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People often say they wish their baby had come with an instruction manual but it's worth taking time, just a few minutes when you can, to watch closely and gradually become familiar with what your baby is like.

Getting to know their sleep and wake states will help you - download "Baby Watching: Making sense of your baby" to find out more and watch the videos below from the Association for Infant Mental Health UK.

These videos on Baby States, and other videos on getting to know your baby, are freely available from the Association for Infant Mental Health UK.

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People often say they wish their baby had come with an instruction manual but it's worth taking time, just a few minutes when you can, to watch closely and gradually become familiar with what your baby is like.

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Breastfeeding is a skill that takes time to get the hang of. Lots of mums wonder if their baby's feeding well and getting enough - especially in the first few days.

But once you've mastered it, you'll probably find it's the easiest and most satisfying way to feed your baby.

We're here to provide lots of helpful information and advice on breastfeeding.

If you have any breastfeeding worries or concerns, the best thing to do is speak to your midwife or health visitor, or join a local breastfeeding support group.

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Breastfeeding can take practice - read our guides on breastfeeding to find out what works best for you

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NHS Start for Life- Expressing, Pumping, and Storing Breastmilk

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NHS Start for Life- Expressing, Pumping, and Storing Breastmilk

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Why express breast milk?

There are various reasons why you may want to express milk, for example:

if your baby is premature or has problems after birth - you may not be able to breastfeed, but they can still have your expressed breast milk

you're returning to work or study

your breasts feel uncomfortably full

your baby isn't able to latch on or suck well

you want to boost your milk supply

when you start introducing solids, you may want to include some breast milk

If you do not need to express your milk straight away, it's best to wait until you and your baby feel happy and confident with breastfeeding before you start expressing milk regularly.

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Expressing your breast milk - Start for Life

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There may be times when you need to express your breast milk. Have a look through our guide to expressing breast milk and bottle feeding.

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Breastfeeding: is my baby getting enough milk?

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How to tell if your breastfed baby is getting enough milk, signs your baby is properly attached and feeding well, plus ways to boost your breast milk supply.

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Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington

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Newborn infants are typically being fed on demand (or at least every 3 hours) and eat often. You should expect to feed them 8-12 times per day. As you get to know your baby, you will find that crying is typically the LAST cue that they are ready to eat. Learning babies hunger cues can be super helpful to avoid a fussy baby and having an easier, more effective feeding.

Early cues:

Turning head

Opening and closing their mouth, puckering lips

Sucking on hands, fingers, clothing, etc

Active cues:

Late feeding cues

If your baby has gotten to the late cues phase then you want to ensure you calm your baby before attempting to nurse or bottle-feed them.

During the first few weeks of your baby's life, they may be sleepy and not give you obvious feeding cues. It is important to ensure that they feed a minimum of 8 times (about every 3 hours) to ensure adequate milk intake and breast stimulation for building a plentiful milk supply. In this case, you may need to wake your baby to feed. Undress them, do skin-to-skin and gently wake them for feeding.

If you would like additional help with feeding your newborn, please contact us at The Breastfeeding Center to set up an appointment with one of our Board Certified Lactation Consultants.

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Is my baby hungry? Infant feeding cues and how to interpret them - Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington

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Did you know tiny newborns have very natural and effective tools of communication to let you know they are ready to feed prior to crying? Yes! tiny humans are always communicating with us to get their needs met. In this blog, we break down feeding cues and their importance in feeding.

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Lullaby Trust - Safe sleeping information and advice to help reduce the risk of SIDS to your baby  

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Lullaby Trust - Safe sleeping information and advice to help reduce the risk of SIDS to your baby  

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The safest cot is a clear cot

The safest cot for a baby is a clear cot. That means removing anything that isn't essential. Babies need just two items in their cot:

It's important to remove anything that isn't essential because items such as toys, blankets and bumpers could cover their face and obstruct their breathing.

