First week with your new baby- what to expect! 5 Tips from a Postpartum Doula
Oh, mama, you did it! You brought your baby earthside! Whether your birth went just as you envisioned or took an unexpected turn, that moment you finally hold your baby is nothing short of sacred. You aren’t alone if after those first couple hours, you’re thinking NOW WHAT?!
As a postpartum doula, I spend a lot of time supporting families through those first tender days after birth... the raw, beautiful, sometimes messy week where everything is brand new. Here are the top 5 things to expect during your first week with your baby, and how to navigate them with grace, support, and confidence, and flexibility.
1. Feeding, Feeding, and More Feeding!
If it feels like your baby wants to nurse all the time, you’re not imagining it.
Newborns typically eat on-demand, or about 8–12 times every 24 hours — sometimes even more during cluster feeding sessions, which can happen in the evenings or during growth spurts. Check out “second night syndrome” so you’re not blindsided or pressured to supplement with formula if breastfeeding is your goal!
In those first few days, your body produces colostrum, a thick, golden “first milk” packed with antibodies and nutrients. Around day 3-5, your mature milk begins to come in, and you might notice your breasts feeling heavier or fuller.
Cluster feeding can feel intense, but it’s your baby’s way of signaling your body to produce exactly what they need. Trust the process and remember that frequent feeding is normal, healthy, and necessary for establishing your milk supply! It is so important for breastfeeding moms to stay hydrated, so let people feed you all the best soups and broths and make you the most delicious water with electrolytes!
A postpartum doula can help you find comfortable feeding positions, troubleshoot latching issues, and make sure you’re nourished and hydrated too.
2. Sleep ...But Not Like You Remember It!
Newborn sleep patterns are beautifully primitive and often unpredictable. Most babies wake every 2–3 hours to feed because their tummies are tiny and their brains need the frequent calories.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, newborns typically sleep 14-17 hours a day, but in short stretches. It’s completely normal for your baby to be wakeful at night in those early days when their circadian rhythm hasn’t synced with daylight yet.
This is where support is key. Whether that’s your partner, a family member, or a postpartum doula, having someone who can care for baby while you rest makes a world of difference. Sleep deprivation can be one of the hardest parts of new motherhood, and you don’t have to power through it alone. It is a great idea to plan ahead for postpartum, because when your baby is waking every 90 minutes to eat all through the night, your capacity to problem solve and plan is understandably lower. You can grab my free Postpartum Planning Guide right from my website to help you prepare for an easier 4th trimester!
3. You Are Still Healing, Mama!
While everyone’s focus tends to shift to the baby, it’s important to remember: YOU just did something monumental. YOU need support still.
Your uterus is shrinking back down, your hormones are recalibrating, and your body is working hard to recover. Whether you had a vaginal birth or a cesarean birth, rest is essential.
A simple framework I love to share is the 5-5-5 rule:
5 days in bed (only essential activities like resting, feeding your baby, and having others care for you and your home)
5 days on the bed (a very slow transition to sitting up more, gentle movements like wiggling your legs and toes, slow stretches, and short walks to the bathroom; rest is still your priority)
5 days around the bed (slowly reengage with your home environment, but nothing too strenuous)
This is a great way to honor your mind, body, and soul if you’re not interested in other methods commonly practiced in different cultures, like 40 Days of Confinement. If you ARE interested in those things, a great resource for you to pick up is The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother.
It’s not a race to “bounce back.” Your only job is to heal and connect with your baby. Everything else can wait or better yet, be delegated!
4. Big Feelings Are Normal and Expected!
Hormones shift dramatically after birth! Estrogen and progesterone drop, prolactin and oxytocin rise, and with that, emotions can swing from joy to tears in the same hour. About 80% of new moms experience the “baby blues” in the first week or two, often marked by mood swings, tearfulness, and overwhelm.
This is completely normal. What’s not normal is feeling persistently hopeless, anxious, or disconnected. Those may be signs of postpartum depression or anxiety, or rage which affects about 1 in 7 mothers. Please know there’s help and healing available, and you are not alone OR a bad mother!
A postpartum doula provides not only hands-on help, but also compassionate, judgment-free listening. Sometimes, what a new mother needs most is simply to be seen and cared for.
5. Caring for Your Baby’s Umbilical Cord (and Those Tiny Details)
Your baby’s umbilical cord stump will stay attached for about 5 to 15 days after birth. During this time, it will dry, darken, and eventually fall off on its own, no pulling or picking needed.
Keep the area clean and dry by folding the diaper below the stump and dressing baby in loose, breathable clothing. You don’t need to apply alcohol or ointments; the best care is simple air exposure and gentle observation.
A small amount of dried blood or yellowish crust is normal — but if you notice redness spreading, a foul odor, or oozing, reach out to your care provider.
Your doula can also guide you in other early baby care basics like sponge bathing, diaper changes, and comforting techniques — those tiny tasks that can feel intimidating at first but quickly become second nature. It is ok for you to not know exactly what to do right away. It takes time to learn your baby, and for your baby to learn life in a big new world.
Here’s my perspective...
In many cultures around the world, new mothers are surrounded by care for the first 40 days! They are nourished, massaged, and relieved of daily tasks so they can fully rest and bond. In our fast-paced Western culture, that tradition has been largely lost, but it’s one worth reclaiming!
Having postpartum support, whether from a doula, family, or friends can significantly improve recovery and emotional wellbeing. In fact, research shows that women who receive practical and emotional support after birth report lower rates of postpartum depression, higher breastfeeding success, and stronger confidence as mothers.
So, let others help. Let them cook, clean, hold the baby while you shower, or simply sit beside you. The more supported you feel, the more space you’ll have to soak in those fleeting, beautiful newborn moments.
That first week with your new baby will be full of firsts! First cries, first feedings, first sleepless nights, and first glimpses of a love so deep it takes your breath away. It’s tender, powerful, and often imperfect, and that’s exactly how it’s meant to be.
If you take one thing from this, let it be these words: you deserve support just as much as your baby does.
Whether it’s from your partner, family, or a postpartum doula, you don’t have to navigate this new season alone. I am always happy to connect past this blog! You can set up a consult on my website, follow DM on social media @The_SoCal_Doula!
