The first two weeks with a newborn are unlike anything else. They’re beautiful and exhausting in equal measure, and for most mums, they come with a constant low-level hum of worry: is this normal? Should they be doing that? Is something wrong?
The answer, most of the time, is that what you’re seeing is completely normal. But it helps to know what “normal” actually looks like.
Sleep (Or Lack of It)
Newborns sleep a lot, typically between 16 and 18 hours in a 24-hour period, but in short stretches rather than long blocks. Their sleep cycles are shorter than adults, and they haven’t yet developed a circadian rhythm, which means they have no idea that night is for sleeping and day is for being awake.
This is hard. It’s genuinely, relentlessly hard. But it is normal, and it does shift. Most babies start to consolidate their sleep a little more from around six to eight weeks.
Feeding Frequently
In the first two weeks, newborns typically feed every two to three hours, sometimes more. For breastfed babies especially, frequent feeding is how your supply gets established, so while it feels relentless, it’s doing important work. Cluster feeding, where your baby seems to want to feed almost constantly for a stretch of hours, is also normal and doesn’t mean you don’t have enough milk.
The Way They Look
Newborns often look nothing like the babies in photographs. They may have a slightly squashed or puffy face from birth, blotchy or peeling skin, baby acne, a soft spot on their head that visibly pulses, or a coating of vernix if they arrived early. Their eyes may be a little puffy, their hands and feet may look bluish in the cold, and their belly button stump will be drying out and eventually fall off. All of this is normal.
Noisy Breathing And Sneezing
Newborns are noisy breathers. They snuffle, grunt, and make all sorts of sounds that can be alarming if you’re not expecting them. Their nasal passages are very narrow, which is why even a tiny amount of mucus makes them sound congested. Sneezing frequently is also normal and is actually how they clear their airways, not a sign that they’re getting sick.
Jaundice
A yellowish tinge to the skin and whites of the eyes is extremely common in the first week or two. Mild jaundice resolves on its own, usually with good feeding. Your midwife or child health nurse will check for it and let you know if it needs any treatment.
The Emotional Side
Feeling overwhelmed, teary, or not quite like yourself in the first couple of weeks is very common. The baby blues, which typically peak around day three to five, are caused by the significant hormonal shift that happens after birth and usually pass within a week or so.
If low mood, anxiety, or feeling disconnected from your baby persists beyond the first couple of weeks, please talk to your GP or midwife. Postnatal depression and anxiety are very common and very treatable, and there is no version of this where you should just push through alone.
Those first two weeks are a lot. Be gentle with yourself.