Essential Cheat Sheet for First-time Parents - North Brisbane Newborn Photographer

If you are genuinely worried about your baby right now, close this blog and call your GP, child health nurse, or 000. This post is general information from a photographer, not medical advice, and nothing here should hold you back from getting your baby seen.

For the niggly, in-between questions, the ones that keep you up scrolling but don't need a doctor, that's exactly what this guide is for. Let me introduce myself, and let's get into it.

Because there is a very specific kind of 2am that only new parents know. Baby is awake, you are awake, and you are lying there with your phone brightness turned all the way down typing "is it normal for my newborn to..." into Google while your partner sleeps beside you none the wiser.

I get it. And after more than fifteen years and 1000+ newborns through my studio, I have learnt to read baby signs the way some people read a room.

Parents at my sessions call me the Baby Whisperer, and it is one of my favourite things anyone has ever called me. Most newborn quirks that feel alarming at 2am are completely normal, and the ones that are not usually have a simple fix.

So here is the cheat sheet. Every question I get asked in my studio, answered properly, organised so you can jump straight to the bit you need.

Newborn Care Tips for First Time Parents

Jump to a section: Feeding · Sleep · Swaddling · Crying · Temperature · Poo and Wee · Burping and Wind · Bathing and Skin · Behaviour · General · Is This Normal?

Feeding

Feeding is where most of the 2am panic starts, and most of it settles once you know what you are actually looking for.

How do I know if my newborn is hungry?

Watch the face before you listen for the cry. Rooting, sucking on fists, smacking lips or turning toward anything that brushes their cheek all mean hungry. Crying is the last resort signal, so if you can catch the earlier cues, feeding tends to go much more smoothly.

How often should a newborn feed?

Most newborns feed every two to three hours, which works out to eight to twelve feeds in 24 hours. Every baby is different, so treat this as a guide, not a rule.

How long should a newborn feed for?

Anywhere from ten to forty minutes depending on the baby and the feed. Watch baby, not the clock. A relaxed, rhythmic suck and swallow pattern is the sign to look for.

How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?

Enough wet and dirty nappies, steady weight gain at check-ups, and a baby who seems settled after most feeds are the best signs. If you are worried, your child health nurse can check weight trends properly.

Why does my newborn always seem hungry?

Newborn tummies are tiny and milk digests fast, so frequent feeding is normal, not a sign something is wrong. Growth spurts (commonly around two to three weeks, six weeks and three months) can also make baby want to feed almost constantly for a few days.

What is cluster feeding?

Cluster feeding is when baby wants to feed very frequently over a few hours, often in the evening. It is exhausting but completely normal and usually settles after a day or two.

Should I wake my newborn to feed?

In the early weeks, yes, most newborns need waking every three to four hours if they are sleeping through a feed, especially before they are back to birth weight. Your midwife or child health nurse will tell you when you can let this go.

How many wet nappies should a newborn have?

By day five onward, expect at least six heavy wet nappies in 24 hours. Fewer than that in the first week is worth mentioning to your midwife or GP.

Sleep

Newborn sleep rarely looks like what anyone imagines before baby arrives, and that is completely normal too.

How much should a newborn sleep?

Around 14 to 17 hours across 24 hours, broken into short stretches rather than one long block. Newborns are not wired for nighttime sleep the way adults are yet.

Why won't my newborn sleep unless I'm holding them?

Newborns spent nine months feeling your warmth, movement and heartbeat, and being put down feels like a sudden loss of all three. This is one of the most normal things a newborn does, not a habit you have created.

Is it normal for newborns to sleep all day and stay awake all night?

Very common in the first few weeks while baby's circadian rhythm is still developing. Bright light exposure during the day and dim, quiet nights help baby figure out the difference faster.

Can my newborn sleep too much?

Occasionally sleepy stretches are normal, but a newborn who is very difficult to wake, feeding poorly, or seems unusually floppy should be checked by a doctor. Trust your gut here.

Is it safe to let my newborn sleep on their tummy?

Current safe sleep guidelines recommend always placing babies on their back to sleep, for every sleep, to reduce the risk of SIDS. This is genuinely one to follow to the letter, and your child health nurse or GP is the best person to talk through safe sleep setup with you.

Should I swaddle my newborn for every sleep?

Many parents do swaddle for every sleep in the early weeks, as long as it is done safely and baby is placed on their back. Stop swaddling once baby shows signs of rolling.

Swaddling

I get asked about swaddling more than almost anything else, mostly because photographer wraps look nothing like what actually works at home.

