Your first 7 days at home with a newborn - a checklist
AFTER BIRTH / Parent Library
Documents, care, basic supplies and contact details for people who can help.
The first week is about getting to know your baby
A newborn does not need a perfect daily schedule, and parents do not have to know everything immediately. It helps to prepare a few basics: documents, contact details, a sleep space and care items. Instead of planning every minute of the day, write down the next steps agreed with the ward and questions that arise during care.
Start with documents and contact with your midwife
Once home, review the discharge documents and advice about appointments, tests and feeding. Contact your POZ midwife in Poland and confirm the postnatal home visit. The current Polish standard provides for a first visit within 48 hours of the midwife receiving notification of the birth or mum’s discharge; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are excluded from this period. Agree how care will be arranged with your clinic.
Observe and ask
Brief notes on feeding, nappies and behaviour can be useful, particularly if your care team recommends them. Not every family needs a complex app. Record exactly what concerns you and when it began. During a home visit, you can discuss skin and cord care and ask for demonstrations.
Prepare the basic safety arrangements
Set up your baby’s own flat sleep space and discuss the guidance with another caregiver. Agree who can help when an adult becomes very tired. Keep nappy-changing supplies within reach. Everyday life is easier when household tasks do not fall on the person who is feeding or resting.
Some concerns cannot wait for a routine home visit
A concerning change in your baby’s condition needs contact with a care professional, not just another question on a list. A fever of at least 38°C before the end of the third month of life requires immediate medical assessment, even without other symptoms. Do not wait for the routine home visit. For severe symptoms such as turning blue, difficulty breathing or being impossible to wake, call 112. Our checklist is not a complete guide to assessing illness.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to record every minute of sleep?
Not every family needs a detailed diary. Ask your care team which observations are useful in your situation. A brief note about a problem, when it occurred and your question is often more helpful than large amounts of data without context. Notes should support care and conversation, rather than constantly assess your parenting.
What should I do before the midwife’s visit?
Prepare documents, a medication list and the discharge advice. Write down questions about both mum and baby. You can ask for demonstrations of care and a look at the sleep space. You do not need to prepare your home as if for a social visit. It matters that the professional sees your everyday care setting and needs.
How can caregivers share the first days?
Agree who will handle shopping, meals and family communication, and who can take over some everyday baby care. Leave room to change the arrangements after coming home from hospital. Not everything can be predicted. A shared plan should help you respond to current needs without judging every ticked box.
Can a worrying symptom wait until a scheduled appointment?
Do not assume so. If your baby’s condition changes or you have a significant concern, contact a healthcare professional and describe the situation. Severe symptoms need emergency help. Keep a printed contact list easy to reach so you do not have to search for numbers and addresses under stress.
How to use this material
Read the checklist, mark the items relevant to your circumstances and add your own arrangements. Follow individual advice for health matters. After a conversation, record the next step and date; return to the material as your needs change.
Sources and updates
Sources were checked on 18.10.2026. The content was additionally compared with publications from HSE (Ireland) and Healthdirect Australia / Pregnancy, Birth and Baby. This is an editorial source check, not a medical review. These institutions have not approved the OutletBaby materials.
This translation was prepared with AI assistance and checked editorially. The material has not undergone a medical review.
- Dziennik Ustaw / ELI - Standard opieki okołoporodowej, tekst jednolity, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1140
- NFZ / Pacjent.gov.pl - Noworodek i wcześniak - profilaktyka zdrowia
- NFZ / Pacjent.gov.pl - Jakie są kompetencje położnej POZ
- NHS - Baby safer sleep advice
- NHS - When to get urgent medical help for babies and children under 5
- NFZ / Pacjent.gov.pl - Na ratunek
- HSE, Irlandia - High temperature - fever in children
- Healthdirect Australia / Pregnancy, Birth and Baby - Fever in babies