What to Expect Your First Night Home with Your Newborn

The day is finally here! It’s time to bring your brand new baby home.

The first time you walk through the door with your newborn will come with a flood of emotions. After days in the hospital with around the clock nursing care, you may feel both relieved to be home and overwhelmed at being on your own.

As a new parent, you’re about to embark on a journey filled with every emotion under the sun. While so much about parenthood is accepting that things are not in our control, knowing what to expect your first night home with your newborn can certainly help ease the transition.

Let’s dive into what you can expect during your first night home with your newborn and some tips to help navigate this new territory.

Feeding Your Newborn

How often do newborns eat? On your first night home with your newborn, you can expect to feed them every 2-3 hours. However sometimes babies eat so frequently that it feels like there are hardly any breaks in between! This is referred to as cluster feeding, and commonly occurs in the evening around 6-10pm.

Remember, newborn babies have tiny stomachs! It’s normal and important for them to eat frequently. Take a peek at the image below from La Leche League Canada to visualize just how tiny those newborn bellies are.

Breastfeeding parents may find that their milk hasn’t fully come in yet on their first night home with their newborn, which is normal. Colostrum, the first milk produced, is rich in nutrients and antibodies, providing everything your baby needs in these early days. Colostrum typically transitions to mature milk on day 3-5 postpartum.

Formula-feeding parents may find it very helpful to prepare bottles in advance to make nighttime feedings easier.

Newborn Sleep Patterns

During your first night home with your newborn, prepare for a night of intermittent sleep. Newborns typically sleep in short bursts of 2-3 hours each, with some sleeping up to 4 hours at a time. Your healthcare provider may instructed you to not let your baby go longer than 3-3.5 hours between feedings. Don’t be surprised if your baby sleeps for a total of 14-17 or more hours in a 24-hour period, but in short intervals.

It’s important to note that newborns don’t yet have established circadian rhythms, meaning they don’t distinguish between day and night. This can lead to what’s often called “day-night confusion,” where babies are more wakeful at night and sleepier during the day.

Keeping lights, voices, and activity low at night, while doing the opposite during the day, can help your baby gradually learn the difference between nights and days.

Newborn Diaper Changes

On your first night with your newborn, be prepared for frequent diaper changes throughout the night. Newborns typically need 8-12 diaper changes per 24 hour period. Keep diapering supplies close to your baby’s sleeping area to make diaper changes easier.

By the time your first night home with your newborn arrives, your baby’s bowel movements may still consist of meconium, a dark, sticky substance. This can be challenging to clean, so be patient and gentle. Some parents find that applying a thin layer of coconut or olive oil on their baby’s bottom helps with meconium diaper changes.

It’s a good idea to keep track of your baby’s wet and dirty diapers in a log. The frequency of pees and poops is one good indicator of whether they’re eating enough. The following chart is a helpful tool on how many wet and dirty diapers to expect in your baby’s first few days of life:

Newborn Crying and Soothing

Why do newborn babies cry? Crying is your baby’s primary form of communication, and you may find yourself dealing with periods of fussiness during the night. Remember, this is normal behavior as your baby adjusts to their new environment.

Knowing this ahead of time can help new parents stay calm. Keeping your own nervous system regulated is a helpful first step in soothing your newborn. On your first night home with your baby, you’re just getting to know each other! It’s really normal to feel unsure of exactly how to soothe your newborn. Learning about the 5 S’s is a helpful place to start.

Creating a Safe Sleep Environment

While you can’t know exactly how your first night home with your newborn will go, you can prepare by setting up a safe sleep space and an ideal sleeping environment.

The ABC’s of safe sleep are a good place to start: Alone, Back, Crib. This means that your baby should be placed to sleep on their back, by themselves, in a crib or bassinet. Nothing else should be in the crib such as pillows, bedding, or stuffed animals. While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants share a room with an adult caregiver for ideally the first six months, bedsharing is not recommended.

Taking Care of You

The first night home with your newborn will come with many emotions and unknowns. Do you best to be patient and gentle with yourself. Even if this isn’t your first baby, this is your first time getting to know this unique little being, and every experience is different.

This is a time to welcome help with open arms! Take shifts with your partner, let your loved ones bring you food, and consider hiring professional overnight newborn care support. A Postpartum Doula or Newborn Care Specialist can help ensure a smooth transition home with your brand new baby. Learn more about what overnight newborn care can look like.

And finally, remember that while the newborn season goes quickly, you will have many more nights with your baby! If your first night home with your newborn is more challenging than expected, seek support and know that it will get easier in time.