Your Newborn Guide
Practical guides for each stage of your baby’s care with Nest – from your free antenatal consult to the first months at home. We’ll often send you a link to the guide that fits where you are, but you’re welcome to read ahead.
These guides are general information, not a substitute for advice about your own baby. If you have a concern, please get in touch – and in an emergency, always call 000.
Before your baby arrives
Meet us before your due date, so you already know who’ll be caring for your baby.
- A free antenatal video consult with one of our neonatologists
- Most families meet us in the third trimester
- Nothing to pay while you’re in hospital
Your free antenatal consult
A relaxed video consult with one of our neonatologists, from the comfort of home. Most families meet us in the third trimester, but you can book any time during your pregnancy.
We’ll talk through:
- what happens at the birth and in the first days
- how we protect bonding, skin-to-skin and the first feeds
- the nursery, and when babies need a little extra help
- your follow-up with us after you go home
- fees, Medicare and your health fund
Bring any questions, big or small. The consult is free for every family (bulk-billed where eligible).
If your pregnancy has extra considerations
If a scan has picked something up, you have a condition such as diabetes in pregnancy, you’re expecting twins, or your baby may arrive early, let us know at your antenatal consult.
We’ll explain what to expect and plan ahead with your obstetrician, so nothing on the day comes as a surprise.
Medicare and your health fund
Medicare. You’ll be given a newborn form in hospital to add your baby to Medicare. We’re happy to help you get it sorted, and we lodge every Medicare claim for you.
Your health fund. Check with your fund before your due date that your baby will be covered, and add them soon after birth. Most funds have a deadline for adding a newborn.
There’s nothing to pay while you’re in hospital. Our Fees page sets out exactly what you’ll pay and when.
Getting in touch before the birth
Email us any time at hello@nestclinics.com.au. We aim to reply within 1–2 business days. For bookings, call (07) 5526 9777.
Most families meet us in the third trimester, by video from home. It’s free for every family.
Your baby’s birth
What happens in the first minutes and hours, and when we’re there.
- We attend caesareans, and other births when your obstetrician asks
- Skin-to-skin straight away if your baby is well – in theatre too
- On call around the clock while your baby is in hospital
When we attend the birth
We attend caesarean births, and any other birth where your obstetrician would like us there.
If we’re not at the birth, we’ll see your baby within the first day for their first full review.
Skin-to-skin, including at caesareans
If your baby is well, they go straight onto your chest – in theatre too. We do our checks with your baby close to you wherever we can, and keep separation to a minimum.
Skin-to-skin helps keep your baby warm, steadies their breathing and blood sugar, and is a lovely start to the first feed.
The first breaths
Most babies need nothing more than warmth, drying and a cuddle. Some take a little longer to clear the fluid from their lungs, especially after a caesarean. They may breathe quickly or make soft grunting noises for a few hours, which usually settles on its own.
About one in ten babies need a little help to get breathing going, usually just a few gentle breaths with a mask. This is exactly what our training prepares us for.
Checks in the first days
- Vitamin K – a single injection soon after birth to prevent a rare bleeding problem.
- Hepatitis B vaccine – the first dose, offered in hospital.
- A full newborn examination by us within the first day.
- Newborn screening before you go home: a hearing test, a heel-prick blood test at 48–72 hours, and an oxygen check of the hands and feet.
Some babies also need blood sugar checks in the first day, for example if they’re small, large, early, or mum had diabetes in pregnancy. The midwives do these, and we support feeding.
The rest of your hospital stay
We review your baby again over the next few days – checking feeding, weight, jaundice and settling – and do a final examination before you go home. Your baby’s care in hospital is set out in detail on our Newborn Care page.
While your baby is in hospital, our team is on call around the clock.
- 1Soon after birthVitamin KA single injection, and the first hepatitis B vaccine is offered.
- 2Within the first dayFull examinationYour baby’s first full newborn review, by us.
- 348–72 hoursHeel-prick testA few drops of blood for newborn screening.
- 4Before you go homeFinal checksHearing test, oxygen check and a final examination.
