.

Safe general guidance

• Change nappies promptly, clean gently with water or mild baby wipes, and let the skin dry before a new nappy.
• Give some nappy-free time where practical, and ask a pharmacist about a simple barrier cream.
• Avoid home remedies that are not recommended by the NHS or a pharmacist.

Who to contact

• A pharmacist can advise first; contact your health visitor or GP if it is not improving.
• Contact a GP if the rash is spreading, blistering, broken or weeping, if your baby has a fever or seems in significant discomfort, or seems unwell.

What you may notice

• Cradle cap: greasy, yellow or crusty patches on the scalp. It is harmless and usually clears by itself.
• Dry skin: flaky or rough patches, common in young babies.
• Eczema: dry, itchy patches that may look red on lighter skin and darker brown, purple or grey on brown or black skin. We cannot diagnose your baby — a professional should look.

Safe general guidance

• Use gentle skincare: plain water or mild, fragrance-free baby products only.
• Avoid fragranced, perfumed or harsh products, and do not pick at cradle cap scales.

Who to contact

• A pharmacist or health visitor can advise on simple moisturisers or emollients.
• See a GP if the skin is sore, weeping, looks infected (crusting, swelling, warmth), is widespread, or is not improving with simple care.

What you may notice

• White patches or a white coating inside your baby’s mouth that does not wipe away easily, and sometimes soreness or reluctance to feed.
• Leftover milk residue can look very similar — milk usually wipes away, thrush does not. Because they are hard to tell apart, do not try to diagnose it yourself.

Who to contact

• Ask your health visitor, pharmacist or GP to look. If treatment is needed, a professional will advise what is suitable — we do not name medicines or give doses.

What you may notice

• Bowel patterns vary a lot: breastfed babies may pass a stool after every feed or go several days without one; formula-fed babies usually go less often.
• Constipation may show as hard, dry or pellet-like stools, straining and discomfort, or going much less often than is normal for your baby.

Safe general guidance

• Do not change feeds, or give water, juice, food or any medicine unless official age-appropriate guidance or a health professional says to.
• Make sure formula is made up exactly as instructed — never add extra scoops or extra water.

Who to contact and when it is urgent

• Speak to your health visitor, pharmacist or GP if stools stay hard or your baby seems uncomfortable.
• Seek medical advice promptly if there is pain, blood in the stool, vomiting, a swollen or hard stomach, or your baby is failing to pass stools and seems unwell.

What you may notice

• Bringing up a little milk after feeds is normal; repeated vomiting after most feeds, or vomiting with diarrhoea, is not.
• Signs of dehydration include far fewer wet nappies, a dry mouth, no tears, unusual sleepiness, poor feeding, or a sunken soft spot.

Safe general guidance

• Offer feeds as normal and follow current official NHS advice — we do not give home-treatment or medicine instructions beyond it.
• Wash hands well and keep your baby away from others where possible while they are unwell.

Who to contact and when it is urgent

• Contact your GP, health visitor or the urgent advice service for your nation if vomiting or diarrhoea continues or you spot signs of dehydration.
• Get urgent help for green vomit, blood in vomit or stools, breathing problems, marked drowsiness, or any young baby who seems unwell.

What you may notice

• A runny or blocked nose, sneezing, a mild cough, and feeds taking longer because breathing through the nose is harder. Mild colds are very common in babies.

Safe general guidance

• Offer feeds little and often, keep your baby comfortable, and follow safer sleep guidance even when they are bunged up.
• Do not give cough or cold medicines to babies — they are not recommended for young children.
• Babies can become unwell more quickly than older children, so keep an eye on how they are feeding and breathing.

Who to contact and when it is urgent

• Contact your GP or the urgent advice service for your nation if your baby is under three months with a fever, feeding less, or not improving.
• Get urgent help for breathing difficulty, pauses in breathing, poor feeding, unusual drowsiness, or any colour change (blue, grey, very pale or blotchy).

What you may notice

• Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes. On brown or black skin the yellowing may be harder to see — check the whites of the eyes, gums, palms and soles. Newborn jaundice is common, but it must sometimes be checked.

Safe general guidance

• Your midwife or health visitor checks for jaundice in the early days; tell them if you think your baby looks more yellow.
• Keep feeding your baby responsively — feeding helps clear jaundice.

Who to contact and when it is urgent

• Contact your midwife or health visitor the same day if you notice yellowing.
• Get urgent advice if the yellowing is increasing, your baby is feeding poorly, is unusually sleepy or difficult to wake, has pale stools or dark urine, or seems unwell.