When preparing your baby's sleep space, remember:

No pillows or duvets

No cot bumpers

No soft toys or comforters

No weighted or bulky bedding

No products designed to keep your baby in one sleeping position, such as wedges or straps

No pods or nests, rolled up towels or anything soft placed on top of the mattress.

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Safer sleep overview - The Lullaby Trust

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An easy guide to practicing safer sleep for your baby and reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, or cot death).

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How do I know if my baby is properly latched? | NHS

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Global Health Media- Breastfeeding Video 

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Global Health Media- Breastfeeding Video 

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Attaching Your Baby at the Breast - Video - Global Health Media Project

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Good attachment will help a baby get more milk and make breastfeeding more comfortable. This video shows why good attachment is so important to breastfeeding

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Infant crying is normal and it will stop. Babies start to cry more frequently from around 2 weeks of age. The crying may get more frequent and last longer. After 8 weeks of age babies start to cry less each week. Babies cry for many reasons. They are hardwired to cry whenever they need a…

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Preventing Traumatic Head Injury in Babies by PHE in Partnership with ICON

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Have a look at our guide to washing and bathing your baby, including how to top and tail and advice on a safe bath temperature.

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You'll probably spend a large part of the first few days after birth looking at your baby.
If you notice anything that worries you about your baby, however small, speak to your midwife.

Within the first 24 hours, a health professional will offer to give your baby an injection of vitamin K. This is to prevent a rare but serious blood disorder.

You will also be offered a newborn physical examination for your baby in their first 72 hours. Among other things, their eyes, heart, hips and testicles (if they have them) will be checked for possible problems.

In their first few weeks, you baby will also have the:

Umbilical cord care

Your newborn's umbilical cord takes about a week to dry out and drop off. Keep it clean and dry until it does. If you notice any bleeding or discharge, tell your midwife, health visitor or GP.

Fontanelles (soft spots)

On the top of your baby's head, near the front, is a diamond-shaped patch where the skull bones have not fused together yet. There is another, smaller, soft spot towards the back of their head. These are called the fontanelles.

It will probably be a year or more before the bones close over. Do not worry about the fontanelles as they are covered by a tough protective membrane.

Your baby's skin

At birth, the top layer of your baby's skin is very thin and easily damaged. Over the first month, or longer for premature babies, your baby's skin matures and develops its own natural protective barrier.

Vernix, the white sticky substance that covers your baby's skin while in the womb, should always be left on the skin. It's a natural moisturiser that also protects against infection in the first few days.

It's best to bath your baby with plain water only for at least the first month. Do not add cleansers to your baby's bath water or use skin lotions or medicated wipes.

Premature babies' skin is even more delicate. Staff in the neonatal unit will advise you on skincare.

Find out more about babies who need special care.

If your baby is overdue, their skin may be dry and cracked. This is because all the protective vernix has been absorbed before they were born.

Eyes in newborns

Your newborn's eyes will be checked shortly after birth as part of their newborn physical examination. New babies can see, but their vision is not very focused. Their eyesight develops gradually over the first few months.

By the time your baby is 2 weeks old, you'll probably notice their eyes following your face. If they do not seem to be doing this, mention it to your health visitor or GP.

Your newborn's eyes may roll away from each other occasionally. This is called a squint and is normal in a newborn. It should go away by 3 months. Talk to your health visitor or GP if it does not.

Bumps and bruises

It's common for a newborn baby to have some swelling and bruises on their head, and perhaps bloodshot eyes.

This is caused by squeezing and pushing during birth, and is particularly common in babies who have been delivered by forceps or ventouse. It will soon disappear but, if you're worried, you can ask your midwife about it.

Birthmarks

The most common birthmarks in newborns are little pink or red V-shaped marks on the forehead, upper eyelids or neck. Some people call these stork marks or salmon patches. They gradually fade, but it may be a few months before they disappear completely.

Dark red and slightly raised strawberry marks (infantile haemangioma) are quite common. They sometimes appear a few days after birth and gradually get bigger. They may take a while to go away, but they usually disappear gradually.