If your baby needs the nursery
Why some babies need a little extra help, and how you stay close.
- Around one in ten babies spend some time in the nursery
- Most stays are short and precautionary
- A neonatologist reviews your baby and talks with you each day
Why babies go to the nursery
Around one in ten babies spend some time in the nursery. Most stays are short and precautionary, for things like:
- fast or noisy breathing that needs watching
- low blood sugar
- jaundice that needs light treatment
- a risk of infection that needs antibiotics
- being born early or small, or needing help to keep warm
A nursery stay is about caution, not failure. It gives your baby a little extra help when they need it.
What the nursery is like
Your baby will be on a monitor that tracks their breathing, heart rate and oxygen. Alarms are common and the nurses respond quickly, so try not to worry when you hear them.
Some babies rest in a warm cot or humidicrib, and some have feeds through a small tube or fluids through a drip for a short time. One of our neonatologists reviews your baby and talks with you about the plan each day.
How you can be involved
- Spend as much time with your baby as you can.
- Hold your baby skin-to-skin as soon as they’re stable.
- Express colostrum or breastmilk – the midwives will show you how.
- Change nappies and help with feeds.
- Join us when we review your baby, and ask anything.
Going home
Babies are ready to leave the nursery when they’re breathing comfortably, keeping warm in an open cot, feeding well and no longer losing weight. Many babies get there within a day or two.
We’ll talk you through the plan for home and follow up with you afterwards. Our Fees page explains nursery care costs.
Most nursery stays are short and precautionary – a little extra help, for a little while.
- Breathing comfortably
- Keeping warm in an open cot
- Feeding well
- No longer losing weight
Many babies get there within a day or two.
The first weeks at home
What’s normal, what helps, and what’s worth a call.
- 8–12 feeds in 24 hours is normal
- Always on their back to sleep, in their own safe cot
- The cord usually falls off between 7 and 14 days
Feeding
Most newborns feed 8–12 times in 24 hours, often clustering in the evening. Expect a few days of almost constant feeding around 3 and 6 weeks – it’s temporary, and it builds supply.
Breast, bottle or both, feeding can take time to get right. If it’s hard, painful or worrying you, tell us. We can help, or connect you with a lactation consultant or feeding specialist.
Wet nappies, poos and weight
- From about day 5, expect at least six heavy, pale wet nappies every 24 hours.
- The first black, sticky poos clear by about day 3. Breastfed poos then become yellow and seedy; formula-fed poos are usually firmer and tan.
- Babies can lose up to 10% of their birth weight in the first few days, and most are back to birth weight by 10–14 days.
Jaundice
A yellow tinge is common between days 2 and 5, and usually fades by two weeks.
See a doctor today – your GP or nearest Emergency Department – if the yellow appears in the first 24 hours, is spreading or getting deeper, or your baby is very sleepy or not feeding well.
Contact us or your GP promptly if it lasts beyond two weeks (three if born early), or you notice pale, chalky poos or dark urine.
Safe sleep
- Always on their back, in their own safe cot.
- Face and head uncovered, on a firm, flat mattress.
- A smoke-free environment, before and after birth.
- Room-sharing for the first 6–12 months.
Newborns sleep 14–17 hours a day in short stretches. Long nights come later.
The cord
The cord stump dries and usually falls off between 7 and 14 days. Keep it dry and uncovered, folding the nappy below it. A little blood when it separates is normal.
See your GP the same day if redness is spreading onto the skin, there’s a smelly discharge, or your baby seems unwell.
The three-week dip
Somewhere between two and four weeks, many babies become more unsettled and feed more often, just as the tiredness catches up with you. It’s common, it passes, and it’s why we call you at about 2 and 4 weeks.
Looking after yourself
Rest when you can, accept help, and keep visitors to people who make life easier. Teary days in the first week are common.
If low mood or anxiety lasts more than two weeks, or you’re finding things hard, please talk to your GP or call PANDA on 1300 726 306. You’re not alone, and support helps.
Losing up to 10% of birth weight in the first few days is expected. We check weight in hospital and at your phone consults.
