How is my baby growing: baby FAQs in the first week after birth

Colostrum is the first form of breastmilk women produce after delivery - irrespective of whether they give birth via vaginal delivery or Cesarean delivery. Usually, it lasts up to the second or third day after delivery. It has a high concentration of carbohydrates and proteins but is low in fats: this makes it easy to digest for the newborn's tiny digestive system.

The mild laxative effect of colostrum encourages the passing of the baby's first poo, meconium. Colostrum also removes excess bilirubin, a waste product of dead red blood cells, from the infant's body and helps prevent jaundice. The antibodies present in colostrum help protect the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines, and protect the infant from viral infections and bacterial infections.

Read more: Feeding your newborn in the first 24 hours

Your breasts will start producing the regular milk within three to four days if you are a first-time mom. The process will begin early if you had a baby before. Your breast will become fuller and heavier when the regular milk comes in.

Read more: How to increase breast milk naturally at home

Newborns are prone to infections and washing your hands is the best way to protect your baby against them. You should wash your hands before holding your baby, feeding him or her, changing nappies and before any other activity that you do with your baby. Don’t hesitate to ask your guests, relatives and family members to use hand sterilizer before holding the baby as well.

Read more: Skin-to-skin contact beyond the first hour after birth

Doctors normally advise against using any skincare products on babies, but the baby's first poo or meconium can be an exception. The reason: meconium is sticky, and babies tend to have a lot of skin folds in the nappy area.

To get the meconium out of every skin fold, try this: apply vaseline to your baby’s bottom before you expect the poo (usually sometime during the first 24 hours). This can prevent the meconium from sticking to your baby's bum in the first place, so you can wipe away the meconium more easily with a soft clean cloth.

If the baby poos before you manage to get the vaseline on, don't worry. Put a little bit of virgin olive oil on a clean soft cloth to wipe the baby's bottom gently. When you are cleaning your baby's bottom after he or she poops, don’t forget to clean all the folds. Pat your baby dry and then apply vaseline - your baby may be pooping this odourless, sticky meconium for a day or two after birth.

Read more: How to clean your baby’s genitals

Babies can get a little bit of discharge from the eyes for a couple of weeks after birth - this is normal and nothing to worry about. Gently cleaning the discharge away with filtered water and a super soft and clean cloth should take of it. The most likely cause for sticky eyes in babies is blocked tear ducts. However, do visit your doctor if your babies eyes look red.

Read more: Vision problems in babies

Your baby will sleep for 16-18 hours a day in the first week after birth. However, your baby will get this sleep in shorter spans of one to two hours each after which he or she will wake up for feeds. At this point, your baby can't tell the difference between day and night - he or she will sleep for a total of eight to nine hours in the day and about eight hours during the night.

From the second week on, you can start introducing a baby bedtime routine to cultivate good bedtime habits and to help your baby develop a sense of night and day.

Read more: How to get more sleep when you have a newborn baby at home

Your baby can perform limited reflex actions like grabbing at things. He or she will also appear to get startled by loud noises. Your baby may also make jerky movements at night. And of course, your little bundle of joy will hiccup, take feed, pee, sleep, poop, and repeat.

Getting used to life outside the womb takes a lot of work: this week your baby is also busy growing bigger, looking less puckered and more adorable, straightening his or her limbs a bit and learning new skills like suckling, digesting, and building immunity.

Your baby won't be able to see beyond 25 centimetres - so don't bother waving from the car window. Instead, coo at your baby and gently graze your baby's head and back with your fingertips to elicit a response, as he or she is depending on hearing and touch this week and the next.

Your baby will seem cross-eyed for the entire first month after birth because he or she is also learning to focus their sight.

Check with your doctor about when to start tummy time - the general recommendation is to start soon after you come home from the hospital. Put your baby on his or her belly for a few minutes at a time, and supervise him or her the whole time. Tummy time helps babies develop the muscles of their neck and arms, and is the first step towards crawling (this is, of course, several months away still).

Yes, please. If you haven't got one already, you need one asap. A crib, a bassinet or any other arrangement that meets the baby sleep safety guidelines can help reduce the chances of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Under no circumstances should you allow the baby to sleep in your bed or couch with you. If you are lying down while feeding the baby, take extra care that you don't fall asleep during the feed either as this can lead to entrapment.

On a separate note, babies may experience apnea - episodes when they stop breathing for a few seconds - in the first few days after birth. While this may seem scary, irregular breathing is not unusual while babies learn to breathe and as their lungs get stronger. It is a good idea to stay vigilant, however, as their respiratory systems are tiny and easy to obstruct.

As a reference point: babies breathe faster than grown-ups and can take 30-60 breaths a minute. But this can also vary. For example, their breathing can drop to about 20 breaths per minute when babies sleep. Visit a doctor immediately if your baby stops breathing for 20 seconds or if he or she is grunting at the end of each breath.

Read more: Newborn's breathing pattern in the first 24 hours

Research shows that most newborns cry for two hours a day on average. If your baby cries for more than three-and-half hours, visit your paediatrician. That said, there are some common reasons why babies cry. They could be:

• The baby is hungry.
• The baby needs a diaper change.
• The baby is feeling cold or too warm.
• The baby wants to be held.
• The baby is tired.

Read more: Why do babies cry in the first 24 hours after birth

A little bit of spit-up is normal, as your baby gets used to feeding. Babies can swallow some air while feeding; when these air bubbles come back up, a little bit of the milk can come out too. This is nothing to worry about; make sure you keep a soft burp cloth handy to wipe the spit-up instantly so baby is clean and happy.

If you are concerned about the volume of your baby's throw up, try holding him or her upright during feeds and make sure you burp your baby properly. Many babies fall asleep while feeding; don't skip burping even if this happens.

Acid reflux in babies is a separate condition. Yes, it can be serious. If you're still worried about how much your baby is throwing up, tell your doctor about it. Make sure to check the side-effects of any medicines prescribed for your baby.