The first 24 hours with a baby are unlike anything else. Just moments ago, your baby was inside you. Now, they're lying on your chest, beside you in bed, in your arms, or receiving medical care. Everything is new: the scent, the sounds, the skin, the tiny movements, the breathing, the feeding, the diaper changes, and the experience of becoming a parent.
Many expectant parents imagine this initial period to be very intense. And often it is. But not always in the way one anticipates. Sometimes, everything is soft, calm, and overwhelmingly beautiful. Sometimes, it's medical, exhausting, unplanned, chaotic, or emotionally overwhelming. Often, it's all of these things at once.
The most important guiding principle is: You don't have to "function" during the first 24 hours. Your baby doesn't need to find a rhythm. You don't need to be able to do everything perfectly right away. This initial period is primarily for settling in.
In this article, you'll find calm, practical, and non-dogmatic guidance: What happens in the first 24 hours after birth? What does your baby really need? What do you need? What about breastfeeding or feeding, sleeping, diapering, elimination communication, clothing, and visitors? And what can simply wait?
The First 24 Hours: Settling In, Not Functioning
The first 24 hours are not a test. They're not an evaluation of whether you're already a "proper" mother or father. Nor are they the moment when a perfect daily routine must begin.
Your baby comes from a completely different world. It was warm, held, muffled, nourished, and constantly connected. After birth, it experiences light, air, voices, temperature, touch, hunger, digestion, and closeness in new ways.
You, too, are arriving in a new reality. Your body has given birth. Your hormones are changing. You might be exhausted, awake, euphoric, sore, sad, relieved, overwhelmed, or all at once.
In the first 24 hours, what matters most is:
- Closeness
- Warmth
- Calm
- Skin-to-skin contact, if possible
- Breastfeeding or feeding at your pace
- Medical support, if needed
- Rest for the mother
- Protection from too many expectations
You don't have to receive visitors immediately. You don't have to reply to messages. You don't have to be able to breastfeed, change diapers, sleep, or explain perfectly. You are allowed to simply exist first.
Every Birth is Different
The first 24 hours don't look the same for all families. After a vaginal birth, a baby can lie directly on your chest. After a C-section, things might be a bit different. After a very fast, long, or medically assisted birth, your baby might need support first, or you might need care.
This doesn't change your bond. It only changes the start.
Some babies feed early. Others need time. Some mothers feel an immediate connection. Others need hours, days, or longer to truly settle in emotionally. Some fathers or second parents are immediately active. Others are simply observing in awe.
All of this is okay.
Hospital, Birthing Center, or Home Birth: The Setting Can Vary
Whether your baby is born in a hospital, birthing center, or at home changes the procedures in the first 24 hours. In a hospital, there are usually clearer medical routines, examinations, and ward procedures. In a birthing center or at home, the environment can be calmer and more familiar, but postnatal care is organized differently.
Important: The location alone does not determine whether the first hours will be good. What matters is that you and your baby are accompanied, observed, and cared for appropriately.
Depending on the place of birth, these things can differ:
- who accompanies you in the first hours
- when examinations take place
- how long you stay at the birth location
- how breastfeeding initiation or feeding is supported
- when you go home
- how midwife care is organized
You don't need to know these procedures perfectly. Ask if you don't understand something. Good support will explain what is happening and why.
Skin-to-Skin Contact: Closeness as the First Safe Place
If medically possible, direct skin-to-skin contact after birth is a particularly valuable start. Your baby lies on your bare chest or close to your body. It feels warmth, heartbeat, smell, and voice.
Skin-to-skin contact can calm, warm, and support breastfeeding initiation. But even if direct skin-to-skin contact was not immediately possible, nothing is lost. Closeness can be made up for. Again and again.
Skin-to-skin contact can mean:
- Baby on your chest
- Baby under a warm blanket
- Quiet environment
- Few interruptions, if medically possible
- Also skin-to-skin contact with the second parent
- Cuddling times repeatedly during the postpartum period
The information on undisturbed skin-to-skin contact after birth and on initiating breastfeeding is based on information from kindergesundheit-info.de on breastfeeding initiation.
If your baby needs to be examined or medically cared for after birth, you can resume closeness later. Bonding doesn't happen in a single perfect moment. It develops through many small repetitions.
The First Examination: What's Important About the U1
Immediately after birth, your baby will be medically examined. The main purpose is to check if it has arrived well, is breathing, seems stable, and vital functions are in order.
