Your First Week With a Newborn: A Day-by-Day Guide

The 3 things that actually matter this week

Feed on cue. Newborns eat often: roughly 8 to 12 feedings in 24 hours, which works out to about every 2 to 3 hours, day and night. Watch your baby, not the clock. Early hunger cues are rooting, hand-to-mouth, lip-smacking, and stirring; crying is a late cue. In the first day or two a breastfed baby gets colostrum, a small, concentrated first milk, so feedings can look short. Around day 3 to 5 your fuller milk usually comes in and feeds get longer and more settled.

Count diapers, because they are the proof your baby is fed. You cannot see ounces going in, but you can see what comes out. Wet diapers ramp up day by day, and stool changes color from black, tarry meconium to green, then to yellow as milk replaces colostrum. A simple rule of thumb: by day 5 and after, expect at least 6 wet diapers and several yellow stools a day. Fewer wet diapers than expected is the earliest sign a baby is not getting enough, so this is the one number worth tracking on paper or in an app.

Safe sleep, every sleep. The safest setup is the same every time: baby alone, on the back, on a firm flat mattress with a tight sheet and nothing else in the space, no blankets, pillows, bumpers, or toys. Keep the crib or bassinet in your room for at least the first 6 months. Newborns sleep a lot, often 14 to 17 hours across the day in short stretches, and that is expected. The point of safe sleep is not better sleep for you, it is lowering the risk of sleep-related death while your baby sleeps however they sleep.

The first week at a glance

Day-by-day ranges are typical, not targets to hit exactly. Wet and dirty diaper counts and feeds vary baby to baby. If something is off, your pediatrician is the right call, and the day 3 to 5 visit exists for exactly this window.

Day	What's normal today	Your to-dos
Day 1	8 to 12+ feeds; baby may be sleepy. About 1 wet diaper and 1 black, tarry meconium stool. Weight starts to dip. Cord stump is fresh.	Feed on cue (wake to feed if needed). Start a diaper and feed log. Keep the cord stump dry; fold the diaper down below it. Confirm your pediatrician follow-up for day 3 to 5.
Day 2	8 to 12+ feeds. About 2 to 4 wet diapers; stool still dark, turning greenish. Weight still dropping, which is expected.	Keep feeding on cue. Watch for skin or eye yellowing (jaundice). Sponge baths only until the cord falls off. Rest when the baby rests.
Day 3	Fuller milk often comes in; feeds get longer. About 3 to 5 wet diapers; stool changing toward green/yellow. Jaundice commonly peaks day 3 to 5.	First pediatrician visit often lands here. Bring your diaper log. They will weigh the baby and check for jaundice. If breastfed, start 400 IU vitamin D drops daily.
Day 4	8 to 12+ feeds, more settled. About 4 to 6 wet diapers; stools turning yellow and seedier. Jaundice may be at its highest now.	Keep counting diapers; you want them clearly increasing. Watch jaundice spreading to chest, belly, or legs and report it. Keep up vitamin D if breastfed.
Day 5	Feeds well established. 6+ wet diapers and 3+ yellow stools a day is the reassuring sign. Weight loss bottoms out and turns the corner.	If you have not had the first checkup, it should happen by now. Note any worsening yellow color. Accept help so you can sleep.
Day 6	6+ wet diapers, several yellow stools. Baby is gaining now. Cord stump drying and darkening (falls off anywhere up to about 3 weeks).	Continue diaper counts and vitamin D. Keep the cord dry and the diaper folded below it. Keep every sleep on the back in a bare crib.
Day 7	6+ wet diapers, several yellow stools. Steady feeding and weight gain. Many babies are near birth weight by about 10 to 14 days.	Book the next well visit if not scheduled. Keep tracking until your pediatrician says you can ease off. Check in with how you are feeling, too.

Day-by-day, what to do

One clear action per day. If you only do these and watch your diaper counts, you have covered the essentials.

