A day in the life of a newborn

Newborn babies seem to mostly sleep, eat, cry and poo.

Bonding with your baby in your early days is also important. So, your days will also involve cuddling and playtime.

Babies' eating and sleeping patterns often change.

All babies are different — they have different temperaments, likes, and dislikes. So, it is good to be flexible and learn to read your baby's cues. These cues can help you know how they feel and what they need.

Newborns spend most of their time sleeping between feeds. Each sleep period is usually around 2 to 5 hours. Babies sleep 3 to 8 times a day until they are about 3 months old.

However, newborns may only sleep for 20 to 50 minutes. They may need your help to settle back into sleep again. In the first few weeks, they may be asleep for around 17 hours over a 24-hour period.

Your baby can't tell the difference between sleeping during the day and night. They will probably wake for feeds 2 to 3 times during the night.

Once your baby is one month old, they may start sleeping for longer periods at night. From 3 to 6 months they may sleep for 4 to 5 hours at a time.

Because a newborn's sleep pattern changes regularly it's a good idea to stay flexible in the first few months. However, it can be helpful to set up a sleep routine.

You can read more about sleep and settling your baby, or watch this video about getting your newborn baby to sleep.

Whether you choose to breastfeed or bottle feed, your baby will need about 6 to 8 feeds in a 24-hour period. They will feed for a total of 2 to 5 hours a day.

Breast milk is easily digested so if you are breastfeeding, your baby may feed up to 12 times a day.

At certain times, your baby may feed very frequently. This is called cluster feeding. After a cluster feed, they might have a longer sleep.

If you want to calculate the time between feeds, you should work out the time from the beginning of the last feed, to the next feed.

As well as providing your baby with the important nutrition that they need to grow, feeding your newborn is a great way to have some cuddle time. Feeding your baby can be comforting for you, and your newborn.

Your baby may be more likely to have the hiccups after feeding. You can read more about feeding your newborn baby.

Sometimes it may seem as if your baby is always crying! This is normal and is a way for your newborn to communicate with you.

About 1 in 10 babies cries for more than 3 hours a day. You may find that your newborn cries more in the afternoon or early evening than at other times.

When your baby is crying, check if they are:

• hungry
• tired — they may need help settling to sleep
• uncomfortable — they may need a clean nappy or they could be too hot or cold
• frightened, over excited or wanting attention — they may need a cuddle

As you get to know your baby better, you will start to recognise different types of cries and what they mean. Responding to your baby's crying is an important part of trust and bonding.

Your baby will tend to cry less over time.

During your day, you will regularly change nappies.

By day 5 your baby will make at least 5 wet nappies and at least 2 dirty nappies.

By 10 days old, your baby will make at least 5 wet nappies and 3 or more dirty nappies.

Expect at least 6 to 8 soaked cloth nappies or around 5 disposable nappies in 24 hours.

You can read more about baby poos and wees.

Babies start to hear even before they are born. After birth, your newborn will start to distinguish between different sounds.

Your newborn's eye muscles will still be developing. Over their first 3 months of life, they will start to:

• follow things with their eyes
• turn towards bright light
• recognise faces they often see

Part of your daily routine may also involve washing your baby. You should bathe your baby every few days with warm tap water.

You can read more about bathing your newborn.

Making time for cuddling and playing with your baby each day. This is important for your baby's growth and development.

You can bond with your newborn by playing with them, rather than giving them games and toys.

Some ideas for playing include:

• making eye contact, smiling, and talking
• singing nursery rhymes
• taking your baby for a walk
• reading or telling them a story
• making faces
• blowing raspberries

Other play ideas include:

• giving your baby different things to look at and feel while talking to them
• giving your baby supervised tummy time each day
• making sounds
• giving your baby a massage

For some babies, play time might simply involve cuddling or having a quiet stretch and kick on a blanket.

Start your newborn baby with a couple minutes of tummy time each day. You may need to help them position their head.

It may take some time for your baby to settle into a routine. It can help to be flexible with your day-to-day activities.

You can keep an eye out for your baby's cues. If they are sleepy, they may yawn or rub their eyes. If they are hungry, they may move around more or put their hands near their mouth.

Alternatively, you may like to start to establish a very simple routine. You can start doing simple things with your baby in a similar order when it comes to sleeping, feeding and playing. You could try:

• feeding your baby before bed — babies who are 3 months old or younger are usually relaxed and sleepy after a feed
• changing your baby's nappy before bed
• singing to your baby to calm them before sleep

Your baby's sleep pattern will emerge at around 4 weeks old. Over time, you and your baby will start to settle into a daily pattern of sleeping, feeding and playing.

If you are not sure about what routine may be best for you and your baby, talk to your doctor, midwife or child health nurse. They can advise you.