This first examination is called U1. Depending on the place of birth and the situation, it can take place directly on or near you, or in a medical setting.
Important for you:
- You are allowed to ask what is being done.
- You are allowed to have explained to you why something is necessary.
- You are allowed to say if closeness is important to you.
- Medical safety and bonding do not have to be in opposition to each other.
Information on the first examination after birth can be found at kindergesundheit-info.de on the U1 examination.
In the first few days, further examinations and screenings follow, depending on the place of birth. You don't have to remember everything. The hospital, birthing center, pediatrician, or midwife will accompany you through this.
More on preparing for the first examinations can be found here: Preparing for U2 and U3: What you should organize before birth.
The First Breastfeeding or Feeding
Many babies show rooting reflexes at some point after birth. They move their head, open their mouth, lick, suck, or search for the breast. Some do this very early, others take longer.
If you wish to breastfeed, the first period is about getting to know each other. Your baby is learning. You are learning. Not every latch feels right immediately. Support from a midwife, lactation consultant, or medical staff can be very helpful.
If your baby is not breastfed or also receives formula, closeness remains just as important. Feeding is not just about nutrition. It's about contact, eye contact, warmth, smell, and relationship.
Helpful for the beginning:
- Take your time
- Enable skin-to-skin contact
- Find a comfortable position
- Accept help with latching
- Ask questions if you have pain or uncertainty
- Even with a bottle, create physical closeness and calm
You don't have to appear confident in the first 24 hours. It's completely normal if breastfeeding, feeding, or holding still feels unfamiliar.
Colostrum: Small Amount, Great Significance
If you are breastfeeding, colostrum will come in the first few days. This first milk is only present in small quantities, but it is precisely tailored for the beginning.
Many mothers are unsettled because it seems so little. However, a newborn's stomach is small at first, and frequent nursing is part of initiating breastfeeding. If you are unsure whether your baby is getting enough, ask your midwife or medical team.
You should seek help if:
- your baby seems very sleepy and hardly drinks
- you have severe pain during breastfeeding
- you are unsure if your baby is getting enough
- your baby seems unwell
- you feel overwhelmed by the situation
Breastfeeding is natural. But natural doesn't automatically mean easy. Seeking support is not a sign of failure, but part of a good start.
If you want to read more about the first days of breastfeeding, feeding, and settling in, you can find more in-depth information here: The first days at home with baby.
Sleeping in the First 24 Hours
Many newborns sleep a lot after birth. Some are very awake and alert at first and then sleep deeply. Others appear exhausted. Birth is also tiring for babies.
In the first 24 hours, it's not about a sleep rhythm yet. Your baby doesn't know a day-night rhythm, fixed sleep times, or routines. It needs closeness, nourishment, warmth, and protection.
What you should know:
- Irregular sleep is normal.
- Frequent waking is normal.
- The need for closeness is normal.
- Your baby may prefer to sleep on or next to you.
- A safe sleeping environment remains important.
If you are very tired, ask for help. Especially after birth, exhaustion is real. Make sure your baby is lying safely if you fall asleep.
More about appropriate nightwear can be found here: Dressing baby at night: What does a newborn need for sleeping?.
What to Dress the Baby in During the First 24 Hours?
Directly after birth, skin-to-skin contact is often more important than a complete outfit. If your baby is dressed, clothing should be soft, comfortable, and easy to open.
For the first few hours, you don't need complicated outfits. A bodysuit, soft pants or a one-piece, socks, and depending on the situation, a hat are often sufficient. It's crucial that your baby stays warm without overheating.
Practical for the beginning:
- Wrap bodysuit or easy-to-put-on bodysuit
- Soft pants or one-piece
- Socks
- Soft blanket for awake, supervised situations
- Hat depending on the room, place of birth, and recommendation
- No tight cuffs
- No complicated buttons or stiff fabrics
Especially in the first 24 hours, practicality counts. Clothing should not stage your baby beautifully, but keep them warm, soft, and secure.
More about initial baby clothing can be found here: What clothing does a newborn really need?.
More about material choices can be found here: Natural baby clothing: Wool, wool/Tencel, and cotton compared.
Wrap Bodysuit or Regular Bodysuit Immediately After Birth?
For the first 24 hours, wrap bodysuits are often particularly comfortable. They don't need to be pulled over the head and can be gently closed around your baby.
