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The baby is two days old: what a mom should not worry about

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Many mothers worry that something can always go wrong with their baby. In the first week of development - the so-called early neonatal period - the child adapts to the world around him. During this period, they receive vaccinations, restore the color of the skin, face, learn to drink mother's milk. When the child is two days old, you should not expect a sharp increase in weight and behavior of a one-year-old baby. How does a baby develop on the second day after birth?

Vaccinations against diseases

Mothers should not worry about the health of the baby, because in the maternity hospital, the baby is vaccinated immediately after birth. On the first day (within 12 hours after birth), the baby is vaccinated against hepatitis type B. If the maternity hospital provides high-quality care, then on the second day after birth, the baby can undergo an ultrasound examination of the brain to rule out possible developmental abnormalities.

During the first two days after birth, the baby will be examined by all kinds of doctors: pediatrician, surgeon, orthopedist, neurologist, ENT. They will definitely tell the mother about all the deviations, if any. But most often the baby is healthy, and the mother's task is to eat well and not worry so that her breast milk does not disappear. Otherwise, how to feed the baby?

The child is 2 days old: appearance

In the first two days, the baby acquires a normal skin color, which we are used to seeing in healthy babies. When a baby is born, its face may be wrinkled, red, and in general, it may not seem as beautiful to the mother as she is used to seeing babies in pictures. But during the first two days, the baby's skin color is restored, and its eating habits and sleep patterns are established. These metamorphoses - the transformation of a small wrinkled person into a chubby-cheeked baby with soft pink skin - can take a week or even two.

In the meantime, the baby's blood vessels are dilated, which causes a rush of blood to the skin and its unnatural bright red color. Diaper rash and irritation appear on the skin very quickly, and the skin may peel.

Physiological characteristics of a child on the second day after birth

During the first day after birth, the baby may not gain weight, but lose it. This also applies to the second day of the baby's life. At this time, the baby's intestines are cleared of stool, which is called meconium. The baby may suck little, lose weight, lose weight, lose fluid. Therefore, on the second day after birth and throughout the first week, the baby's weight may decrease by 9% compared to its birth weight.

The body temperature of a 2-day-old baby can also change. On the second day after birth, it can decrease by about 2 degrees. By the end of the week, the temperature of a small child increases - it can become very high, up to 40 degrees. Do not worry - this is the so-called transient temperature, which can be accompanied by a fever. At this time, harmful bacteria are actively destroyed in the baby's body.

Baby's sleep in the first two days

During the first two days, the baby may sleep for a long time, not waking up even for feeding at the appointed hours. It can be the other way around – the baby is irritable, often cries a lot, his sleep is restless and short. The baby’s sleep and feeding regimen is established within a week or even two. In general, it is recommended to feed the baby every three hours, the rest of the time he can sleep. But some doctors are fans of natural feeding and sleep, only at those hours when the baby wants it.

If the baby sleeps little and cries constantly, you need to tell the doctor about it, who will examine the baby again and tell you if his body is normal. It happens that with little sleep, the child's body is still normal on the second day after birth, it is just this way he establishes his relationship with the outside world.

So that the mother does not worry about the baby's sleep, she should know that in the first or second day, the baby can sleep up to 22 hours a day. By the end of the first month of life, the baby's sleep is reduced to 18 hours. But these are average figures. In general, the number of hours is individual for each baby.

Baby is 2 days old: how and how much to feed him

During the first day, the mother does not have full-fledged milk yet - only colostrum. During the second day - the same. Milk will arrive during the week and be filled with substances necessary for the child. The caloric content of colostrum during the first and second days is still very high - more than 2 times that of regular milk. In addition, the mother's colostrum during the first few days after birth contains many substances useful for the child: vitamins, immunoglobulins, minerals.

On the second day after birth, a child can take the mother's breast at least 2 times, maximum - 20 times. But if the feeding regime is practiced strictly by the hour, the mother can be relieved of constant exhausting feedings. Gradually, the hours and duration of feedings will improve, but this takes time - from a week to two.

In the meantime, the baby can stay at the breast for quite a long time – up to an hour. But he doesn’t need that much milk. The mother should know that the optimal feeding time is up to half an hour. And this is the maximum time during which the baby gets the amount of milk he needs. In general, he gets the lion’s share of it within 10 minutes.

As for portions, in the first days after birth, the baby normally needs up to 80 ml per feeding. These figures increase by the end of the first month of the baby's life - up to 130 ml of milk per feeding.

  • If the mother has little milk, it can be increased by supplementary feeding (only on the recommendation of a doctor). This supplementary feeding can be an adapted milk formula, intended specifically for newborns.
  • If the baby has enough milk and is not sick, then within the first month he will begin to actively gain weight.

The baby is two days old? Very good! Let these two days be the happiest in the life of mom and dad.

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