When you first arrive home with your new baby, you’ll most likely still be in some sort of pain despite being given painkillers. If you’ve had a C-section, which is a major surgery, so you will experience soreness around the incision and be moving a bit more slowly. If you’re a first-time mom, here’s what to expect on that first day as you find your footing in motherhood.

As babies don’t come with a manual or a set of instructions like say, “Feed every two hours”, or “Burp when needed”, the first day home with baby can be a bit confusing as you and your newborn are finding your way together. As a first time mom, you just need some time, a little practice and a bit of advice and you’ll be perfectly fine no matter what kind of curveballs are thrown at you. The main thing though, is to remain calm and think straight.

Here, we have some helpful hints on what to expect on your first day home with baby and we hope they will be useful to you.

Feeding your baby

Your newborn baby’s stomach is really tiny and is capable of holding only a little bit of milk at a time. 1-3 ounces of milk per feeding is all that baby can take, but the little one will need to be fed every two to three hours – or maybe more often.

Newborns are known to be hungry yet sleepy at the same time, so you might have to wake your baby up for a feed.

Likewise, babies sometimes fall asleep during feedings and will need to be gently coaxed to wake up – tickling their toes, stroking their face and talking to them are all ways to wake your baby up for a feed.

While crying is a newborn’s most used way to show that they’re hungry, they do also show hunger by sucking on their hands, smacking their lips or what is called “rooting.” Rooting is when babies keeps turning their head towards the bottle or breast, in search of food.

The noises your newborn makes

That unique, high-pitched newborn cry is something a first time mom will soon become accustomed to, but that’s not the only sound that a baby makes – Newborns hiccup, sneeze, grunt and sometimes even squeak! Before your baby was born, you may have had visions of him or her sleeping peacefully in total bliss, but in fact, babies can be the noisiest sleepers around!

Hiccups, spit up and burps

A newborn baby will need to be burped frequently during feedings. After about 2-3 ounces, which translates into about 10-15 minutes of feeding or each time you switch breasts, you should burp your baby. Gentle back pats soft circular rubs should do the trick,

Frequent hiccups are normal – they may take your baby by surprise, but they don’t hurt. your baby may be a bit taken aback by her hiccups, but they don’t hurt and are quite normal.

Spit ups are also very common in newborn, even if you feel you’re a skillful burper. Even spitting up directly after or even during a feeding is quite normal. If your baby’s spit up seems like a lot, or if he seems to be in a bit of pain (arching the back, crying) it may be reflux at work. This usually goes away as baby gets more control of his head and neck muscles and with time. If you’re worried, call up your doctor or your midwife/nurse.

Poop and pee

A newborn’s poopy diapers may look weird, but not to worry. Those first few poops, which typically happen in the hospital, are meconium and consist of black, tar-like waste.

Once your baby is at home, you may want to keep a general tally of wet and poopy diapers, as your doctor will probably ask at checkups. Wet diapers range from around 5 a day for breastfed babies to up to 10 a day for formula-fed babies. Poopy diapers range more in their frequency so “normal” may differ from one a day to one every 4-5 days to one after each feeding. A newborn baby’s poop is not what you may expect – typically a seedy, mustard color to a greenish brown color depending on formula or breast milk.

Baby’s poopy diapers are typically very loose in consistency so don’t worry if each diaper looks like diarrhea. Rest assured that you and your husband may talk more “poop” in those first few months than you ever thought two adults could – and it’s all good!

Sleep

A newborn will sleep between 16-17 hours a day, but not for more than an hour or two at a time. That tiny, hungry tummy needs to be fed quite frequently. It would be good if you could chart sleep times so you can see baby’s sleep patterns. With a sleep chart, you’ll also be able to check with your doctor if you have questions.

Swaddling is a great way to get your baby to sleep because it offers a sense of comfort and security. If baby sleeps in a crib, remove any loose blankets, stuffed animals or bumper pads. Also, put baby to sleep on his back – and never leave your sleeping baby unattended on a couch or chair where he could easily roll off and fall to the floor.

Use a baby monitor for your ease of mind, These nifty little gadgets will allow you to keep an eye (and ear!) on your baby while you’re busy in other areas of your home!

You, a new mommy @ home

As a new mom, your first day at home can be quite an unpredictable one. Whatever happens, you’ll still need lots of rest to recover well, so if anyone offers beforehand to be around to assist you, accept the kind gesture with gratitude.

Your health matter more than you think

Drink plenty of fluids to keep well hydrated, avoid digestive problems and help your body heal faster. If you’re being taken care of by your mom, mom-in-law or a confinement lady, you’ll be given a nourishing meal in accordance to your confinement practice. If you’re by yourself, try to take in the most well-balanced meal you can manage to get your hands on.

Rest at every opportunity

While you may be the only one who can breastfeed your baby, others who are willing to help can take care of your household chores for now – such as the laundry, the cleaning, taking out the garbage, etc. They can also help change baby’s diapers, burp and hold baby and so on while you rest.

Keep calm and do your thing!

The first day at home with baby may or may not turn out to be a challenging day, so remember to go easy on yourself regardless of how the day progresses. If there are stressful moments to endure, ( like your baby won’t stop crying, for instance), it’s important to not lose your calm.