If you’re bringing on a helper before your baby arrives, one of the most useful things you can do is walk through infant care together, deliberately, before the newborn weeks hit. A checklist like this isn’t about testing her — it’s about making sure nothing gets missed in the blur of early parenthood, when everyone’s running on too little sleep to remember what was or wasn’t covered.

Feeding

• How to prepare a bottle safely — correct water temperature, formula ratios if applicable, and safe storage times for prepared milk
• Paced bottle feeding technique, so baby doesn’t overfeed or gulp air
• How to burp baby properly, and what normal spit-up looks like versus something to flag
• Basic hygiene: sterilising bottles, washing hands before every feed

Sleep

• Safe sleep positioning — always on the back, on a firm surface, nothing loose in the cot
• What a normal newborn sleep pattern looks like, so she isn’t alarmed by frequent night waking
• How you want naps and room environment handled (lighting, noise, swaddling if used)

Daily care

• Diaper changing routine, and how to check for nappy rash
• Bathing technique for newborns, including umbilical cord care until it heals
• How to hold and support baby’s head and neck, especially during the first weeks
• Basic skin care and what’s normal (peeling, mild rashes) versus what should be flagged to you

Safety

• Choking awareness and what to do if baby seems to be struggling to breathe
• Safe handling around stairs, pets, or other children in the home
• What temperature or symptoms warrant calling you immediately rather than waiting
• Emergency contacts clearly written down and accessible — your number, your pediatrician, nearest hospital

Communication and routine

• A simple daily log — feeding times, sleep, diaper changes — so nothing gets lost between shifts or when you take over
• Clear agreement on what she should always check with you about versus what she can handle independently
• A regular check-in time each day, even just five minutes, especially in the first couple of weeks

Why this matters more than experience alone

Even an experienced helper benefits from this walkthrough, because every family’s baby, home, and preferences are different. Someone who cared for a different family’s newborn last year isn’t automatically aligned with how you want things done in your home. A short, deliberate checklist conversation upfront — ideally before baby arrives, not during the first chaotic week — saves everyone from repeated misunderstandings later.

If you’d rather this be handled by someone with hands-on training experience, Baby’s Whisperer’s Helper Infant Care Training covers exactly this ground in a practical, in-home session built around your baby and your household, so your helper starts confident from day one rather than learning by trial and error.