Taking Care of Your Baby

Learning to feed your baby becomes easier when you cuddle skin-to-skin during and between feeds.

If you are exclusively breast/chestfeeding, babies should feed at least eight to 10 times in 24 hours. Babies can go through times of cluster feeding and may feed more often during the night.

If you are feeding your baby a human milk substitute (such as infant formula), babies can feed every three to four hours. Make sure to follow the preparation instructions on the package carefully.

We recommend feeding your baby as soon as you see the following hunger cues:

• Wriggling movement
• Turning the head and opening the mouth (rooting)
• Sticking out the tongue
• Making small noises
• Sucking on hands, fingers or blankets
• Crying, which is a late sign of hunger

Try to feed your baby on cue or every three hours.

Signs that your baby is getting enough milk include the following:

• Feeding cues every two to three hours
• Eight to 10 feeds within a 24-hour period
• Gaining weight appropriately  
• The number of wet and dirty diapers are roughly the same as your baby's age in days for the first week
• After the first week, six to eight wet or dirty diapers a day 

Learn more about infant feeding. 

You should hold your baby close to your body. Support your baby's head and neck with one hand and their bottom and thighs with the other.

Remember to be gentle and never shake your baby.

Crying is your baby’s way of communicating. Crying can mean your baby is hungry, wet or wants to be held, for example.

Try to understand why your baby is crying so you can comfort them with feeding, burping, diaper changing and so on.

Sometimes it can be hard to calm a crying baby, especially if they are overstimulated. You can try to calm your baby by holding them skin-to-skin, talking softly, singing or playing soothing music. 

Learn more about crying.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) refers to unexpected infant deaths that cannot be explained. To reduce the risk of SIDS and keep your baby safe, you should:

• Always put your baby on their back for sleep
• Use a firm, flat mattress
• Avoid placing blankets, pillows, bumper pads or stuffed toys in your baby's crib or bassinet
• Dress your baby in layers of fitted temperature appropriate clothing for warmth
• Share your room with your baby, but not the bed
• Avoid smoking in the home or in your baby’s presence 

Learn more about SIDS.

Skin-to-skin care with either parent is a great way to bond with your baby. It is soothing and comforting for both parents and babies.

During skin-to-skin time, your baby should be wearing only a diaper and you should be  unclothed from the waist up with a light blanket over you and baby (make sure your baby’s face is visible to you and uncovered).

Skin-to-skin care allows your baby to do the following:

• Hear your heartbeat, voice and breathing
• Smell and feel your skin
• Get a better look at your face

Learn more about the benefits of skin-to-skin care.

Your baby should have one pee in the first 24 hours after being born. This number will increase with the age of the baby.

There should be at least one bowel movement (poop) a day for the first week.

Your baby's poop will be sticky, black and tar-like for the first few days. Around day four, the poop will turn to greenish-brown and then yellow. 

Learn more about newborn urine and stool.

You may need to change your baby's diaper every two to three hours as it becomes soiled or wet or whenever you feed your baby.

Clean from the front to back. Wipe the diaper area with a warm wet washcloth or non-scented baby wipes. Pat the area dry or allow to air dry.

For boys, remember to wipe under the scrotum, but never pull back your baby’s foreskin when cleaning the penis (cleaning underneath foreskin can be done when your baby reaches toddler age).

You may apply a barrier cream to protect the skin as needed  if reddened, but do not use powders or cornstarch. 

Learn more about diapering.

Jaundice is a common condition in newborns. It can make your baby's skin and/or the whites of their eyes look yellow. Babies with jaundice are overly sleepy.

If you notice any of these symptoms, call your baby's health-care provider right away. A blood test can tell us if your baby needs treatment.

Feeding your baby every two to three hours can help  improve stooling and wet diapers which lessens the jaundice.

Learn more about jaundice.

Car seats should always be used while traveling in a vehicle. Avoid long periods of time where your baby is sleeping  in a car seat.

Your nurse can provide teaching to help you with placing  your baby in the car seat safely before you leave the hospital.  

You will need a car seat for your baby if you are going home by car or private ride-hailing vehicle. For public transportation and taxis, a car seat is not required by law.

For important information and tips on choosing and installing a car seat, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Use a wet washcloth or moistened cotton tip swab to gently clean around the base of the umbilical cord. Make sure the area is dry after cleaning.

Keep the umbilical stump dry and above the diaper until it falls off in about seven to 10 days.

Continue to gently clean the belly button for a few days after the cord falls off.

Learn more about umbilical cord care.

When bathing your baby, make sure you have everything ready and within easy reach before you start. Your baby can get the cord stump wet in a tub bath and gently pat dry after bathing.

Test the temperature of the water with your elbow or wrist. The water should feel about the same as your body temperature.  

Never leave your baby alone in the bath and always keep at least one hand on your baby.

After the bath, pat your baby dry and pay special attention to the skin folds.

You do not have to bathe your baby every day. Two or three times a week is enough.

Learn more about bathing your baby.

Your baby has thin and delicate skin. Protect their skin with a wide-brimmed hat in the summer. Cover up as much skin as possible in the winter to avoid frostbite.

You can use a gentle moisturizer after baths to massage your baby.

Use the fine side of an emery board or nail file instead of clipping to care for your baby’s nails in their first two weeks. Clipping their nails can cause bleeding at first. The best time to file your baby’s nails is when your baby is relaxed or asleep. 

Learn more about infant skin care.

Please seek medical attention for your baby if your baby is experiencing any of the following:

• Yellow skin or whites of the eyes
• No interest in feeding or sleeping too much and not able to awaken for feeding
• A temperature greater than 37.5 or less than 36.5 degrees Celsius when taken under their arm
• No pee or poop at all during any 24-hour period during their first week
• Forceful vomiting of a large amount of spit-up
• Green, brown or fresh red blood in your baby's spit-up
• Persistent gagging or coughing
• Green, foul-smelling discharge around your baby’s umbilical cord or circumcision site 

To learn more about how to care for your newborn, please visit the following resources.

• Breastfeeding Information
• Canadian Pediatric Society
• Health Canada: Postpartum, infant and child health
• SickKids About Kids Health
• Toronto Public Health