After months of waiting and wondering, your baby finally has arrived. It’s an exciting and intimidating time for any parent. You may be feeling overwhelmed by the amount of new new things you are learning about yourself and your little one. Each day brings new memories and new challenges.
So, what exactly should you expect during the first weeks with your newborn? We’ve put together a handy Things to Expect Weeks 1 – 2 chart, breaking down the basics of your infant’s care and development for weeks 1 & 2.
Here’s a quick overview of what to be on the lookout for.
Sleep
Sleep is crucial to brain development. Infants should get about 16 hours of sleep within a 24-hour period. Our Sleep feature lets you track sleep time while creating a soothing sleep environment.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition is essential for all newborns. Expect to breastfeed every 2-3 hours. For formula-fed babies, offer the bottle every 3-4 hours. Be sure to watch for early hunger cues, such as rooting and putting hands in mouth. When your baby is about a month old, listen for a “neh, neh, neh” hungry cry. Use our feeding tracker to note how much your baby consumed, and when.
Diapering
By day 5, your baby should have at least 5-6 wet diapers per day. You’ll find baby’s stool changes in color and consistency, and that’s perfectly normal. You can keep track of how many 1’s and 2’s your little one has each day with ParentPal’s Diaper tracker.
Growth
Your baby may lose some of their birth weight that first week. However, they should regain that weight within two weeks. Use the Growth Tracker to easily log your baby’s weight to know whether they are meeting healthy benchmarks.
There’s a lot to remember. For easy reference, print and post our Things to Expect Weeks 1-2 chart. Be sure to cut yourself some slack in these early weeks and savor all your first moments together. You’ll soon discover just how much more there is to love and learn about your baby.
