Parenting

Getting to know your newborn

Holding, soothing, cues, and a practical first-days checklist.

2 minute read · A small idea to try

This is general educational information and does not replace professional medical advice. Follow your healthcare team's individual guidance and contact them with concerns about you or your child.

Learn one another slowly

You do not have to understand every cry immediately. Notice what happens before your baby becomes unsettled and what helps them calm. Familiar voices, gentle holding and responding to their needs are ordinary ways to build connection.

Handle gently

Support your newborn's head and neck when lifting and holding them. Ask your midwife or nurse to demonstrate anything that feels unfamiliar. When using skin-to-skin contact, stay awake, keep the baby's face visible and airway clear, and follow your care team's positioning advice.

Keep the first days simple

Make the next essential task easy to find.

Save your baby's and your own care-team contact numbers.
Confirm feeding support and follow-up appointments before you need them.
Keep nappy supplies within reach of a safe changing place.
Prepare a separate, clear sleep space and review it with every caregiver.

When soothing is hard

Check feeding needs, comfort and the nappy. If you feel overwhelmed, place your baby safely on their back in their clear cot and take a brief pause while you seek support. Never shake a baby. Contact your healthcare team if your baby seems unwell, feeds poorly or their crying concerns you; seek emergency help for breathing difficulty or unresponsiveness.

One thing to take with you

Knowing your baby is something you learn through many small moments.

Sources and further reading