Welcoming Baby Home

Your baby's needs during the first few weeks are pretty basic: love, nutrition and rest.

Eating Habits

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as the method of choice–exclusively for the first six months and as the main nutritional source for the remainder of the first year. Mercy Gilbert offers exceptional lactation services to support your decision to breastfeed.

Whether your new arrival gets his/her nutrition from the breast or the bottle, it's important that the feeding environment be calm, reassuring and loving because you're helping to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of good eating habits.

Sleep Habits

Babies sleep a lot in the first few days after birth. It's not uncommon for newborns to sleep 12 to 16 hours a day, although not all at once, in the first two weeks of life. You'll probably also find that your baby's days and nights are mixed up in those first few days. But after the first two weeks, you will most likely start to notice your baby's sleeping and wakening periods are lengthening.

During the periods when your baby is awake, he or she wants nothing more than to study their parent's faces. Due to blurry vision, your baby can best see when you are 8 to 15 inches away. Your baby will use the sense of smell and touch to further identify and become attached to you.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! Delivering babies is our specialty. At Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, we have years of experience delivering babies and watching family’s capture their baby’s first smile. See your baby’s pictures or click here to learn more about our photography service

Mercy Gilbert offers a free weekly breastfeeding support class. For more information, please call (480) 728-5414.