The first days at home with your newborn

The first days at home are a mix of joy, tiredness and a hundred small questions. Most of what a newborn does is normal, even when it looks strange. Here is what already happened in the hospital, how to care for your baby, when to call for help, and the paperwork that is easy to forget.

What already happened in the hospital

Before discharge your baby has usually had:

• Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB-1) in the first 24 hours and BCG against tuberculosis on days 2–5, following the national calendar of Uzbekistan.
• A heel-prick blood test for rare inherited conditions such as congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria; you are contacted only if a repeat is needed.
• A hearing check, where available. If it was missed, ask your polyclinic.

In the first days after discharge the patronage nurse and the paediatrician from your polyclinic visit you at home, and visits continue through the first month: they weigh the baby, check the cord, skin and jaundice, watch a feed and answer questions.

Cord, skin, bath and nappies

• Umbilical stump. Keep it clean and dry and fold the nappy below it. It falls off in one to three weeks; a few drops of blood then are normal. Call the nurse if the skin around it turns red, smells bad or oozes pus.
• Bathing. Two or three short baths a week are enough, washing the face, neck folds and nappy area in between. Use water at about 37 °C (test with your elbow or a thermometer), support the head and never leave the baby alone in water.
• Skin. Peeling, dryness, tiny white spots and a blotchy rash are normal in the first weeks. Plain water is enough; do not use talc powder.
• Nappies. Change promptly, clean with water, pat dry and let the skin air. For redness, a zinc barrier cream at every change usually works within days; see the nurse for blisters, bright red skin spreading into the folds or no improvement.

What is normal in a newborn

• Sleeping 14–17 hours out of 24, in stretches of two to four hours, with no day-night rhythm yet.
• Feeding 8–12 times a day, sometimes several feeds in a row in the evening ("cluster feeding").
• Hiccups, sneezing, irregular breathing with short pauses, startling at noises, occasional crossed eyes.
• At least six wet nappies a day from day 5. In a breastfed baby stools turn from dark meconium to yellow and seedy by day 4–5; how often varies widely.
• Losing up to 7–10 % of birth weight and regaining it by 10–14 days.

Jaundice, temperature and when to call 103

Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) is common on days 2–5 and usually fades within two weeks; frequent feeding helps. Call the same day if it appears in the first 24 hours, spreads to the arms and legs, deepens, the baby is very sleepy or feeding poorly, or it lasts beyond two weeks.

Take the temperature under the arm with a digital thermometer; about 36.5–37.5 °C is normal. A temperature of 38 °C or higher in a baby under three months is an emergency: call 103 or go to hospital straight away; do not give medicines on your own. Also get urgent help for refusing two feeds in a row, fast or grunting breathing, blue lips, floppiness or an unusual high-pitched cry.

Safe sleep, soothing and the beshik

• Put your baby to sleep on the back for every sleep, on a flat, firm surface of their own in your room for at least six months. No pillows, duvets, bumpers or soft toys; a sleep bag is safer than loose blankets. Keep the room around 18–22 °C and no hat indoors.
• If your family uses a beshik, the same rules apply: on the back on a flat, firm mattress, no tight swaddling that stops the hips and knees moving, no tight ties across the chest, and never leave the baby strapped in and unattended.
• Crying peaks at around six weeks. Check hunger, nappy, heat and cold, then try skin-to-skin, gentle rocking, a steady "shh", a walk or a feed. If you feel you cannot cope, lay the baby down safely and step out for a minute. Never shake a baby.

Visitors, paperwork and your own recovery

• Keep the first weeks quiet: everyone washes their hands before holding the baby, nobody with a cough or cold visits, no kissing on the face or hands, and the home stays smoke-free.
• Register the birth at the civil registry (ZAGS / FHDYo) with the hospital's medical certificate within the first month to receive the birth certificate; many hospitals and the state services portal accept applications online. Then ask at your mahalla or the district Social Protection office about the current rules for the one-time payment for the first child ("suyunchi puli"); amounts and conditions change.
• Your bleeding lightens over four to six weeks, afterpains ease, and stitches or a caesarean wound need to stay clean and dry. Rest when the baby rests, eat and drink regularly, and accept help. Tearfulness in the first two weeks is common.
• Call your doctor or 103 if you soak a pad in an hour or pass large clots, have a fever of 38 °C or higher, a severe headache with vision changes, pain or swelling in one calf, chest pain or breathlessness, a wound that opens or smells, or low mood or anxiety that does not lift.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your own situation.