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Newborn baby crying, swaddled in a hospital blanket

Top 10 Tips for First-Time Parents: A Newborn Survival Guide

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed for safety and accuracy by the Lively Living team

Bringing home your first baby is one of the biggest changes life can bring. One moment you're packing the hospital bag, the next you're home with a tiny person who relies on you for everything. It's completely normal to feel excited, overwhelmed and unsure all at once. These ten practical tips cover the things new parents ask us about most, from feeding and sleep to looking after yourself.

Table of Contents:

First-time parents with their newborn

1. Prepare the basics before baby arrives

You don't need everything in the baby shop, but a few things make the first weeks much easier: a safe cot and mattress, an approved car seat (fitted before you leave hospital), nappies and wipes, a handful of simple outfits, wraps or a safe sleeping bag, and feeding supplies. Our newborn essentials checklist covers what to have ready.

It's also worth stocking the freezer with easy meals and saving key phone numbers in your phone before baby comes.

2. Learn the safe sleeping guidelines

Safe sleep is one of the most important things you'll learn as a new parent. Red Nose recommends you:

  • always put your baby on their back to sleep
  • keep their face and head uncovered
  • keep your baby in a smoke-free environment, before and after birth
  • use a safe cot, a firm, flat mattress and safe bedding, with no pillows, bumpers or soft toys
  • sleep your baby in their own safe sleep space in your room for the first 6 to 12 months
  • breastfeed if you can

If you wrap your baby, leave room for their hips to move, and stop wrapping as soon as they show signs of starting to roll.

Mother and newborn sleeping together on white bedding

3. Feed on demand and get support early

Newborns have tiny tummies and usually feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, including overnight. Feed when your baby shows hunger cues, such as rooting, sucking on their hands or turning their head, rather than waiting for crying, which is a late sign of hunger.

Whether you breastfeed, bottle feed or do a mix of both, it's normal to need help along the way. The Australian Breastfeeding Association's helpline (1800 686 268) is free and staffed by trained volunteers, and your midwife or child health nurse can check positioning, attachment and weight gain.

4. Keep an eye on nappies

Nappies tell you a lot about how your baby is feeding. After the first few days, most babies have at least 5 to 6 heavy wet nappies a day. Poos change colour and texture over the first week and vary a lot between breastfed and formula-fed babies.

To make changes easier, set up a changing station with everything within arm's reach, and never leave your baby alone on a raised change table, even for a moment. A barrier cream can protect delicate skin from nappy rash.

5. Learn your baby's cues

Babies communicate long before they can talk. Over the first weeks you'll start to recognise their signs of hunger, tiredness (yawning, staring, jerky movements, grizzling) and overstimulation (turning away, arching, crying). Responding to these cues builds trust and makes settling easier.

Newborns also have a startle (Moro) reflex, where they suddenly throw out their arms as if they're falling. It's normal, often wakes them, and usually fades by 4 to 6 months. A snug wrap can help in the early weeks.

6. Settle your baby with calm, simple routines

Newborns don't follow a set schedule, but a simple, repeated pattern before sleep (feed, nappy change, wrap, cuddle, bed) gives them gentle cues it's time to rest. Many parents also find a dim red night light for night feeds and steady white noise create a calmer sleep space.

Our Aroma-Snooze combines a soft red night light, soothing sounds and a cool mist in one bedside device, which many families use from the newborn days.

Four Aroma-Snooze sleep aids by Lively Living

7. Make time for tummy time and play

Tummy time builds the neck, shoulder and back strength your baby needs to roll, crawl and sit. Start from birth with a minute or two on your chest or across your lap, a few times a day when your baby is awake and alert, and build up gradually. Always supervise tummy time.

Talking, singing and reading to your baby from day one is wonderful for their language development, even if they can't respond yet. Raising Children Network has lots of simple play ideas for every age.

8. Know when your baby needs a doctor

Trust your instincts. You know your baby best. See a GP straight away if your baby is under 3 months and has a fever of 38°C or more, is feeding much less than usual, has fewer wet nappies, or just seems unwell.

Call 000 if your baby is struggling to breathe, has blue or pale lips, is floppy or very hard to wake, or has a seizure. For advice any time, you can call the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby helpline on 1800 882 436 (7am to midnight). Learn the signs of serious illness in babies and keep your baby's immunisations up to date.

Snuffly noses are very common in the first months. Our guide to clearing your baby's nose safely walks you through it.

9. Look after yourself too

You can't pour from an empty cup. Rest when you can, eat regular meals, drink plenty of water and get outside for a short walk when you feel up to it. Lower your expectations around housework, and accept every offer of help.

Mother lifting her baby and touching foreheads in soft light

It's common to feel teary and up and down in the first week or two. If low mood, worry or anxiety lasts longer than two weeks or gets in the way of daily life, talk to your GP or call PANDA's National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline on 1300 726 306. This applies to both mums and dads. If you ever feel unsafe, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 000.

10. Build your village

Nobody is meant to do this alone. Lean on your partner, family and friends, and share the night shifts where you can. Join a local mothers' or parents' group through your child health nurse, and keep going to your baby's regular child health checks. Talking with other new parents is one of the best reminders that what you're going through is normal.

If you have a partner, make a little time for each other, even if it's just ten minutes over a cup of tea. Becoming parents together is a big change for any relationship.

Frequently asked questions

What should first-time parents prepare before the birth?

A safe cot and mattress, a fitted car seat, nappies, a few outfits, wraps or a safe sleeping bag and feeding supplies. Freezer meals and a list of key phone numbers help too.

How often should a newborn feed?

Usually 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, including through the night. Feed whenever your baby shows hunger cues.

How much do newborns sleep?

Most newborns sleep 14 to 17 hours in 24 hours, in short stretches of a few hours between feeds. Longer night-time sleep comes gradually over the first months.

When do the early weeks get easier?

Many parents find things start to feel more settled around 6 to 12 weeks, as feeding becomes more established and babies become more alert and responsive. Every baby is different, so be kind to yourself in the meantime.

There's no such thing as a perfect parent, only a loving one who is learning as they go. Trust yourself, ask for help when you need it, and enjoy the newborn snuggles. They pass far too quickly.

Yours in health and happiness

Julie and the Lively Living team

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