From day 5, look for at least six heavy, pale wet nappies every 24 hours. Fewer, or dark urine, is worth a call.
- Yellow in the first 24 hours, spreading or deepening, or a very sleepy baby – see a doctor today.
- Still yellow after two weeks (three if born early), or pale poos or dark urine – contact us or your GP.
Your follow-up with Nest
Familiar faces, unhurried time, and a plan for each stage.
- Free phone consults at about 2 and 4 weeks
- 45-minute clinic consults at 6 weeks, 4 and 8 months
- Questions between visits? Email us – we aim to reply within 1–2 business days
Phone consults at about 2 and 4 weeks
Two 30-minute calls with our neonatal nurse practitioner or one of our neonatologists, free for every family.
We’ll talk about feeding, weight, sleep, jaundice and anything else on your mind. It helps to have your baby’s Red Book and latest weight handy, and a note of your questions.
Your 6-week consult
A 45-minute visit at our clinic, usually with a neonatologist. We do a full examination – including hips, eyes, heart and growth – and talk through feeding, settling and development.
Your baby’s 6-week vaccinations are given by your GP or a child health clinic, so it’s worth booking those too.
Your 4- and 8-month consults
Unhurried 45-minute visits covering growth, development, sleep and feeding – including starting solids, usually around 6 months.
What to bring
- Your baby’s Red Book
- Any referral letter, if applicable
- Feeding items – a bottle, expressed milk and so on
- A change mat or blanket if you’d prefer your own
Our clinic is at RDX Lumina, right next door to Mater Private Hospital Gold Coast, with parking at RDX. See the Contact page for directions.
After 8 months
Your baby can continue with one of our paediatricians at Nest Children’s, or with your GP and child health nurse. We’ll talk with you about what suits your family.
Between appointments
For non-urgent questions, email hello@nestclinics.com.au. We aim to reply within 1–2 business days. If we think your baby needs to be seen, we’ll help you find the right next step.
- About 2 weeksPhone consult30 minutes · free
- About 4 weeksPhone consult30 minutes · free
- 6 weeksClinic consult45 minutes, usually with a neonatologist
- 4 monthsClinic consult45 minutes
- 8 monthsClinic consult45 minutes
After 8 months, your baby can continue with one of our paediatricians at Nest Children’s, or with your GP and child health nurse.
When to get help
You know your baby best. Here’s who to call, and when.
- 000 – if your baby is seriously unwell
- Your GP or Emergency Department – for same-day concerns
- 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) – health advice at any hour
Call 000 now if your baby
- is struggling to breathe, or has pauses in their breathing
- looks blue, grey or very pale
- is floppy, or very hard to wake
- has a seizure
- has a purple rash that doesn’t fade when pressed
See a doctor today if your baby
- is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C or more
- has far fewer wet nappies, or won’t feed
- has repeated forceful or green vomiting
- develops jaundice in the first 24 hours, or it’s getting deeper
Go to your nearest Emergency Department, or see your GP urgently.
Contact us or your GP for
- feeding worries or slow weight gain
- jaundice that lasts beyond two weeks
- a little stickiness or discharge around the cord
- an unsettled baby, or anything else that’s worrying you
For health advice at any hour, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) – it’s open 24/7 in Queensland, with child health nurses available. And trust your instincts: if something feels wrong, seek help, even if it isn’t on this list.
Trusted resources
Services we recommend for families, day or night.
- Save 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) in your phone, so they’re there when you need them.
- 13 HEALTHHealth advice from nurses, 24/7 in Queensland.13 43 25 84
- Pregnancy, Birth and BabyFree advice from maternal and child health nurses.1800 882 436
- Australian Breastfeeding AssociationBreastfeeding helpline and local support.1800 686 268
- PANDASupport for anxiety and depression in pregnancy and early parenthood.1300 726 306
- Red NoseSafe sleep and safe wrapping advice.
- Raising Children NetworkTrusted, practical parenting information.
- Gold Coast Child and Family HealthFree child health nurse clinics and parenting support.
- Poisons Information CentreAdvice if your child may have swallowed something harmful.13 11 26
