Feeding Baby
Your baby is getting enough nutrition if:

• Steady weight gain
• Regular, soft stools 
• 6-8 wet diapers per day
• Seems generally happy and content, especially when feeding.

Burp baby about halfway through a feeding. If no burp after 2-3 minutes and baby seems comfortable, continue with feeding. 

Stools
If your baby has less than one stool a day, or if they are dry and hard, your baby may be constipated and you should call the doctor.

Breastfed
Babies less than 6 weeks old have stools that are yellow-mustard color. It is normal to have 8-10 stools per day. After 6 weeks, breastfed babies may not have a stool for 4-7 days.

Formula-fed
Stools are usually greenish-yellow and may be firm, usually one stool a day is normal.

Reasons to call the doctor:

• Temperature - Red, flushed appearance, irritable, listless.
• Diarrhea - Watery stools with mucus, with vomiting, not hungry or reluctant to feed.
• Vomiting - Excessive, persistent, or forceful.
• Not feeding well - Noticeable changes in feeding pattern.
• Skin rashes - Red rashes, severe diaper rash, oozing or crusted sores, blisters.
• Yellow skin - Prolonged jaundice after leaving the hospital. 

Umbilical Cord Care
Avoid covering the cord with the diaper as the area should be kept clean and dry.
Clean the area with each diaper change with alcohol or a clean, damp cloth.
The cord should fall off and the cord area should heal in about 7 to 10 days.
Call the doctor if the cord area is soft, has a strong odor, is streaked with red, or is leaking fluid.

Sleep Positions
Place your baby on his/her back on a firm mattress with no more than a sheet or rubberized mat between mattress and baby. Do not put soft, bulky items, like pillows, cushions, or rolls of bedding in the sleeping area. 

Crying
Crying is baby's primary means of expressing his/her needs. Baby may cry if he/she is hungry, in pain, wants to be held, is tired, wants to suck, needs stimulation or is overstimulated, has a wet or soiled diaper, is too hot or too cold, or needs to be burped.

Colic - Intense, inconsolable crying that does not stop when attempting to make baby more comfortable. Affects about 20% of babies. Often occurs at the same time every day, most often in the early evening. Usually stops in the third or fourth month.

Bath

• Make sure the room is warm. Use warm, not hot water. Wash the eyes, face, and hair first, then the body. Use a mild soap, rinse and dry well, especially in folds and creases.
• NEVER leave baby alone in a bath or on a changing table.

Diapering

• Keep baby clean and dry by changing frequently. Use a moist washcloth or unscented alcohol-free baby wipes.
• A very thin layer of petroleum may be used on baby's bottom to protect the skin from wetness and diaper rash.
• Leave umbilical area uncovered until cord falls off.
• Cloth or disposable diapers may be used.
• Bathe two or three times a week, wash hands and face at least twice a day and keep the diaper area clean.