Newborn Baby Care Basics: Feeding, Burping, Bathing, Cord Care, Stool & Urine Explained

Dr. Sandip Gupta

A pediatrician answers the most common questions and doubts parents have when a newborn first comes home — how often to feed, how to burp, when the cord falls, when the first bath can be given, why the baby passes green stool, and what stool and urine patterns are normal. Covered in this video: Breastfeeding Mother's milk should be started immediately after birth. It provides all the nutrition and calories a baby needs for 6 months — no formula, outside milk or animal milk is needed. It nourishes the baby and protects from infection, which is why it is called liquid gold. Feed every 2 to 3 hours, about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Babies usually wake and cry every 2–3 hours for a feed and settle back to sleep after feeding. In the first one or two weeks, if the baby is sleeping more than 3 hours and not waking on its own, stroke the baby gently to initiate the feed. Initially the baby does not suck strongly, but sucking improves as the baby gains strength. At night, a baby generally needs 2 to 3 feeds. Small babies often feed more at night and sleep during the day — this is natural and normal, nothing to fear. If the mother feels milk is not enough Milk production works on stimulation: the more the baby takes, the more milk is made. When the baby feeds, two hormones are released — prolactin, which helps make milk, and oxytocin, which helps release it, maintaining supply. The mother needs adequate rest and sleep, good nutrition and hydration. Family members should look after the mother's health. About 500–600 extra calories a day are needed on top of her normal nutrition, with good protein, healthy fruits, vegetables and cereals. (A sample diet chart link is in the video description.) Hydration: about 2 litres of water for herself plus about an extra 200 ml for every feed. Natural galactagogues that may help increase milk: til laddu, gond laddu, coconut water and others shown on screen. Burping While feeding, the baby swallows air, which can cause stomach pain, so it must be brought up. Keep the head positioned slightly above the body. Burp for 5 to 10 minutes after every feed, holding the baby upright on the shoulder; other burping positions are shown in the video. Use a cupped hand, not a flat hand — a flat hand pushes hard, a cupped hand is gentler and lets gas come out easily. Place a small towel under the baby's chin, as a little milk often comes up. For babies with more colic pain or gas problems: burp briefly midway through the feed as well, and burp for up to 15 minutes after the feed so the air comes out properly. Colostrum The thick, yellowish milk of the first 3 to 5 days is colostrum. It has antibodies, immune factors, vitamin A and good protein, and though small in quantity it is high in calories. It gives the baby good nutrition and immunity and protects from future infection — it must be given. Bathing Do not bathe in the first 24 hours after birth — early bathing can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or hypothermia. The hospital staff clean the baby at birth. Until the umbilical cord stump falls off, only sponge bathing: soak a cloth in water and wipe the body, paying attention to hidden parts — under the neck, under the arms, groin, back — so dirt does not collect. Do this daily. Pouring water on the cord makes it moist and delays it falling off. The cord generally takes about 1 to 2 weeks to dry and fall. After the cord falls, bathe with lukewarm water. Keep bath time to 10 minutes; more is not needed. After bathing, apply a good moisturiser or coconut oil and massage — doing the massage yourself is generally better. Use a baby bar or baby wash, not general soap: general soap has a higher pH and can dry the skin or cause rashes. Umbilical cord care Do not apply anything on the cord — people apply cow dung, kajal and other things, which infects the cord and risks infection for the baby. Left dry, it dries and falls off on its own. Nothing needs to be applied. A slight spot of blood or a small yellowish spot that is not very liquid is not a reason to worry. But redness all around the cord, visible swelling, or pus discharge means you must consult a doctor, as the cord may be infected. Stool pattern The baby generally passes stool in the first 24 hours after birth, and it is black — this is meconium, made of intestinal cells since the baby has eaten no food. It is normal for the first day or two. After that, stool can be golden yellow, yellow, green or sometimes brown. Colour, frequency and consistency vary in newborns. Breastfed babies pass more liquid stool; formula-fed babies' stool is thicker. Why green stool: bile made in the liver mixes with food in the intestine and normally turns yellow as it passes through. If the baby passes motions quickly, the bile does not get time to change colour and comes out green. If a baby under 6 months only has green stool, it is not watery, and there is no fever, green stool is generally normal. Frequency: a newborn passing stool six to eight times a day is normal if it is not totally watery and is semi-solid. Also, some babies pass stool only after four or five days — this is not considered constipation in a newborn, because mother's milk can be fully absorbed leaving little residue. What matters is that the stool is not hard. When to consult a doctor about stool: any trace of blood in the stool, or pale/white coloured stool, which can happen due to jaundice. Urine pattern The baby should pass urine within 24 to 48 hours of birth; often the baby passes urine right at the time of birth. After that the baby passes urine at least six to eight times a day. Urine should be colourless, like water. Yellow urine can mean two things: jaundice, or dehydration because the baby is not getting enough milk. Consult a doctor; increasing breastfeeding generally corrects the urine colour. Diapers Cotton nappies are recommended: they can be cleaned and reused so they are cost-effective, they allow air circulation near the skin keeping it healthy, and when the baby wets them you know immediately and can change, so stool and urine do not stay on the skin long and diaper rash chances are lower. Use a disposable diaper at night, when you don't want the baby waking and getting disturbed from wetness, and when going outdoors. During the day and at home, cotton nappies are safer. (A separate video on which diaper is safer is linked in the description.) The video mentions a Part 2 on newborn care answering further questions, linked in the description. Questions this video answers: How often should I feed my newborn? How many times in 24 hours? How many times should I feed at night? Is it normal for my baby to feed more at night and sleep in the day? My baby is sleeping more than 3 hours without waking to feed — what do I do? I feel I'm not making enough milk — what should I do? How do prolactin and oxytocin work? How much water and how many extra calories does a breastfeeding mother need? Which foods help increase breast milk? How do I burp my baby? For how long, and in which position? Should I use a flat or cupped hand for burping? How should I burp a baby with gas or colic pain? What is colostrum and why is the first yellow milk important? When can I give my newborn the first bath? Why not in the first 24 hours? What is a sponge bath and which body parts should I clean? How long does the umbilical cord take to fall off? What should I apply on it? When is umbilical cord discharge, redness or swelling a problem? How long should a baby's bath be, and which soap or wash should I use? Why is my newborn's first stool black? What is meconium? Why is my baby passing green stool? Is green potty normal? How many times a day should a newborn pass stool? Is six to eight times normal? My baby has not passed stool for 4–5 days — is this constipation? When should I see a doctor about my baby's stool? What does pale or white stool mean? How many times should a newborn pass urine? What colour should it be? Why is my baby's urine yellow? Should I use cotton nappies or disposable diapers? Relevant for: new parents bringing a newborn home, first-time mothers, and caregivers handling feeding, bathing and daily newborn care. Disclaimer: All information and suggestions given in this video are general health information. They are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If your baby shows any concerning signs, consult your doctor or pediatrician.