Baby week 1: the weight will drop, the colour will change — and it's all normal

A guest at home, and a house holding its breath

The first night home from the hospital — the whole house sleeps holding one breath. The mother wakes at every sound, the grandmother remembers a thousand instructions, and the new father is afraid to pick the baby up.

Half of this week's anxiety lifts once one thing is understood: a newborn's first week is a week of changes — the weight drops, the skin changes colour, the stool is a new colour every day. Most of it is normal.

And the list of what is not normal is short and firm — it sits at the end of this page. Against that list no home remedy applies; only the hospital does.

Your baby this week

Weight: in the first days a newborn loses 7-10% of birth weight — the body sheds extra water. No cause for alarm; birth weight should be back by day 10-14. Every weighing goes on the MCP card.

Jaundice: a mild yellowing (face and eyes) on days 3-5 is common and usually clears on its own. What needs watching: deepening yellow, colour reaching the hands and feet, or a drowsy baby going off feeds — same-day doctor visit.

The stool story tells itself: black and sticky on day one (meconium), then greenish-brown, then yellow and seedy by week's end. Wet nappies should climb daily — six or more a day from day five — the firmest receipt that the milk is enough.

Sleep runs 16-18 hours a day, in two-to-three-hour pieces. Day and night mean nothing yet — that comes in weeks. The reflexes are all present: a finger on the palm gets a grip; a touch on the cheek turns the mouth that way (which is also a hunger cue).

The mother matters too

The mother's body is running its own first week — the bleeding (lochia) is heavier than a period and lightens over weeks. If there are stitches (caesarean or perineal), take the pain relief the doctor prescribed — enduring pain for fear of the milk is a mistake.

The milk's beginning: on day one, thick yellow colostrum arrives in drops — the baby's first vaccine, and its small volume is its design, not a deficiency. On day three or four the milk 'comes in'; if the breasts turn heavy and hard, frequent feeding is the treatment.

The mind: crying for no reason on day three or four is the 'baby blues' — a hormone dip that passes within two weeks. The household should read this line: the mother needs sleep, food and a shoulder — not advice.

What to do this week

The cord stump: keep it dry, that's all. Apply nothing — no turmeric, no ash, no oil, no coin. Fold the nappy below it. It falls off on its own in one to two weeks; redness, pus or smell means a same-day doctor visit.

Ghutti, honey, sugar water — nothing. Six months of breast milk only, not even water. The people offering this advice will visit this very week; keep the answer ready — 'the doctor has forbidden it' is the shortest sentence that works.

ASHA's home visits (HBNC) begin this week — days 3 and 7. She checks weight, jaundice, the cord and the latch. This government service is free and the most valuable monitoring a newborn gets — keep the door open.

The birth vaccines were given at the hospital, yes — BCG, OPV-0, hepatitis B? Check the MCP card; if any were missed, get them at the first visit. Apply for the birth certificate this week too and save the running around later.

Week 1 at a glance

The week's essentials in one place. Your doctor may adjust these for your baby.

When to see a doctor at once

Any of these means hospital immediately (108 for emergencies): fever or a very cold body — fever in a baby under three months is always an emergency; refusing feeds or no strength to suck; fast breathing (over 60/minute) or ribs pulling in; lethargy — not waking even when roused; fits; jaundice spreading to hands and feet; blood in the stool.

Falling wet nappies, a dry mouth, a sunken soft spot — signs of dehydration; same-day visit. And the house rule from week one: wash hands before touching the baby, keep coughing visitors at a distance, and no smoking anywhere in the house.

This article is general information only and no substitute for personal medical advice. The people who can guide you knowing your baby's health, birth history and test results are your paediatrician or the doctor at your nearest health centre.

Keep the feed and nappy record

When the last feed was, which side next, how many wet nappies today — this tool keeps the record of these weeks' three big questions. Everything stays on your phone.

Frequently asked questions

Q: The baby sleeps all day — should I wake for feeds? — In the first weeks, yes: every 2-3 hours by day, no gap longer than 3-4 hours at night, until birth weight is back. After that, feeding on demand — with your doctor's blessing.

Q: When can we bathe the baby? — Until the cord falls (1-2 weeks), a wipe with a damp cloth is enough. After that, two or three times a week in warm water — daily isn't needed; newborns don't get dirty, but their skin does dry out.

Q: When can massage start? — After the cord has fallen and the navel has dried — a plain oil like coconut, a light hand. No oil in the nose or ears, no kajal in the eyes — massage is a good tradition; those add-ons are the risk in it.

Q: How many layers should the baby wear? — One more than you're wearing — that's the whole rule. Tight swaddling in the heat does harm; check warmth at the neck and back, not the hands and feet (those stay cool anyway).