Especially if your baby seems very small, you yourself are exhausted, or you are still unsure about dressing, a wrap bodysuit can make the beginning easier.
A wrap bodysuit is practical because:
- it doesn't have to be pulled over the head
- you can dress your baby more calmly
- it is easily accessible for diaper changes
- it provides security, especially in the first few days
Regular bodysuits are not wrong. But for many families, wrap bodysuits are simpler at the beginning.
More about this can be found here: Wrap bodysuit or regular bodysuit: Which is better?.
The First Diaper Change
The first diaper change often feels unfamiliar. Your baby is still brand new, small, and perhaps delicate. The movements are gentle, you are careful, and everything takes longer than it will later.
This is normal.
You don't have to frantically clean your baby or undress them for a long time. Warmth, calmness, and gentle handling are more important than speed.
Helpful for the first diaper change:
- prepare everything beforehand
- keep baby warm
- only undress as much as necessary
- clean gently
- ask for a demonstration if unsure
- have a change of clothes ready
If you are in the clinic or birthing center, ask them to show you the first diaper change. It's perfectly fine if you don't yet know how best to hold, turn, or dress your baby.
If you want to prepare your changing station at home, you can find suitable guidance here: Setting up a changing station: What you really need.
The First Bowel Movement: Meconium
Your baby's first bowel movement is called meconium. It is usually very dark, thick, and sticky. Many parents are surprised by how different it looks from later baby stools.
You don't need to worry about it. Your midwife or medical team will also check if your baby is passing stool. If you are unsure, ask.
Practical for the first bowel movement:
- clean gently
- do not rub
- use soft cloths or water
- close the diaper or backup well
- seek support if unsure
Especially in the first few days, bowel movements are also an important sign of how your baby is settling in. You don't have to assess it alone. Let yourself be guided.
Elimination Communication in the First 24 Hours: Is it Necessary?
No. You don't have to start elimination communication in the first 24 hours. You can. But you don't have to.
If you heard about elimination communication before birth, it can be nice to perceive your baby as competent from the beginning: they don't just "randomly" eliminate, but experience elimination as part of their body. Some babies show restlessness very early before they need to go. Others don't. Both are normal.
Elimination communication in the first 24 hours can be very simple. Perhaps you hold your baby over a potty briefly during a diaper change. Perhaps you offer it after waking up. Perhaps you do nothing at all and just observe first.
Good initial standard situations can be:
- during diaper changes
- after waking up
- after breastfeeding or feeding
- when your baby becomes noticeably restless
If nothing comes, that's not a problem. If something goes wrong, that's not a problem either. The beginning can remain easy.
If you want to learn more about elimination communication, you can find an introduction here: What does "diaper-free from birth" actually mean?.
If you want to know what you really need for starting with elimination communication, read on here: Elimination Communication Starter Kit: What you really need.
Elimination Communication Diaper as Backup from Birth
If you want to try elimination communication, an elimination communication diaper can be a relaxed solution from the start. It takes the pressure off because your baby doesn't have to "function without a diaper." At the same time, access remains easier than with many traditional diaper systems.
Especially in the first 24 hours, a backup is valuable. You have enough to do with birth, breastfeeding initiation, sleep, closeness, and recovery. The elimination communication diaper can simply provide security.
Helpful for the start:
- Elimination communication diaper as backup
- Soft insert
- Easy-to-open clothing
- Changing mat
- Calm posture without a specific goal
Suitable products can be found here: Elimination communication diapers, diaper inserts, elimination communication pants and the changing mat for on the go.
What Does the Mother Need in the First 24 Hours?
Often, all the focus is on the baby. Understandably. But the mother also needs protection, nourishment, fluids, warmth, rest, and support in the first 24 hours.
Your body has just accomplished something great. You may be experiencing bleeding, afterpains, pain, swelling, circulatory issues, hunger, thirst, or severe sleep deprivation. You may feel emotionally permeable and vulnerable.
Important for you:
- drink
- eat
- stay warm
- rest
- take pain seriously
- accept help
- don't get up too early if your body isn't ready yet
- ask medical staff or a midwife if you are unsure
Postpartum recovery doesn't just begin at home. It starts right after birth.
You can find more on preparing for this initial period here: Preparing for the postpartum period: What you can organize before birth.
The role of the second parent
The first 24 hours are not just mother-baby time. The second parent can also play an important, protective role.
Not always through major tasks. Often through small things: fetching water, organizing food, intercepting messages, keeping visitors away, helping with diaper changes, listening to medical information, providing skin-to-skin contact when the mother needs to rest.
Helpful tips:
- protect peace and quiet
- provide food and drink
- note down questions
- help with changing and dressing
- offer skin-to-skin contact
- filter visitors and messages
- keep an eye on the mother
- don't feel like you have to "solve" everything
Bonding here is also not created by perfection. It is created by presence.
You can find more on this here: Partner in the postpartum period: What really helps after birth.
Visitors in the first 24 hours
Many people are looking forward to your baby. Grandparents, siblings, friends, family. But joy from outside doesn't mean that visitors in the first 24 hours are necessarily a good thing.
You are allowed to protect this time. You are allowed to say no. You are allowed to answer messages later. You are allowed to postpone visits, even if others are disappointed.
Good visiting rules for the beginning:
- no visitors without an invitation
- short visits instead of long stays
- no one comes sick
- baby is not passed around if you don't want that
- mother and baby have priority over expectations
- photos only with consent
The first 24 hours do not belong to your surroundings. They belong to you.
You can find more on the visitor question here: Visitors in the postpartum period: How much closeness from outside is really good?.
Phone, photos and messages
Of course, you might want to take a photo. You might want to inform people. You might even be waiting for the first message to family and friends.
But you don't have to be reachable immediately. You don't have to send out a birth story. You don't have to share pictures before you've settled in internally.
A simple solution:
- a short message to the most important people
- no long answers
- no explanations immediately after birth
- consciously limit phone time
- let the second parent handle messages
Your baby doesn't need the world in the first few hours. It needs you.
What is not important in the first 24 hours
There are many things that can wait. Even if they felt important before birth.
Not important are:
- perfect photos
- a complete daily rhythm
- visitors
- a tidy room
- immediate thank you messages
- perfect breastfeeding
- perfect diaper changing
- a perfect elimination communication routine
- nice clothes for other people
What is important is what stabilizes you: closeness, warmth, rest, nourishment, care, and protection.
What you can prepare before birth
You cannot control the first 24 hours. But you can prepare a few things to ease your burden.
You can prepare:
- hospital bag with a simple baby outfit
- soft first clothes
- wrap-around bodysuit or easy-to-put-on clothes
- diapering or elimination communication equipment
- postpartum recovery area at home
- visiting rules
- prepare a message to family
- organize food for the first few days
- clarify midwife contact
You can find more on this here: Packing your hospital bag, Preparing for the postpartum period and Setting up the changing station.
If you want to prepare clothes before birth, you can find suitable instructions here: Washing baby clothes before birth: What really makes sense.
Midwife support after birth
A midwife can be a great relief in the first few days after birth. She accompanies mother and baby, answers questions, checks on postpartum recovery, breastfeeding or feeding, weight development, umbilical cord, diaper changes and many of the uncertainties of the beginning.
Especially with the first baby, this support is often particularly valuable. But even with the second or third child, each birth can bring new questions.
Information on midwife support after birth can be found at gesund.bund.de on midwives after birth.
If you are still pregnant, it is worthwhile clarifying early on who will accompany you after the birth. Not because you can plan everything. But because support makes the beginning easier.
You can find more on this here: Finding a midwife: How to get support during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
If your baby cries in the first 24 hours
Newborns cry for many reasons: hunger, cold, warmth, need for closeness, overstimulation, digestion, tiredness, or simply because everything is new. Crying does not automatically mean that something is wrong.
Especially in the first 24 hours, a simple sequence often helps: offer closeness, check temperature, offer breastfeeding or feeding, check diaper or backup, reduce stimuli, and get support if you are unsure.
You can check:
- Is your baby hungry?
- Is it too warm or too cold?
- Does it need skin-to-skin contact?
- Is the diaper or backup wet?
- Is it too bright, loud, or restless?
- Does your baby seem unusual or very weak?
If your baby cries unusually shrilly, persistently, or differently than expected, seems very sluggish, doesn't drink well, or you have a bad feeling, seek immediate support.
You can find more on this here: Baby crying in the postpartum period: What really helps?.
When the first 24 hours are different than hoped
Perhaps you had imagined the first few hours differently. More calm. Less medicine. More skin-to-skin contact. Less pain. More closeness. More joy. Less fear.
If it turns out differently, you are allowed to be sad. You are allowed to be disappointed. You are allowed to need someone to listen to you. A difficult start does not mean that your connection is damaged.
Bonding is not a single event. Bonding is a journey.
You can catch up on:
- skin-to-skin contact
- rest
- breastfeeding or feeding support
- conversations about the birth
- settling in together
- postpartum support
If the birth is weighing heavily on you, talk to your midwife, doctor, pediatrician, or a suitable counseling center. You don't have to bear this alone.
A simple checklist for the first 24 hours
For your baby
- skin-to-skin contact, if possible
- warmth
- breastfeeding or feeding as needed and with guidance
- medical examination and observation
- soft clothing
- diaper, elimination communication diaper, or backup
- calm environment
For the mother
- rest
- drinks
- food
- warmth
- take pain seriously
- accept help
- no pressure regarding visitors
For the second parent
- protect peace and quiet
- organize food and water
- note down questions
- help with diaper changes
- take over messages
- offer skin-to-skin contact
For elimination communication or holding out
- no pressure
- offer when changing diapers if it feels easy
- use backup
- observe signals
- allow for accidents
Frequently asked questions: The first 24 hours with baby
What happens in the first 24 hours after birth?
Your baby arrives, is medically observed and examined, seeks closeness, warmth, and nourishment. Depending on the birth, skin-to-skin contact, initiation of breastfeeding or feeding, first diaper change, sleep phases, and further support from the clinic, birth center, or midwife take place.
Does my baby have to drink immediately after birth?
Many babies look for the breast after some time or show signs of hunger. Some need a little longer. If you are unsure, get support with breastfeeding or feeding.
What do you dress a baby in immediately after birth?
If no skin-to-skin contact takes place or after the first cuddling time, soft, simple clothes are useful: a wrap-around bodysuit, soft trousers or a one-piece, socks, and, depending on the situation, a cap or a blanket.
When is the baby changed for the first time?
That depends on the birth situation, clinic procedures, and elimination. Take your time and get support. For the first diaper change, warmth, calm, and gentle cleaning are more important than speed.
Can you start elimination communication in the first 24 hours?
Yes, if it feels easy. You can offer it during diaper changes or after waking up. However, it's perfectly fine to start elimination communication later.
What if breastfeeding doesn't work immediately?
That's not uncommon. Breastfeeding is a learning process for both mother and baby. Please ask for support early if you are in pain, unsure, or your baby is not drinking well.
Should you receive visitors in the first 24 hours?
Only if it truly benefits you. You are allowed to postpone or cancel visits altogether. Rest, recovery, and settling in are more important than external expectations.
What does the mother need in the first 24 hours?
Rest, fluids, food, warmth, medical support, help with getting up or care, emotional security, and as little pressure as possible.
What do you need for elimination communication immediately after birth?
Above all, you need no pressure. Practically, an elimination communication diaper, a soft insert, a changing pad, and easy-to-open clothing can be helpful. If it doesn't feel right, elimination communication can wait.
A calm thought to conclude
The first 24 hours with a baby are not a moment you have to make perfect. They are a transition.
From pregnancy to birth. From inside to outside. From imagination to reality. From waiting to getting to know each other.
Perhaps this time will be calm. Perhaps it will be wild. Perhaps you will cry, laugh, marvel, sleep, doubt, or simply just look at your baby.
That's enough.
Your baby doesn't need a perfect start. It needs closeness, warmth, nourishment, protection, and people who are ready to get to know it.
And you need exactly the same: protection, nourishment, warmth, rest, and people who don't push you, but hold you.
Thus, the first 24 hours begin not as a task, but as a beginning.
If you want to accompany your baby with natural materials, practical cuts, and an undogmatic view on diapering, elimination communication, and closeness, you will find thoughtful companions for precisely this initial period at Mata Origin.
Discover suitable products for the first days with your baby: Elimination Communication Diapers, Diaper Inserts, Elimination Communication Pants, and the On-the-go Changing Pad.
Note: This article does not replace medical advice. It is intended to provide guidance. In case of premature birth, low birth weight, breathing problems, poor feeding, fever, unusual sleepiness, heavy bleeding, severe pain, circulatory problems, uncertainty, or specific health concerns, please contact your midwife, doctor, or pediatrician. In case of acute severe symptoms, seek immediate medical help.
