A Guide for New Parents: Expert Advice from a Le Bonheur Children's Physician

Becoming a parent for the first time is an exciting yet overwhelming experience. With so much to learn about newborn care, health and development, it’s natural to have questions.

After the birth of your baby, you have many things to learn, and you may be overwhelmed with an abundance of information in the first few weeks after the baby's birth. It can be hard to keep track of everything you're being told! The most important thing we can recommend is asking questions to trusted resources like your baby's nurses and doctors.

Most common newborn concerns have to do with these four things, and we encourage you to ask your child's health care team questions if you are unsure about anything.

To help ease your journey, Dr. Madeline Davis, a pediatrician at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, addresses some common concerns new parents have.

Feeding a Newborn

Babies need to do very few things in the first few weeks of life, namely eat, sleep, pee and poop. Every baby is different, and getting to know your baby's hunger cues and feeding patterns is important. Hunger cues can include:

• Crying
• Rooting (moving head around to look for a nipple or bottle)
• Sucking.

General guidance for feeding newborns includes:

• Around 1-2 ounces every 1-2 hours to 2-3 ounces every 2-3 hours.
• In the first few months, the amount a baby eats will increase gradually and the time between feeds often spaces out.
• Don’t let a newborn go longer than 3 hours between feeds unless otherwise approved by your pediatrician.

Ways to assess if your newborn is feeding well include:

• Assessing if they appear satisfied after a feed (comfortable, sleeping well, no longer showing hunger cues at the end of a feed, etc.).
• Monitor your newborn’s urine output. Most babies should have at least 3 wet diapers a day but often make many more than that.
• Visiting your pediatrician for regular newborn well visits to look at your baby's weight trends to make sure they are eating enough.

Common signs of poor feeding in newborns include:

• Excessive sleepiness or disinterest in the breast or bottle
• Weight loss or insufficient weight gain
• Low urine output
• Consistently not waking up to feed at least every 3 hours
• Sleeping through feeds
• Not latching well to the breast or bottle
• Peeing less than 3 times a day

If your newborn exhibits these symptoms, we recommend reaching out to your baby's pediatrician for additional advice. 

Common Signs Your Baby is Not Feeling Well

We strongly recommend that parents have a rectal thermometer for their newborn. A cause for concern is if a newborn has a fever temperature of 100.4 F or higher or is showing signs of illness including:

• Feeling warm to the touch
• Excessive fussiness
• Excessive sleepiness
• Cold symptoms like cough, congestion, runny nose, abnormal breathing or anything else that causes concern

If a baby has a fever of 100.4 F or higher or a low temperature of less than 97.5 degrees F, I recommend contacting your baby's doctor immediately. Fever and hypothermia are considered medical emergencies in newborns and often need to be evaluated in the emergency room. If you are unsure if a temperature is normal, please contact your healthcare team for advice.

Safe Sleep for Newborns

Safe sleep is an important way we can reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). We recommend that parents follow the “ABCs of safe sleep,” which is that babies should always sleep alone on their back in an empty crib or bassinet.

Any clutter added to the crib like infant sleeping pillows, blankets, toys, stuffed animals, crib bumpers or any excess materials can potentially block a baby's nose or mouth and prevent them from breathing comfortably —  follow the expression "a boring crib is a safe crib."

Parents can hold their babies while they sleep as long as the parents are awake and alert. It is recommended that if parents start to feel drowsy while holding their baby, they should place the baby alone on their back in the empty crib or bassinet and not in the bed with the parents. Co-sleeping accidents like suffocation from an unsafe crib or a co-sleeping caregiver can be devastating and can lead to life-changing injuries or death.

If possible and healthy for mothers, studies show that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of SIDS. Studies have also suggested that pacifier use may be protective against SIDS.

We recommend that adults not smoke around babies as second-hand smoke can increase the risk of SIDS and respiratory illnesses in babies. We encourage you to reach out to your doctor about smoking cessation tips.

Words of Advice for New Parents

Bringing home a newborn is both rewarding and challenging, but you’re not alone in this journey. By staying informed and seeking guidance from trusted medical professionals, you can ensure your baby thrives in their first year and beyond. If you ever have concerns, never hesitate to reach out to your child’s pediatrician or the specialists at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.