A day-by-day guide to what's normal in your baby's first 14 days — and what to flag with your pediatrician.
The first two weeks are a blur. Sleep is broken into pieces. Feeds run together. And every nappy feels like a riddle.
This is a rough map of what to expect — not a script. Babies vary. Trust your gut, ask your pediatrician anything that worries you, but knowing the broad shape helps a lot at 3 AM.
Day 1
- Poop: jet black, sticky, and tar-like. This is meconium. Expect at least one in the first 24 hours.
- Pee: 1–2 wet nappies. Sometimes a faint pink "brick dust" stain — this is harmless concentrated urine.
- Feeds: every 1–3 hours, sometimes longer. Tiny tummy = small frequent meals.
Your baby's stomach on day 1 is the size of a marble — about 5–7 ml. Tiny feeds are fine.
Days 2–3
- Poop: still meconium, often softer and more frequent.
- Pee: at least 2–3 wet nappies a day.
- Feeds: cluster feeding often kicks in. This is exhausting but normal — your baby is calling in your milk supply.
Days 4–5
- Poop: transitioning. Dark green, then yellow-green, then yellow.
- Pee: 4–6 wet nappies — output should be visibly increasing.
- Feeds: if breastfeeding, your milk has likely "come in" by now. Feeds may feel different.
By day 5, fewer than 6 wet nappies in 24 hours warrants a call. Babies dehydrate fast.
Week 1
By the end of week 1, expect:
- Poop: yellow, mustardy, soft (breastfed) or tan and paste-like (formula). 3+ a day for breastfed, fewer for formula.
- Pee: 6+ heavy wet nappies a day.
- Feeds: every 2–3 hours for breastfed, every 3–4 for formula.
- Weight: most babies regain birth weight by day 10–14.
Week 2
You'll start to see your baby's rhythm emerge:
- Awake/sleep windows
- A predictable-ish poop pattern
- Feeding cues you recognise
This is also when many parents finally get their first "good" stretch of sleep. Not 8 hours — but maybe 4. We'll take it.
Red flags to call about
At any point in the first two weeks, call your pediatrician if you see:
- Fewer than 6 wet nappies a day after day 5
- No poop in 24 hours during the first week
- Yellowing of skin or eyes that's worsening (jaundice past 2 weeks)
- Pale, white, or chalky stool
- Black tarry stool after day 4
- Lethargy, refusing feeds, fever, or "just not seeming themselves"
Track everything in the early days
The first two weeks are the highest-stakes window. Logging feeds, pees, and poops gives you something concrete to share with the pediatrician at every checkup — and a lot of reassurance in between.
The takeaway
The first two weeks are intense. Most of what feels weird is normal. The exceptions matter — but you'll know when something feels off. Don't wait. Call.