How do you swaddle a newborn?

Use a stretchy wrap and wrap it firm, babies are little Houdinis and will wriggle their way loose from anything too gentle. Leave an arm out if that is what settles your baby, but wrapping both arms in usually holds tighter for longer.

Is swaddling safe?

Swaddling is safe when hips and legs have room to move into a natural frog position, and baby is always placed on their back. A swaddle that is too tight around the hips can affect healthy hip development, so check the fit and ask your child health nurse if you are unsure.

When should you stop swaddling?

Stop swaddling as soon as your baby shows any sign of rolling, usually somewhere between two and four months. A rolled baby stuck on their tummy in a swaddle is a genuine safety risk.

My baby hates being swaddled. What should I do?

Some babies just do not love it, and that is fine. Try one arm free instead of a full swaddle, or a sleep bag style option that still offers a snug feeling without wrapping the arms.

Crying

Crying is communication, not a problem to be solved instantly, even though it very much feels that way at 2am.

Why is my newborn crying?

Hunger, tiredness, a dirty nappy, wanting to be held, wind, or simply overstimulation are the most common reasons. Newborns cannot communicate any other way yet, so crying is doing exactly its job.

Why won't my newborn stop crying?

Work through the basics first (fed, changed, burped, temperature checked) and if crying continues past a few hours, especially with a high pitched or unusual sound, call your GP or child health line. Most of the time it is overtiredness or overstimulation working its way out.

How do I calm a crying newborn?

Swaddling, gentle shushing, swaying or rocking, and skin to skin contact mimic the womb and settle most newborns. Give each technique a proper minute or two before switching to the next.

What are the different types of baby cries?

A hungry cry often starts short and rhythmic, an overtired cry tends to build and escalate, and a pain cry is usually sudden, sharp and high pitched. It takes time to learn your own baby's cries, so go easy on yourself here.

Can newborns cry because they're overtired?

Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons for evening crying in particular. An overtired newborn often fights sleep harder rather than dropping off easily, which feels backwards but is very normal.

Temperature

How do I know if my newborn is too hot?

A hot baby is often flushed or blotchy, may have very pronounced stork marks, and can start panting. Undress to a nappy and singlet and use skin to skin contact to help bring their temperature down.

How do I know if my newborn is too cold?

A cold baby often has a greyish, marbled skin tone. Add a layer and a blanket, and breastfeed if you can, since feeding helps regulate body temperature too.

How many layers should a newborn wear?

A good rule of thumb is one more layer than you are comfortable in yourself. Newborns cannot regulate their own temperature well until around 18 months, so they rely on you to get this right.

What room temperature should a newborn sleep in?

Around 20 to 22 degrees is the commonly recommended range for a newborn's room. A room thermometer takes the guesswork out of it completely.

Poo and Wee

How often should a newborn poo?

Breastfed babies can poo after every feed or go a few days between, both are normal. Formula fed babies tend to poo a little less frequently on average.

What colour should newborn poo be?

After the first few days, expect mustard yellow, seedy looking poo if breastfed, or a slightly firmer tan colour if formula fed. Colour and consistency shift a lot in the early weeks as baby's gut settles in.

Is green baby poo normal?

Green poo is usually normal and often related to feeding patterns or a touch of wind. If it comes with other signs like fever, blood, or a very unsettled baby, check in with your GP.

Is it normal for a newborn not to poo every day?

For breastfed babies especially, yes, several days without a poo can be completely normal as long as baby is otherwise comfortable and feeding well. A firm, distended tummy or obvious discomfort is the cue to call your GP or child health nurse.

Burping and Wind

How do you burp a newborn?

Place a cloth over your shoulder, sit baby up high with their body stretched out and legs long, then pat firmly upward across the back. It took me until my second baby to actually get this one right, so do not worry if it takes practice.

What if my newborn won't burp?

Try a few different positions, over the shoulder, sitting upright on your lap, or lying face down across your knee. Sometimes there is simply no burp to bring up, and that is fine too.

How do I know if my baby has wind?

A baby with wind often pulls their legs up, grimaces, or seems unsettled shortly after a feed without another obvious cause. Gentle bicycle legs or a tummy rub can help move it along.

What's the difference between wind and hunger?

Hunger cues show up before a feed (rooting, hand sucking), while wind discomfort usually shows up during or just after one. If your baby settles the moment they latch on again, it was probably hunger, not wind.

Bathing and Skin

How often should you bathe a newborn?

