Week-by-week library · about 1 week old, first days home
Week 1: your checklist
Quick answer
What should I actually do at about 1 week old, first days home?
Home is louder and lonelier than the hospital at the same time. 10 concrete tasks below, grouped by what they're for.
What's going on this week
The hospital staff and their built-in reassurance are gone. Your partner is bleeding and healing (lochia commonly lasts several weeks, per ACOG), your baby is likely down a little birth weight and working to regain it, and both of you are running on fragments of sleep. Pediatric offices typically want a first newborn checkup within the first few days of discharge.
Your checklist
Night-shift logistics
- Set up a rotation, even an informal one, so one of you gets a guaranteed 4-hour block most nights.
- Keep a diaper-change station on each floor of the house so 3am changes do not require stairs.
Feeding support
- Wash and sterilize pump parts and bottles daily; make this your standing chore, not a maybe.
- Handle every middle-of-the-night bottle warm-up or hand-off you can, even on nights she is nursing directly.
Appointments & paperwork
- Book the first newborn pediatric checkup if it is not already scheduled; ask the hospital or your pediatrician's office directly for their timing.
- Start the SSN application if you did not do it at the hospital; most states let you request it as part of the birth certificate paperwork.
Visitor management
- Screen the first wave of visitors: ask everyone to wash hands on arrival and keep visits under an hour.
- Say the sentence out loud for her when needed: "not today, maybe next week."
Partner care
- Keep snacks and water within arm's reach of wherever she is feeding, every time.
- Check in daily on mood, not just physical recovery; a rough day is common, but say so out loud together and know when to go further; see our guide.
Sourced to
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- Social Security Administration
Last reviewed by the First Dad Guide editorial team.