Caring for your new baby will come naturally, but there are some skills you'll need to develop. We've got a great guide here.
As a new mother, the first few days after the birth will usually be spent learning how to care for your newborn child. Fathers may find that the acquisition of their 'caring skills' is delayed until their baby comes home (unless the baby was born at home).
For women having their second or subsequent baby, remembering how to do it all again may take a short while (but it will soon come flooding back!) Your parenting style may need to be adjusted when responding to this new personality. For many fathers of second or subsequent babies, you may find that most of your time is taken up with caring for, entertaining and helping the sibling(s) adjust to having a new brother or sister. It may therefore mean that getting to know your new baby is only possible in short bursts.
If your experience with newborn babies is limited (or non existent!), you may feel nervous about dressing, bathing, changing and handling your new baby. This is very normal, however your baby won't notice your initial nervousness, and you will be amazed at how quickly you learn these things in the coming weeks and months.
Basics of day to day newborn care
Most parents find they learn about caring for their baby 'on the job'. The skills come 'naturally' after the first few attempts, and they just go from there. It is good to know that there may be 10 ways to put on a nappy. However, as long as it 'catches' everything, it is doing the job correctly!
The day-to-day care and needs of your newborn baby in the first two weeks will include: