Being at home with your baby after giving birth

When you and your baby (or babies) are at home after birth it's a happy and exciting time, but you may also feel tired and overwhelmed.

You may have started to prepare for life with a newborn, by setting up a nursery. It's a good idea to set up your home so you have easy access to nappies, wipes, spare clothes and any feeding equipment.

Being a first-time parent, can be a big challenge. It can also be a big change if you have other children in your family. But you can get support during this special time.

You are likely to go home 4 to 24 hours after a vaginal birth and 48 to 72 hours after a caesarean section.

If you do spend a couple of days in hospital, the midwives and hospital staff can help you with:

• feeding
• settling
• bathing
• nappy changing

This gives you a chance to get some sleep and learn to care for your new baby.

Or you may have had a home birth or been discharged from hospital on the same day that you had your baby. If this is the case, a midwife will come to your home to support you.

You will need some time to recover from giving birth, and you may feel sore and tired. Make sure you rest as much as you can.

Your midwife may organise a time to visit you your baby at home. They can provide care and feeding advice.

The midwife who helped with the birth will handover to community care, such as a child health nurse. You will have your first appointment with your local child health nurse about 10 days after you get home. They will check on the health and wellbeing of both you and your baby. You should use this time to ask lots of questions.

Your baby's weight and other measurements will be recorded in their health record book. This helps check your baby's health, growth and development against what is expected.

You may want to ask a close friend or relative to spend a few days with you to help out while you find your feet.

If you have a partner, make sure you support each other as much as possible. Partners can help by doing nappy changes, settling baby and preparing meals.

Some people like lots of family and friends around in the first few days others prefer to limit visits until they feel comfortable. Remember that your needs and your baby's needs are the priority. Don't worry if your house is a mess!

Your baby will also be adapting to their new environment. This is sometimes called the 'fourth trimester'.

Remember that you and your baby both have a lot to learn along the way. It's ok to take it one day at a time.

There are also lots of services in Australia that provide support for parents.

Newborn babies mainly just want to:

• be fed
• kept warm
• have their nappy changed
• spend lots of time close to you

This will help them adjust and feel secure. You can read about a day in the life of a newborn and learn about baby sleep patterns by age.

For the first few days don't worry about a schedule, you can do what feels right for you and your baby.

Feeding

For your baby to grow and gain weight they need to be fed regularly. Most newborns feed every 2 to 4 hours (8 to 12 times in a 24-hour period).

Newborns have little tummies, so they need to wake often including during the night to feed. Read more about your options for feeding your newborn baby.

If you are having trouble breastfeeding, try to get support early. Talk to your midwife and child health nurse. You can organise a visit with a lactation consultant for extra support.

Sleeping

As a new parent you will have a lot to learn about baby sleep and settling.

Every baby is different, but all newborns need plenty of sleep. At first, they might not have a regular sleep pattern.

In the first few days at home, you can try different ways of getting your baby to sleep.

How often should I change a nappy?

Your baby will need to wear a nappy for around their first 2 years of life. How often you change a nappy depends on the type you choose. You can read more about nappies here.

We also have a handy baby poo guide (infographic).

Young babies communicate by crying. If you know what they might need it will help you to settle your crying baby.

Bathtime can be one of the pleasures of having a new baby. Some parents like to give their baby a bath every day, but it is OK to wash them less often.

You will need to prepare a safe place to wash your baby.

At first dressing your new baby might feel difficult. Read our tips on:

• how to dress a newborn
• swaddling your baby

As hard as it may sound, you need to make sure to look after your own health and wellbeing when you are at home with your young baby.

Try to:

• get enough sleep
• eat a balanced diet (Opens in new tab)
• take gentle exercise

These will help your body and mind recover from birth.

A good diet is important to help you stay healthy and keep up with the demands of caring for a newborn. You should try to eat a nutritious diet and drink enough water.

The best time for you to try to catch up on sleep is when your baby is sleeping. It's ok to ask your partner, a family member or a friend to look after your baby for a couple of hours so that you can get some rest.

Some parents prepare and freeze a few meals before their baby is due. This helps you have some quick meals ready to go. You could ask a friend to make some freezer-friendly meals for you. Or you can sign up to a meal delivery service.

It's normal to have emotional ups and downs after giving birth. You may feel it's a bit of a rollercoaster during your first 24 hours after birth, and beyond.

However, if you are:

• feeling down
• feeling inadequate
• very anxious
• have trouble sleeping
• worrying excessively about your baby

These are signs that you may have postnatal anxiety or postnatal depression. To prevent things from becoming more serious, speak to a medical professional about how you are feeling.

Help is also available from these trusted organisations:

• PANDA (Opens in new tab) — 1300 726 306
• Beyond Blue (Opens in new tab) — 1300 224 636
• Pregnancy, Birth and Baby — 1800 882 436

It's important to be kind to yourself as you recover from birth and get to know your baby.

If you have had a baby in Australia, you will need to add your newborn to Medicare

It's a good idea to do this as soon as possible in case you need healthcare for your baby. You will also get reminders about vaccinations.

You also need to register your baby. In most states and territories this needs to happen within 60 days of their birth.

If you don't already have a local doctor, you can visit Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's health service finder to find one in your area.

Remember, you can always ask your doctor, midwife or child health nurse for advice.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby has lots of other articles to support you in this transition. Try these:

• Your baby in the first few days.
• First few days after giving birth.

For more information and advice, you can talk with your doctor or midwife.

For help with breastfeeding, you can call the Australian Breastfeeding Association (Opens in new tab) on 1800 686 268.

COPE (Opens in new tab) provides online support for new parents.

Visit the Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (Opens in new tab) (PANDA) website for information and support. You can call the PANDA national helpline on 1300 726 306.

You can also call the following parent lines for support and advice.

• Parentline ACT (Opens in new tab): (02) 6287 3833
• Parent Line (Opens in new tab) NSW: 1300 1300 52
• Parentline Queensland and Northern Territory (Opens in new tab): 1300 30 1300
• Parent Helpline South Australia (Opens in new tab): 1300 364 100
• Parent Line Tasmania (Opens in new tab): 1300 808 178
• Parentline Victoria (Opens in new tab): 13 22 89
• Ngala Parenting line Western Australia (Opens in new tab): (08) 9368 9368 (1800 111 546)
• Tresillian Parent Helpline (Opens in new tab): for parents in NSW, ACT and Victoria 1300 272 736 (1300 2Parent)