• Day 1: Feed on cue and wake a sleepy baby every 2 to 3 hours; start writing down feeds and diapers from the very first one.
• Day 2: Keep feeding, sponge-bathe only, keep the cord dry, and check skin and the whites of the eyes for yellow in good daylight.
• Day 3: Go to the first pediatrician visit (often day 3 to 5), bring your log, and start daily 400 IU vitamin D drops if breastfeeding.
• Day 4: Confirm wet diapers are climbing toward 6 a day and report any jaundice that is spreading down the body.
• Day 5: Expect 6+ wet diapers and 3+ yellow stools; if you have not had the first checkup yet, get it done.
• Day 6: Keep counts steady, keep up vitamin D, and keep every nap and night on the back in a bare crib.
• Day 7: Make sure the next well visit is booked and keep tracking until your pediatrician says you can stop.

Take care of you, too

You are recovering while doing the hardest shift work there is. Your health is part of your baby's care, not separate from it.

• Sleep when you can, even short stretches. Trade night feeds with a partner if you have one. Sleep deprivation is real and it compounds.
• Eat and drink on a schedule, since it is easy to forget. Keep water and one-handed snacks wherever you feed.
• Accept specific help: let people bring food, hold the baby while you shower, or do a load of laundry. Hand them a task.
• Expect the baby blues. Tearfulness, mood swings, and feeling overwhelmed in the first one to two weeks are common and usually ease on their own.
• Know the difference from postpartum depression. Sadness, anxiety, or hopelessness that is severe, lasts beyond two weeks, or makes it hard to care for yourself or your baby is not something to push through. Treatable support exists, so call your doctor.
• Get urgent help now for any thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. In the US you can call or text 988 any time.

Reflects AAP and CDC newborn guidance, 2024-2026. Confirm anything you act on with your pediatrician.

Related questions

How many wet diapers should a newborn have on day 3?

Around 3 to 5 wet diapers on day 3 is typical, climbing to about 4 to 6 by day 4 and 6 or more from day 5 on. By then you should also see several yellow stools a day. Steadily increasing wet diapers are a reassuring sign your baby is getting enough; fewer than expected is the earliest reason to call your pediatrician.

When is the first pediatrician visit after coming home?

The AAP recommends a first visit within 48 to 72 hours after leaving the hospital, which usually falls on day 3 to 5 of life. It is timed to catch the things most likely to show up that week: jaundice, feeding trouble, and excessive weight loss. Bring your diaper and feed log.

How much weight do newborns lose in the first week?

It is normal for a newborn to lose up to about 7 to 10 percent of birth weight in the first few days, with the lowest point usually around day 2 to 3, then weight starts climbing back. Most babies are back to birth weight by about 10 to 14 days. Larger or faster weight loss should be checked by your pediatrician.

Is it normal for my newborn to sleep all the time the first week?

Yes. Newborns commonly sleep 14 to 17 hours a day in short stretches, including a sleepy first day or two. The cautions are that they should still wake to feed roughly every 2 to 3 hours, and that a baby who is too hard to wake, or feeding far less than before, should be seen. Keep every sleep on the back in a bare crib.

Do breastfed newborns need vitamin D drops right away?

Yes. The AAP recommends 400 IU of vitamin D a day for breastfed and partially breastfed babies, starting in the first few days of life, because breast milk does not supply enough on its own. It continues until your baby is weaned onto enough vitamin D-fortified formula or, later, whole milk. Ask your pediatrician at the first visit.

Sources & further reading

1. AAP HealthyChildren.org, How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe
2. AAP HealthyChildren.org, Jaundice in Newborns
3. AAP, First Office Visit, 3 to 5 Days
4. AAP HealthyChildren.org, Fever and Your Baby
5. AAP HealthyChildren.org, Umbilical Cord Care in Newborns

This article reflects current AAP, CDC, FDA, and other public-health guidance and is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. ParentFlow is a wellness companion — not a substitute for your pediatrician. For any medical concern, contact your healthcare provider.