Newborn Care in the First Month: A Guide for Parents

Caring for a baby in the first month of life is often a real challenge for new parents. Everything feels unfamiliar: how to hold the baby, how to bathe them, when to feed, and what counts as normal. Kandinsky Clinic pediatricians Vladyslava Tkachenko and Alina Kuldibaeva explain how to care for a newborn during the first weeks at home and what to pay attention to.

The first days after birth

What should you do first with a newborn at home? The main thing is to create a calm environment.

A newborn spends most of the time asleep, waking up to feed. During this period, supporting the mother herself is especially important. She needs to recover from childbirth — not chase after tidiness and schedules.

The first days at home can be confusing: the baby cries, and the reason is unclear. Most often it is hunger, the discomfort of a wet diaper, or simply the need to be close to mom. The more parents observe their baby, the faster they learn to read these signals.

Feeding: schedule and breastfeeding

Breast milk is the foundation of newborn nutrition in the first month of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months: mother's milk contains all the necessary nutrients and antibodies that protect the baby from infections.

In the first weeks, the baby latches on very frequently — every 1.5–2 hours. An infant's stomach is tiny, and milk is digested quickly. Feed your baby on demand — for a newborn, this is more physiological than feeding by the clock.

Breastfeeding doesn't always work out right away. That's normal: sometimes it takes time, support, or help from a specialist.

If breastfeeding turns out to be impossible for medical or other reasons, modern formulas can provide complete nutrition. The key is not to face this question alone.

Newborn sleep

In the first month of life, a newborn sleeps 16–18 hours a day, waking every 2–3 hours. This is the physiological norm. The brain and nervous system develop intensively precisely during sleep.

Always put your baby to sleep on their back, on a firm, flat surface. This reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Soft pillows and crib bumpers are not needed at this age.

Daily newborn care

Daily care for an infant includes several simple but important routines.

Washing. In the morning, wipe your baby's face with a cotton pad. Wipe the eyes from the outer corner to the inner one, using a separate pad for each eye.

Umbilical cord care. The cord stump usually falls off within one to two weeks after birth. Until then, keep the belly button area dry and clean — modern medicine no longer recommends treating the stump with antiseptics. If you notice redness or discharge, contact your pediatrician right away.

Diapers. Change diapers every 2–3 hours and after every bowel movement. After washing your baby, pat the skin dry thoroughly or let it air-dry — this is the main way to prevent diaper rash.

Bathing. The water should be 36–37°C, and bath time should last 5–10 minutes. Daily bathing is not necessary in the first weeks: 2–3 times a week is enough.

Walks. You can take your newborn outside from the very first days. In hot weather, plan walks for the early morning or evening, when the temperature is lower.

Vladyslava Tkachenko, Pediatrician and Neonatologist at Kandinsky Clinic:

"The first month of life is the most important period for a baby's adaptation to the outside world. Parents often worry whether they are doing everything right. My advice: observe your baby and don't be afraid to ask your pediatrician questions. That's what we're here for."

Week-by-week development in the first month

Every baby develops at their own pace. The overview below shows which skills and changes are typical for each period. If you don't see them yet, it's simply a reason to ask your pediatrician at a routine check-up — not a cause for alarm.

Weeks 1–2: begins to react to voices and sounds. The gaze is still unsteady — and that's normal: visual focus in newborns develops gradually over the first month.

Weeks 2–3: listens to sounds. Grasps your finger when touched. Can briefly hold their head up while lying on their tummy.

Weeks 3–4: a more focused gaze. First cooing sounds appear. Begins to follow a slowly moving object.

What to do with your baby in the first month: interaction and development

Talk to your baby, sing, describe what's happening around them. This stimulates speech development and builds attachment. Your baby already recognises your voice and responds to light and touch — contact with parents matters from the very first days of life.

If you notice asymmetry after birth (for example, the baby only turns their head to one side, or one side of the body is more tense than the other), it's worth seeing a pediatric physiotherapy specialist. Conditions such as torticollis respond very well to correction in the first weeks of life.

Vaccination in the first month of life

According to Dubai's childhood immunization schedule, a newborn receives vaccines against hepatitis B and tuberculosis (BCG) in the first weeks of life. As the WHO emphasizes, vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect young children from infectious diseases.

Alina Kuldibaeva, Pediatrician at Kandinsky Clinic:

"Infant vaccination is not just a formality on a checklist — it is real protection for a child during the most vulnerable period of life. I am always ready to answer questions and explain what each vaccine is for."

Caring for a baby in Dubai: what's different

Dubai's climate creates special conditions that can make caring for a baby in the first month a bit more challenging, especially for summer-born babies. Here's what to keep in mind.

Temperature regulation. Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature as effectively as adults. In Dubai, plan walks for the early morning or evening. Watch for signs of overheating: hot skin at the back of the head, lethargy, and refusal to feed.

Indoor climate. Prolonged air conditioning lowers humidity, which can dry out a baby's nasal passages and skin. The recommended humidity in a nursery is 50–60%, with a temperature of 20–22°C.

Temperature swings. In summer, the difference between outdoors and indoors in Dubai can reach 15–20°C. Don't keep your baby undressed in an air-conditioned room — dry, cool air chills quickly. Outside, on the contrary, dress your baby lightly and protect them from direct sun.

Hydration and lactation. In hot weather, a breastfeeding mother's fluid needs increase. Dehydration can affect milk supply, so make sure to keep up your fluid intake.

When to see a pediatrician

Some symptoms require urgent medical attention:

• A temperature above 38°C in a baby under 3 months
• Refusing two or more feedings in a row
• Jaundice that intensifies or does not fade after 2 weeks
• Discharge from the umbilical area or redness around the belly button
• The baby is very lethargic and barely responds to their surroundings

A routine pediatric check-up in the first month is a must, even if everything seems fine.

Parent support at Kandinsky Clinic

What to do with a newborn in the first month, how to care for them, which tests to take, which vaccines to get, and how to support early development? The doctors at Kandinsky Clinic can help with all of it. The clinic's pediatricians and other specialists in Dubai consult in Russian and English and support families with children from their very first days.

Kandinsky Clinic also offers a dedicated medical care program for babies up to 12 months. Essentially, it's a medical membership for the first year of life: you sign up once, and throughout the year your baby sees all the necessary specialists, gets tests done, and receives vaccinations on schedule. Parents don't have to keep track of who to see next and what needs to be done at each stage.

To book an appointment with a pediatrician, contact us via WhatsApp at +971 55 566 0877 or call the clinic at +971 4 563 1200.

Sources

• WHO. Breastfeeding
• WHO. Immunization
• American Academy of Pediatrics. Safe Sleep

Authors: Vladyslava Tkachenko, Pediatrician, Neonatologist at Kandinsky Clinic, 5 years of experience; Alina Kuldibaeva, Family Medicine Physician, Pediatrician, Pediatric Pulmonologist at Kandinsky Clinic, 11 years of experience

Medical editor: Olga Polikina, Chief Medical Officer at Kandinsky Clinic, PhD in Medicine

Content reviewed on: 13.08.2026

This article is intended for educational purposes and does not replace an in-person consultation with a doctor. Decisions about diagnosis and treatment should be made together with a specialist.