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New baby - what's normal and what's not
Try putting the back of your hand on the baby’s tummy or back. This will tell you if they are hot or cold. Babies can sometimes have cool hands and feet due to cool environment- ensure that their head, hands and feet have extra layers to prevent loss of heat. Avoid over wrapping with too many layers- this can increase their body temperature.
There are other ways to measure your baby's temperature - click here
Fever in babies less than 3 months of age could be due to a serious infection requiring urgent treatment compared to fever in an older child. For this reason, all babies under 3 months of age with a temperature above 38°C should be urgently reviewed by a healthcare professional. However, if they have a fever in the 48 hours following their first set of vaccines (given at 8 weeks of age) – in this situation, it is okay to give them paracetamol without seeking medical advice if your baby is otherwise well.
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Your baby should feel warm to touch. |
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If your baby feels hot or cold try adding or removing a layer of clothes or blankets. |
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Seek immediate advice from your doctor if your baby feels hot after you have removed some layers OR if your baby's body remains cold. |
*The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
It is common for newborn babies to make all sorts of sounds, from occasional snorts to grunts, gurgles to whistling.
For some videos of breathing noises you should be worried about, see this page.
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It's normal for newborn babies to take slight pauses in their breathing lasting for a few seconds, or to go through short periods of rapid breathing. Babies tend to develop a more regular breathing pattern by 6 weeks of age. |
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If your baby is struggling to breathe (constantly rapid breathing rate above 70 breaths per minute, flaring of the nostrils, making a grunting noise every time they breath out or too breathless to feed), or if they are going blue (especially their tummy, lips or tongue), you need to call 999 for an ambulance. |
*The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
In the early days your baby might have some involuntary movements and may appear very jumpy – this is normal. It is common for them to sneeze, stretch and hiccup.
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They will be able to grasp your hand and will enjoy touching and stroking. |
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Your baby should never be floppy or stiff for a prolonged period. Call a doctor if this applies to your baby, or if your baby’s shaking is rhythmic and doesn’t stop when you touch it. If you are unable to wake your baby, call 999 for an ambulance. |
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* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
Some babies may become yellow and this can be a sign of a condition called jaundice. About 50% of new born babies can develop jaundice.
Find out more about Newborn Jaundice
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Your baby should be a normal skin tone. Babies may have hands and feet that are blue for about 24 to 48 hours after birth. |
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If your baby is yellow but waking for feeds, feeding well and having wet and dirty nappies, contact your midwifery or health visiting team* who will monitor your baby closely. |
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Call your midwife or your health visitor* if your baby isn’t feeding well, is sleepy and not having wet and dirty nappies. They will need to assess your baby today. |
* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
It is normal for babies to have poor control over their eyes and appear cross eyed at times. Eyes look grey - blue, or brown in colour. They will develop their eye colour from 6 to 12 months.
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Your baby can have a small amount of discharge from their eyes. This is normal and needs to be cleaned with cool boiled water and cotton wool. |
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If there is a lot of discharge clean your baby’s eyes regularly and contact your midwifery or health visiting team*. |
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If your baby’s eyes look red and swollen call your doctor. This could be a sign of infection. |
* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
If your baby’s mouth is moist it means he/she is feeding well. You might even notice a blister on their top lip, which may even be present from birth. This is due to sucking and is normal.
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A white tongue is normal after a feed. |
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If you see white spots in your baby’s mouth which do not disappear in between feeds, contact your midwife or health visitor*. |
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If the mouth is dry and your baby isn’t feeding well, call a midwife or health visitor* urgently. |
* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
It may feel that you are feeding your baby all the time. However, the frequency with which your baby feeds changes as they get older, please discuss this with your midwife or health visitor*.
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A well fed baby will be content during and after a feed and have wet and dirty nappies. |
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If you have any feeding concerns, visit a breastfeeding support group or call your postnatal coordinator who will contact your midwifery or health visiting* team. If your baby is vomiting up a lot of milk, you should also inform your midwife or health visitor*. |
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* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
The contents of your baby’s nappy changes from day to day in the beginning. Breast fed babies often poo after every feed. You should expect:
- Day one to four: Baby’s nappies are usually black/green in colour. It can look like thick tar or marmite!
- Day four to seven: Your baby’s nappies will start to change colour from black/green to yellow
- Day seven onwards. A baby’s nappy will be yellow. It will be soft and seedy if you are breastfeeding, or look like play dough if your baby is formula fed
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Babies will normally have several wet nappies a day. Some baby girls can have a small bleed or a discharge from their vagina. This is because of maternal hormones and usually only lasts a few days. You may even notice a yellow or dark orange urine stain in the nappy. This is normal. |
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If you are worried that your baby has not passed much urine (wee) you should feed them frequently. Put a little cotton wool in their nappy and you will know if they have passed urine. |
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From day 6 your baby should be having at least 6 heavy wet nappies in a 24 hour period. If you are concerned your baby is not passing enough urine (wee) contact your midwife, health visitor, the 111 service or your GP. |
* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
The umbilical cord will start to dry out and will usually fall off by the time your baby is two weeks old. The cord needs cleaning with cool boiled water and drying afterwards.
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The cord can be sticky underneath, this is normal. There may be a spot of blood when the cord falls off. This is normal. |
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If you notice signs of infection, such as swelling, heat, redness and a smelly discharge contact your GP. |
* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
It is normal for your baby to have dry skin. Flaking is common and usually lasts 1-2 weeks. Babies under 4 weeks should be bathed in water only. This does not need to be every day, every 2-3 days is enough.
Not sure? If your baby's skin is very dry, speak to your health visitor or pharmacist.
Unhappy? If the skin is itchy, sore, uncomfortable or broken contact your health visitor, pharmacist or GP.
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Wash your baby with water. Avoid using cleansing products. |
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If your baby's skin is very dry ask your midwifery or health visiting* team for advice at your next appointment. |
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* The midwifery team will transfer care to the health visiting team within the first month of your baby being born.
The Local Maternity System website has a list of useful support groups, organisations, and websites.
The Ask a Midwife service is also a useful resource for questions and tips.