What’s next

What to expect in the rest of the first week

Through the first week, life is mostly short stretches of feeding, sleeping, and diaper changes. Intake and diaper output should rise, poop should lighten, and the cord should dry; the exact pace and output targets depend on feeding, so look for a reassuring overall trend rather than a perfect schedule.

Full guide

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Right now: watch the pattern

Expect feeds around the clock and sleep in scattered stretches. A breastfed newborn usually feeds 8–12 times in 24 hours; visible or audible swallowing matters more than the length of one feed. Wet diapers should become more frequent, and thick black or dark-green meconium should begin becoming lighter. The CDC's day-by-day diaper minimums apply to breastfed newborns; use the care team's plan for any other feeding pattern. The CDC’s newborn breastfeeding guide gives day-by-day output signs.

The cord stump commonly dries and shrivels while staying attached beyond this week. Keep it clean and dry, with the diaper folded below it. Skin or eyes may look yellow as bilirubin builds up; jaundice often appears first on the face and can be harder to see on darker skin, so check in natural or bright white light.

What may change next

Days 2–3: feeds can cluster close together, and baby may need gentle waking for them. For breastfed newborns, the CDC lists at least 2 wet diapers and 3 stools on day 2, then 5 wet diapers and 3 stools on day 3. Stool should become less black and sticky.
Days 3–5: swallowing may become easier to hear, and stool usually becomes lighter. Yellow skin may become more noticeable. Keep the follow-up timing in the discharge plan; babies discharged before 48 hours are generally checked within 2 days, when weight, feeding, hydration, and bilirubin can be reviewed. The AAP’s newborn jaundice guidance explains why this visit matters.
Days 5–7: for a breastfed newborn, CDC guidance lists at least 6 wet diapers and 3 stools per 24 hours by day 5. Those exact minimums are specific to breastfeeding; otherwise, use the care team’s feeding plan. Continued weight loss after day 5 deserves a call; the cord may still be attached and drying.

Reassuring signs

Look for several signs moving in the right direction:

Baby wakes or can be gently roused for feeds and sucks or drinks actively.
You can see or hear swallowing, and baby seems relaxed after at least some feeds.
Wet diapers increase day by day and stool shifts away from black meconium.
Breathing looks comfortable, lips and tongue keep their usual color, and baby moves normally.
The cord is becoming dry without spreading redness, bad-smelling drainage, or active bleeding.
The follow-up visit shows that weight and bilirubin are following a safe trend.

When to call or get help

Call the pediatrician

You are unsure about the feeding or waking plan, diaper trend, or follow-up timing.
Latch or bottle feeds are repeatedly difficult, even though baby remains alert and is taking milk.
The cord is still attached after 3 weeks, or you are unsure whether it is healing normally.

Get prompt medical advice

Baby suddenly feeds less, cannot finish feeds, has a weak suck, or is much harder to wake.
Skin or eyes are becoming more yellow, yellow color reaches the abdomen, arms, or legs, or jaundice comes with poor feeding or unusual sleepiness.
A breastfed baby has fewer than 6 wet diapers and 3 stools in 24 hours by day 5, output falls, or weight keeps dropping after day 5.
The cord has spreading redness, foul-smelling yellow drainage, active bleeding, or seems painful when touched. These match the AAP’s cord infection warning signs.
The rectal temperature is 100.4°F (38°C) or higher: call immediately and arrange urgent in-person care.

Get urgent help now

Call 911 or your local emergency number if baby cannot be woken, is not moving or is very weak, makes a new grunt or moan with each breath, or has blue or gray lips, tongue, or face. Go to an emergency department now for green vomit, new floppiness, decreased movement, or a weak suck that does not last. These are newborn emergency signs in the AAP’s guide to recognizing newborn illness.

Usually not a worry

An uneven rhythm: several feeds close together followed by a longer sleep can happen if baby remains rousable and intake and diaper trends are reassuring.
Changing poop: black, sticky stool becoming green, brown, or yellow is an expected first-week transition, not diarrhea by itself.
An attached cord: drying and shriveling are expected. It often falls during weeks 1–3; do not pull it off.
Some early weight loss: this can be expected, especially with breastfeeding. The clinician should interpret the percentage and trend; continued loss after day 5 changes the advice.

These variations need a call when they come with poor feeding, fewer diapers, worsening yellow color, fever, unusual sleepiness, or difficult breathing.

Useful today

Keep a simple 24-hour note of feed times and wet and dirty diapers.
Confirm the newborn follow-up appointment and bring the discharge feeding, weight, and bilirubin information.
Check the sleep space: back position, firm and flat mattress, fitted sheet, and nothing else.
Look at skin and eyes in bright white light once a day; call rather than trying sunlight as jaundice treatment.
Fold the diaper below the cord, and save the pediatrician’s daytime and after-hours numbers.