Two to three times a week is plenty in the first few weeks, newborn skin does not need daily bathing and can dry out if you overdo it. Topping and tailing in between keeps them fresh.

When does the umbilical cord fall off?

Usually within one to three weeks, and it is completely normal for it to look a little unsightly before it drops off on its own. Keep it clean and dry, and mention any redness, swelling or odour to your GP or child health nurse.

Is peeling skin normal in newborns?

Very normal, especially in the first couple of weeks as newborn skin adjusts to being out in the air after nine months in fluid. No cream is needed, it settles on its own.

What is cradle cap?

Cradle cap is those crusty, flaky patches on a newborn's scalp, caused by overactive oil glands rather than poor hygiene. A soft brush and a little baby oil before bath time usually helps it along.

Should I use lotion on my newborn?

Newborn skin generally does best with nothing at all for the first few weeks. If dryness is bothering you, a fragrance free, newborn specific product is the safer choice.

Behaviour

Is my newborn breathing normally?

Newborn breathing is often irregular, with pauses and quick bursts that can look alarming but are usually completely normal. If you are ever genuinely worried about your baby's breathing, this is not one to Google further, call your GP, child health nurse or 000 straightaway.

Why does my newborn make so much noise while sleeping?

Grunts, snorts and squeaks are extremely common and come down to tiny nasal passages and immature airways. It sounds worse than it is, most parents find it settles within a few weeks.

Why does my newborn sneeze so much?

Newborns sneeze to clear their nasal passages, not because they are sick or cold. It is one of the most normal things on this entire list.

Why does my newborn hiccup all the time?

Hiccups are extremely common in newborns and rarely bother baby as much as they seem to bother parents. They usually pass on their own within a few minutes.

Is it normal for newborns to smile in their sleep?

Completely normal, and it is usually reflexive rather than an actual dream about something funny. Enjoy it anyway, it is one of the best parts of newborn watching.

Why does my newborn startle so easily?

This is the Moro reflex, a newborn's automatic response to sudden movement or sound. It fades naturally by around three to six months, and swaddling can help reduce how often it wakes baby up.

General

What do I actually need for a newborn?

Far less than the baby aisle wants you to believe. Nappies, wraps, a few simple outfits, a safe place to sleep and feeding basics cover the essentials, everything else is optional extras.

When should I call a doctor about my newborn?

Trust your instincts here. A fever, difficulty waking, poor feeding, laboured breathing, or a baby who simply does not seem like themselves are all reasons to call your GP, child health nurse or 13 HEALTH without waiting to see if it passes.

Is This Normal?

This is the section that almost nobody writes, but every single parent silently wonders about at some point. So here it is, straight answers, no Googling spiral required.

• My baby won't sleep unless I'm holding them. Normal.

• My baby grunts all night. Usually normal.

• My baby feeds every hour some days. Often normal.

• My baby sneezes constantly. Normal.

• My baby gets hiccups every day. Normal.

• My baby only wants Mum. Very normal.

• My baby sounds a bit congested. Often normal.

• My baby won't let me put them down. Very normal.

• My baby smiles in their sleep for no reason. Normal, and lovely.

[IMAGE: Newborn baby mid yawn or stretch, natural unposed moment. Alt text: "newborn baby natural moment, first time parent newborn guide"]

If none of these quite match what you are seeing, that instinct that something feels off is worth listening to. You know your baby better than any blog post ever could.

You're doing better than you think

Here is the thing about spending many, many years photographing many, many newborn sessions reading tiny humans for a living. You start to notice that every single set of new parents walks in convinced they are the only ones googling this stuff at 2am. You are not. Every parent before you has stood exactly where you are standing now.

If you have read these newborn care tips for first time parents this far, that alone tells me everything about the kind of parent you already are. So when your baby is a few weeks old, settled into their little rhythms, and you want to freeze this fleeting, fast-moving stage before it changes again, that is exactly when I love to meet families in my Bunya studio.

Come and see how a newborn session works before this stage disappears on you, because it always goes faster than anyone warns you it will.

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About the Author

Natarsha March is an award-winning Brisbane newborn, baby and family photographer with over 15 years of experience and more than 1,600 families photographed. She is known for her relaxed, stress-free sessions where mums and kids actually enjoy themselves (yes, it is possible). Based in Bunya, Brisbane, Tarsh creates natural, heartfelt images that focus on real connection, not stiff poses. If you are looking for a trusted photographer in Brisbane who makes the whole experience feel easy, Family Photography by Natarsha March is your girl.