Tips for The First Week with Your Newborn

During the first week with your newborn, there’s very little to do other than rest your body and care for your little bundle of joy.

There are, however, a few things that you might like to do in advance to prepare for the first week with your baby. Things like preparing a feeding corner, stocking your kitchen, and setting priorities can make your postpartum time a little more straightforward and less time-consuming.

Your priorities during this time will be caring for yourself and caring for your baby - so forget about all of the little things that you usually take care of around the house. You might even like to hire a cleaner for the first couple of weeks or ask a family member to visit and take care of the chores.

The first week is all about keeping things as simple as possible. Things like portable diaper changing pads, keeping visitors to a minimum, and generally just taking it easy will make your life with a newborn so much easier.

Enjoy the first week with your newborn by using these 19 tried and tested tips. There’s so much joy to be had in our babies’ first days of life, let’s make it nice and easy for you, mama!

1. Stock your kitchen

 

Keep your kitchen stocked with simple snacks and easy-to-prepare meals so that you can be sure that you’ll get three meals a day with no stress. To ensure that you’ve got lots of fresh food, you might like to agree that your husband will do a food shop or order a delivery of groceries while you and your baby are recovering in hospital after birth. Prepare a list together well ahead of time and make it his responsibility to ensure that you’ll have all the food you need when the time comes.

Another great way to prepare is by making lots of space in your freezer and preparing lots of easy-to-heat meals ahead of time. If friends and family ask what they can do to help, the answer is always home-cooked meals. Check this article on "Make-ahead recipes to prepare for the arrival of baby" to get some ideas on which are the best postpartum freezer foods.

2. Keep visitors to a minimum

Though everybody will be bursting with excitement to meet your little one, and you’ll be desperate to show them off, try to keep visitors to a minimum.

Having an influx of visitors showering your baby with love and affection is as exhausting as it is wonderful. The last thing you need right now is to feel even more tired. Plus, passing your baby from person to person can be pretty emotionally draining for you!

Make the most of living in your newborn bubble for at least the first week following birth by keeping your visitor’s list consisting of immediate family members only.

3. Find a lactation consultant

Finding a good lactation consultant can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful breastfeeding. If you’re hoping to breastfeed, find a lactation consultant in advance!

A lactation consultant will take the time to find out information about your health, your history, and your birth so that they’re able to give you tailored advice to suit your needs, your baby, your body, and your situation. This might be the very best newborn support on offer, so take advantage of it.

If you give birth in a hospital and have trouble with breastfeeding, you can ask to see the lactation consultant on shift for help and advice.

4. Create a nursing corner

Whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, it can be helpful to set up a corner of your home to be used solely for nursing your baby. By setting up space, you’ll have everything you need for feeding your baby in one place - this prevents you from having to run around the house searching for pillows, breast pads, and burp cloths!

Having a nursing corner is also a lovely way to keep distractions to a minimum so that your baby can focus on feeding. Though you’ll more than likely progress out of your nursing corner very quickly, it can be a cozy place to get started.

5. Put your pump together

Even if you’re planning on exclusively breastfeeding, figuring out how to put a pump together is something that you’re going to want to get the hang of very quickly. Whether you struggle with milk supply, latching, or discomfort while feeding, a breast pump will mean that you can still feed your baby breastmilk while you try to overcome the issue.

Choose a pump that will fit in well with your lifestyle. If you work from home, you might appreciate the simplicity of an electric pump that can sit, hands-free, inside your nursing bra. Whereas if you work in an office environment, you might prefer a wireless breast pump.

If you do start using a breast pump between feeds, you’ll thank yourself for building up a supply of frozen breast milk when it comes to spending a couple of hours away from your baby eventually.

6. Sleep when the baby sleeps

This is probably the one tip that you’ve heard hundreds of times, and that’s because it’s crucial! As much as you might want to wash clothes, do the dishes, and generally clean up your house, it’s far more important that you rest.

It’s so normal to wait for the second that your baby falls asleep so that you can jump up and complete some chores, but try not to. Leave that to your guests and your partner (if they’re not exhausted too!). You might even like to consider hiring a house cleaner for the first few weeks with your newborn - that way, and nobody has to worry about it!

If sleeping feels unnatural to you, try to spend this time reading a book, watching an episode of something on Netflix, or following a guided meditation. Anything that will help to fill your cup is worth your time!

7. Stock up on comfortable clothes

For the first few weeks or months after your baby is born, you’re going to be living in maternity pants, or comfortable clothes. Not only is that ok, but it’s also absolutely normal. Make sure that you’ve got enough options to wear in a week, such as breeze dresses, casual leggings, sweatpants so that you only have to do laundry only once a week.

8. Keep baby supplies in multiple rooms

Create a couple of changing stations so that you can easily change your baby’s diapers without having to travel too far. You’ll probably want to have a changing station in your main living space or kitchen and in your bedroom or nursery.

Our advice is to dedicate a basket or living-room drawer as a place to store everything that your baby might need during the day. Keep diapers, wipes, cream, a portable diaper changing pad, and spare clothes in here as well as anything that you need for yourself - think breast pads and sanitary towels.

Another thing you might like to consider is keeping a nighttime changing station under or next to your bed so that you can quickly change your baby’s diaper, clothes, and sheets during the night if you need to. 