See more about birthmarks.

Newborn spots

Spots and rashes are very common in newborn babies. They may come and go, but if you also notice a change in your baby's behaviour - for example, if your baby is not feeding well, or is very sleepy or very irritable - tell your midwife or GP immediately.

Breasts and genitals in newborns

Quite often, a newborn's breasts are a little swollen and ooze some milk, whether they are a boy or a girl.

Your newborn's genitals may appear swollen initially but will look normal within a few weeks. Baby girls also sometimes bleed a bit or have a white, cloudy discharge from the vagina.

All this is caused by hormones passing from you to your baby before birth. Do not be concerned.

Boys' testicles develop inside their body and sometimes take a while to descend into the scrotum. A health professional will check whether they have descended as part of the newborn physical examination.

Jaundice in new babies

When they're about 2 to 3 days old, some babies develop mild jaundice. This will make their skin and the whites of their eyes look a bit yellow. It's caused by pigments released during the breakdown of old red blood cells.

It's more common in babies delivered by forceps or ventouse. It usually fades on its own within about 10 days, but more severe jaundice may need treatment.

Find out about newborn jaundice.

If your baby develops jaundice in their first 24 hours, they should be checked by a health professional straight away.

Instincts in new babies

Babies are born knowing how to suck. During the first few days they learn to co-ordinate their sucking with their breathing during feeding.

Newborn babies also automatically turn towards a nipple or teat if it's brushed against their cheek, and they'll open their mouths if their upper lip is stroked.

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What to expect in the first few days after birth, including your baby's appearance, birthmarks, tests and fontanelles.

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Blue Cross- Introducing pets to your baby - CATS

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Blue Cross- Introducing pets to your baby - CATS

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Blue Cross- Introducing your pets to your baby- DOGS

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Blue Cross- Introducing your pets to your baby- DOGS

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How to keep your baby safe around your dog

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How to keep your baby safe around dogs and puppies. Read our top tips and advice.

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If you've decided to bottle feed, you may be worried about what formula to buy, what equipment you'll need and how to get the hang of feeding your baby when everything is so new.

We're here to provide lots of helpful information and advice on bottle feeding. If you have any worries or concerns, the best thing to do is speak to your midwife or health visitor.

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From making formula feeds to how to bottle feed your baby, we have lots of useful advice and tips.

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This video guides mothers on how to hand express and talks about the times when hand expression might be useful.

See the Breastfeeding Network website for FAQs and a leaflet all about expressing and storing breastmilk.

Problems viewing this video? Contact us.

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Hand expression video - Baby Friendly Initiative

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This video guides you through how to hand express, and talks about the times when hand expression might be useful for you.

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STFYAYB provides information about the screening tests offered during and after pregnancy.

Details

This information is about the screening tests you will be offered during your pregnancy and after your baby is born. It explains the different types of test and what the tests are looking for.

Easy read versions of this leaflet are available. Additional information is also available for parents of babies who are in a special care baby unit, neonatal intensive care unit or paediatric intensive care unit.

We hope this advice will help prepare you for discussions with your midwife or doctor so that you can ask the questions that are important to you.

It is your decision whether or not to have any of the tests described.

In this publication, we use the terms 'woman' and 'women' to refer to anyone able to become pregnant, including trans men. Trans men who are pregnant should be offered the same antenatal and newborn screening tests as other pregnant individuals.

The information is available in 12 other languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Somali and Urdu.

See how to print digital leaflets if you want to print any sections of this guidance.

Free printed copies of this leaflet are also provided for local screening providers to give to women who cannot access the internet. Screening services can view the full PDF of the printed leaflet and order printed copies on the APS online ordering portal (requires login).

Contact the screening helpdesk with any queries about this publication, making sure you include its full title.

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Screening tests for you and your baby (STFYAYB)

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STFYAYB provides information about the screening tests offered during and after pregnancy.