During the first 10 days home with your baby, some things will come very naturally, others may not. To help you get off to a good start, we created this quick guide for navigating the baby basics.

• Handling a newborn, including supporting your baby’s neck
• Changing your baby’s diaper
• Bathing your baby
• Dressing your baby
• Swaddling your baby
• Feeding and burping your baby
• Cleaning the umbilical chord
• Using a bulb syringe to clear your baby’s nasal passages
• Taking a newborn’s temperature
• Tips for soothing your baby

Before leaving the hospital, ask about home visits by a nurse or health care worker. Many new parents appreciate somebody checking in with them and their baby a few days after coming home. If you are breastfeeding, ask whether a lactation consultant can come to your home to provide follow-up support, as well as other resources in your community, such as peer support groups.

Many first-time parents also welcome the help of a family member or friend who has “been there.” Having a support person stay with you for a few days can give you the confidence to go at it alone in the weeks ahead. Try to arrange this before delivery.

Your baby’s first doctor’s visit is another good time to ask about any infant care questions you might have. Ask about reasons to call the doctor. Also ask about what vaccines your baby needs and when. Infants and young children need vaccines because the diseases they protect against can strike at an early age and can be very dangerous in childhood. This includes rare diseases and more common ones, such as the flu.