9. Set priorities

It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all of the things you think you should be doing during the first week with your newborn. So take a moment to think of the things that are the most important to you after the birth of your child. For example, it could be family and well-being, or family and sleep, or your newborn and eating healthily. Whenever things feel overwhelming, come back to your priorities and focus only on ensuring you’re attending to those.

This might mean that friends, work, and cleaning the house have to take a backseat. And that’s ok! Try to enjoy this time with your newborn, focusing on the things you want to cherish during this time and what is going to make you feel good.

10. Use a portable changing pad

A portable diaper changing pad will make the first week with your newborn so much more simple - you’ll be able to change their diaper from anywhere in the house at a moment’s notice! We suggest having one for the house and one for your diaper bag. That way, you’ll always have a quick and easy way to clean your baby’s bottom.

Diaper changing pads that are portable also make it much easier to change your baby’s diaper while out and about. You can whip them out for use in public toilets, the car, restaurants, park benches, your lap...anywhere!

11. Be soothing

Your baby has suddenly transitioned from a tiny, warm, dark space into the big, wide world! They’re going to need all of the comforts available to them to keep them feeling secure. If your baby dislikes being put down during naps, cuddle them. If they want you to rock them to sleep, rock them. If they find comfort in being walked around, go for a walk or ask your partner to take them so that you can rest.

During the first week (or months!), there’s no harm in doing whatever you need to make your life easier and your baby happier. There’s no such thing as spoiling a baby or giving them too much attention.

12. Take it easy

Take it easy, mama! You’ve just had a baby. You don’t need to provide your family with 3-course dinners to prove that you can. And you certainly don’t need to be making hot drinks for every guest that comes over - they can do that for themselves. Make your well-being your number one priority, and everything else will come easy.

Use this time to live your slowest life, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Try to spend a little time working through the bigger household jobs before the arrival of your baby, if possible. If you want to stay on the couch for a month, know that you absolutely can.

Find out here how to make your house baby-ready, so that you can spend more time doing nothing once they’re here.

13. Stock up on books

Though having a newborn baby can feel busy, you’ll have a fair amount of quiet time while the baby feeds and sleeps. Stock up on your favorite type of fiction (or nonfiction!) so that you have something to help you relax during the first week with your baby.

If reading isn’t your thing, grab yourself a puzzle book, podcast, or use this time to write. You might even like to consider starting a blog during all of this downtime!

14. Forget about development

It’s easy to think that we’re not doing enough with our newborns when the online world is overloaded with images and cute videos of newborn babies lifting their heads and interacting with objects.

But, for the first week, just enjoy being a new mom and watching your baby sleep. Don’t worry about getting wrapped up in your baby’s development with things like ‘tummy time’ and showing them black-and-white images. All of that can wait until later.

For now, the less to think about, the better. Your baby will let you know when they’re ready and interested in taking the next developmental step. Stay tuned in and let them lead the way!

15. Try a few breastfeeding positions

Ask your midwife to show you a few different breastfeeding positions so that you can easily get comfortable. You might prefer to sit up with your baby during the night so that you don’t fall asleep while lying side-by-side with your baby during the day can be a great way to give your shoulders a break! You’ll probably also find that there’s a position that your baby prefers.

16. Get yourself a nursing pillow

Continuing from the previous point, get yourself a nursing pillow. Nursing pillows offer somewhere to rest your baby while feeding, and, therefore, they make every breastfeeding position 100x more comfortable. (They also double up as a great place to rest your head if you decide to take a nap…).

17. Looking after yourself

Things are going to be sore down there, and this will be the most obvious when you go to pee. Keep a sports bottle full of water next to the toilet and spray the soreness away with clean water while you pee. Frida has great postpartum products that can help you as well.

18. Set a date for your first workout

You shouldn’t try rushing back into getting fit - it’s essential to wait for the all-clear from your health provider before you get started. Saying that, after the birth of your baby, you might be desperate to start working out, practicing yoga, or swimming. So to ensure that you stay excited about it - while giving your body the time it needs to heal - pick a date for your first workout. You’ll need to discuss this with your healthcare provider, but it will usually be at the 6-week mark. After that, you might like to purchase an online workout program or app that caters to women postpartum - you could even hire a personal trainer to guide you safely through this time.

19. Arrange a newborn photoshoot

Trust us when we say you’re going to want to remember just how tiny those feet were! Organize a newborn photoshoot to capture a few precious moments between your partner, your newborn, and yourself. But remember, there’s no need to rush into it! Pick a date that you know you’ll be mentally and physically ready for - having a newborn photoshoot is going to be no fun at all if you’re still recovering from birth.

Prepare for your shoot by booking yourself a hair appointment and manicure in advance so that you feel at your very best.

Don’t forget to fill your changing bag with everything you’ll need during your time out of the house - particularly diapers and your portable diaper changing pad!

The takeaway

Embracing a few of these tips for the first week with your newborn will help you to prepare, lighten the load, and free up lots of time that you can spend bonding with your bundle of joy. When it comes to the first week with your baby, anything that helps you to do less, stress less, and worry less should be at the top of the list!

The first week with your newborn is a time to cherish. Accept help, eat food that makes you feel good, and give your baby all of the cuddles he/she ask for.

Continue these tips for as long as they feel like they’re working for you, don’t sweat the small stuff, and go easy on yourself.