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Baby Care Week by Week Information
Week by week, your newborn baby is growing and changing in so many ways. With this comes new challenges. Whether you are a first-time parent or have more than one child, information about what to expect can be helpful. For example, in the first week, you may have the following questions:
- While changing a diaper in the beginning, can I use baby wipes or is it better to only use warm water?
- When will the umbilical cord fall off? How do I take care of it in the meantime?
- What is the best way to swaddle my baby?
- When can I give my baby a bath? How often should I bathe him or her?
By the second week, the following will have occurred:
- Your baby's complexion should clear up. He or she will lose the blotchy redness and shed that last layer of lanugo that looked like a flaky, peeling sunburn.
- The umbilical cord stump most likely will fall off by the end of this week.
- If you had a baby boy and he was circumcised, the healing process should be entering the final stages.
(Click Your Newborn Baby and the First Week to link to this eMedTV health channel. It contains detailed articles that explain the various changes your newborn will go through, from the first week to 35 weeks.)
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD