The first year, window by window
One guide for each development window from our free forecast. Every claim sourced, every source linked, all of it made for real life with a baby.
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Settling in
Why newborns cry more, when crying peaks, what colic actually is, and the quiet skills arriving by 2 months.
Weeks 8 to 17Waking up to the world
Real smiles, first chatter, rough patches around weeks 8 and 12, and the truth about the "4-month sleep regression".
Weeks 17 to 26Grabbing everything
Everything goes in the mouth, and the big food question: the three real signs of readiness, plus three fake ones.
Weeks 26 to 39On the move
Clinginess is a milestone, not a setback. Separation anxiety, the truth about crawling, and the 9-month screening.
Weeks 39 to 52Almost a toddler
Standing, cruising, waving bye-bye, and why walking and talking are not first-birthday requirements.
Guides parents actually search for
The big questions of the first year, answered from official guidance, with sources on every claim.
How much sleep does a baby actually need?
The NHS numbers by age, with the honest word most charts skip: some.
GuideStarting solid food: the real rules and the myths
The three true signs of readiness, the three fake ones, gagging vs choking, and allergens done calmly.
GuideAdjusted age for premature babies
The fair way to measure a preemie's progress, and why doctors use it until around age 2.
GuideBaby teething: symptoms, timeline, and what helps
When teeth arrive, what genuinely soothes sore gums, the products to skip, and the one sign that is never just teething.
GuideBaby fever: when to worry, and what the number means
What counts as a fever, the age rules that decide when to call, and the warning signs that mean act now.
GuideSafe baby sleep: how to lower the risk of SIDS
The steps that actually reduce the risk, from back sleeping to room sharing, plus the honest truth about co-sleeping.
GuideBaby reflux and spitting up: normal or not
Why babies spit up, the difference between reflux and vomiting, what helps, and the warning signs that mean call a doctor.
GuideBaby colds and coughs: what helps, and when to worry
How many colds are normal, what eases them, the cough medicines to avoid, and the breathing signs that mean call for help.
GuideBaby poop: what is normal, and the colors that matter
Meconium, the yellow that follows, breast versus formula, how often is normal, and the three colors that mean call a doctor.
GuideBaby constipation: the signs, what helps, and when to call
How to tell real constipation from normal straining, why softness matters more than frequency, and what helps at home.
GuideBaby colic: what it is, what helps, and how to cope
The rule of 3, why colic happens, what soothes it, the remedies to skip, and the safety line every exhausted parent needs.
GuideBaby eczema: what it looks like and what helps
The dry, itchy patches explained simply, the daily moisturising routine that keeps flares down, and the signs of infection that mean call.
GuideThe Wonder Weeks, fact-checked
Where the famous 10 "leaps" come from, what independent research found when it tested the timing, and what that means for your fussy baby.
GuidePreemie milestones, by adjusted age
The AAP milestone list on the calendar that is fair to your baby, month by month, plus when most preemies catch up.
GuideWhen do premature babies catch up?
Where the famous "by age 2" line comes from, what catching up looks like month by month, and why babies born very early may need longer.
GuideBringing your preemie home from the NICU
The first weeks home: safe sleep on the due-date clock, visitors and germs, follow-up appointments, and looking after yourselves.
GuideTummy time: when to start, and how much
Start from day one, 3 to 5 minutes at a time, build to 15 to 30 minutes by 7 weeks. Plus fixes for babies who hate it.
GuideAfter the shots: what to expect
The normal 48 hours after vaccinations: sore leg, mild fever, extra sleep, and the exact signs that mean call the doctor.
GuideNappy rash: what helps, and when to call
The change-clean-air-cream routine that clears most rashes, how to spot a yeast infection by the skin folds, and the flags that mean doctor.
GuideNewborn jaundice: when the yellow matters
Why most newborns turn a little yellow around day 3, the feeding trick that clears it faster, and the exact signs that need a doctor today.
GuideHow much milk does my baby need?
Formula amounts by week and month, the hunger cues that beat the clock, and the nappy signs that confirm your baby is getting enough.
GuideCradle cap: what helps, and when to see a doctor
The gentle oil-and-brush routine that loosens the scales, the oils to avoid, and the signs that mean it is time to call the doctor.
GuideWhen do babies sleep through the night?
What "sleeping through" really means, when night feeds usually ease off, and why frequent waking early on is normal, not a problem to fix.
GuideWhen can babies drink water?
Why milk covers all fluid for the first 6 months, the hot weather exception for formula-fed babies, and what to offer from 6 months.
GuideFlat head syndrome: does it go away?
Why some babies get a flat spot, why it usually rounds out on its own, the awake-time fixes that help, and when to see a GP.
GuideWhat should my baby wear to sleep?
The 16 to 20C room rule, the one-extra-layer guide, and the two-second chest check that beats any tog chart.
GuideSwaddling: how to do it safely and when to stop
The back-sleep rule, the loose-hips rule, and the rolling milestone that means swaddling stops, sometimes as early as 2 months.
GuideOral thrush in babies
How to tell thrush from milk residue with a simple wipe test, how it is treated, and why sterilising dummies and bottles matters.
GuideBaby growth spurts and cluster feeding
Why babies suddenly feed nonstop, what the official sources really say about growth spurt weeks, and the nappy test that says all is well.
GuideNewborn skin: baby acne, milk spots and birthmarks
Baby acne, milia, heat rash, stork bites and blue-grey spots, all explained, plus the one glass-test rash check every parent should know.
GuideUmbilical cord care
Keep it clean and dry, skip the alcohol, and know the three infection signs. When the stump should fall off and what happens after.
GuideVitamin D drops for babies
Why breastfed babies need daily drops from birth, why most formula-fed babies do not, and the 400 IU dose the NHS and AAP agree on.
GuideDummies and pacifiers: start, stop, and the SIDS link
Why dummies may lower SIDS risk, when to introduce one if you breastfeed, and the six to twelve month window for weaning off.
GuideTongue-tie in babies
What tongue-tie looks like, the feeding signs it can cause, and why the AAP says most breastfeeding pain is not actually caused by it.
GuideHow often should you bathe a baby?
Why three baths a week is plenty, sponge baths before the cord falls off, safe water temperature, and why bath seats are a drowning risk.
GuideHow long can a baby be in a car seat?
Why rear-facing matters for at least 2 years, the slumping check on long journeys, overheating in the car, and the truth about the 2-hour rule.
GuideMy baby rolls onto their tummy in their sleep
When rolling in sleep is fine, why swaddling has to stop first, and the clear-the-cot rule that matters more than repositioning.
GuideBaby sun safety: sunscreen, shade, and staying cool
Why babies under 6 months stay out of direct sun, when sunscreen is safe to use, SPF 30 vs SPF 15, and how to spot heat exhaustion.
GuideNewborn eyes: crossed eyes, sticky eye and when to worry
Why a young baby's eyes wander or cross, what sticky eye and blocked tear ducts are, and the clear signs that mean call your GP.
GuideHow to make up baby formula safely
Water temperature, powder-first vs water-first, how long a made-up bottle keeps, and why watering down formula is dangerous.
GuideBaby only sleeps when held? How to put them down
Why contact sleep is normal biology, the researched 5-plus-8 minute transfer, and how to build cot sleep gently, without tears you cannot live with.
GuideThe baby witching hour: why evenings fall apart
Why fussing clusters from 5 to 11 p.m., when it peaks and fades, and the dim-quiet-motion routine that beats anything you can buy.
GuideBaby hiccups: why they happen and when they matter
Why newborns hiccup so much, the pause-burp-wait routine for feeds, the folk cures to skip, and when hiccups point to reflux.
GuideNewborn grunting and squirming at night
Why newborn sleep is so noisy, what grunting baby syndrome is, the pause technique, and the breathing signs that mean get help now.