A change you are worried about
Start with the concern itself and the guide's advice about seeking care. A record can help describe a change, but you do not need to complete one before contacting a health professional.
The Cocoon guide library
Baby health
Calm, practical help for the common worries — fevers, colds, reflux, dehydration signs, vaccinations and knowing when to call the doctor. Information for the conversation, never a diagnosis.
A planned appointment or ongoing instruction
Keep an official record or a clinician's instructions distinguishable from your own reminders. Bring the original product or document when you need someone to check it.
Common newborn worries
Many newborn changes are harmless and settle on their own. These guides explain what's common and which signs need a doctor.
Common illnesses
What to expect, how to keep your baby comfortable and drinking, and which signs need a doctor today or emergency help.
All baby health guides
TravelSafe Sleep
Babies in hot weather: keeping cool, feeds, sleep and sun safety
How to keep your baby cool and safe in hot weather, including extra feeds, water by age, sleep, prams, cars, sun protection and the signs of heat illness.
IllnessHealth
Baby colds and blocked noses: safe relief and when to worry
How to ease your baby's blocked nose and cough safely, keep feeds going, tell a cold from bronchiolitis, and know which breathing signs need help now.
SleepIllness
Baby coughing at night: causes, safe relief and when to worry
Why coughs seem worse at night, how to tell a cold from croup or whooping cough, what's safe to try, and which breathing signs need help now.
Health
Baby eczema: signs, daily skin care, triggers and when to get help
How to recognise eczema on any skin tone, care for it with moisturisers and baths, use steroid creams safely, ease night itch, and spot infection.
SleepSoothing
Baby gas at night: easing wind, evening fussing and red flags
Why wind and fussing often seem worse in the evening, how feeding, burping, massage and leg movements can help at night, and which tummy signs need a doctor.
SoothingHealth
Baby hiccups: why they happen, what helps and when to worry
Why newborns and babies hiccup, how to ease hiccups during feeds, which remedies to skip, how they link to reflux, and when to get medical help.
SleepHealth
Baby noises while sleeping: grunting, twitching and breathing
Which grunts, snuffles, twitches, pauses and snores are normal when your baby sleeps, and which breathing signs need a doctor or an ambulance.
DiapersHealth
Baby poo colours: what is normal and when to call the doctor
A colour and texture guide to baby poo from meconium to solids, how often babies poo, and which colours need a doctor today.
HealthIllness
Baby reflux and spit-up: what is normal and when to worry
How to tell everyday spit-up from reflux disease, feeding tips that help, why back sleeping still applies, and which vomiting signs need urgent care.
SleepHealth
Baby sleep after vaccinations: sleepiness, fever and red flags
Why babies can be sleepy or unsettled after vaccinations, how long it usually lasts, how to comfort them safely and which signs need urgent help.
SleepHealth
Baby sleeping with mouth open: causes, snoring and when to worry
Why babies and toddlers breathe through their mouth in sleep, from blocked noses to big adenoids, and when snoring, gasps or pauses need a doctor.
TeethingHealth
Baby teeth timeline: when each tooth comes in and how to care for them
When baby teeth usually appear, the typical order in an age chart, when to start brushing, toothpaste amounts by country and the first dental visit.
HealthDevelopment
Baby vaccinations: schedules, RSV protection and side effects
When babies are vaccinated in Australia, the UK and the US, vaccines offered in pregnancy, RSV protection, normal side effects and when a reaction needs help.
BottleHealth
Bottle feeding basics: equipment, sterilising and safe feeds
What you need to bottle feed, how to clean and sterilise bottles, how to give a calm feed, warming, safety rules and when to move to a cup.
IllnessHealth
Bronchiolitis in babies: symptoms, home care and when to worry
What bronchiolitis and RSV are, which day is usually worst, how to keep your baby feeding, how RSV protection works by country, and which breathing signs need help now.
HealthTeething
Brushing baby teeth: when to start, toothpaste and dentist visits
How to clean your baby's gums and teeth, how much fluoride toothpaste to use by age and country, bottles and decay, first dental visits and tooth injuries.
HealthSolids
Can babies drink water? Water by age, from newborn to toddler
When babies can have water, why not before 6 months, hot weather advice by country, how much from 6 months, boiling tap water, and why juice can wait.
SolidsHealth
Choking vs gagging in babies: signs, first aid and safe eating
How to tell normal gagging from choking, what to do if your baby is choking, and how to set up meals and prepare food to lower the risk.
SoothingBehavior
Colic and PURPLE crying: what's normal and how to cope
What colic and the Period of PURPLE Crying are, when crying peaks and eases, a coping plan, remedies that don't help, and red flags that need urgent care.
SoothingHealth
Colic remedies: what works, what doesn't and what to avoid
An honest evidence check on gripe water, colic drops, probiotics, lactase, formula and diet changes, chiropractic, massage and herbal teas for colic.
DiapersHealth
Constipation in babies: signs, causes and what helps by age
How often babies normally poo, how to tell constipation from normal straining, safe things to try at each age, and the signs that need urgent care.
Health
Cradle cap: causes, gentle treatment and when to see a GP
What cradle cap is, why babies get it, a gentle routine to loosen the scales, what not to use, and the signs that need a GP or child-health nurse.
IllnessHealth
Croup: barking cough, stridor, what helps and when to worry
How to recognise croup's barking cough and stridor, how long it lasts, what helps at night, steroid treatment and which breathing signs need an ambulance.
HealthIllness
Dehydration in babies: signs, what to offer and when to get help
How to spot dehydration in a baby, from fewer wet nappies to sunken eyes, what fluids to offer, and which signs need a doctor today or an ambulance.
IllnessHealth
Ear infections in babies: signs, antibiotics and when to get help
How to spot a middle ear infection in a baby, when antibiotics are used, safe pain relief, glue ear, lowering the risk and which signs need urgent help.
IllnessHealth
Fever in babies: temperatures by age and when to get help
How to take your baby's temperature, what counts as a fever at each age, how to keep them comfortable and which signs need urgent care.
PregnancyHealth
First trimester: symptoms, supplements, scans and when to call
What to expect in weeks 1 to 12 of pregnancy, from nausea and tiredness to folic acid, foods to avoid, first appointments, screening and warning signs.
SolidsHealth
Foods to avoid for babies under 12 months (and why)
The short list of foods and drinks to skip or change in your baby's first year — honey, choking risks, salt, sugar, certain drinks, fish, eggs and cheeses.
IllnessHealth
Gastro in babies: vomiting, diarrhoea and when to get help
How to keep a baby with vomiting and diarrhoea hydrated, which drinks to skip, the rotavirus vaccine, stopping the spread and which signs need help.
IllnessHealth
Hand, foot and mouth disease: symptoms, care and childcare rules
What hand, foot and mouth disease looks like, how long it lasts and spreads, childcare rules by country, keeping your child drinking, and red flags.
SolidsHealth
Honey and babies: why not before 12 months, and botulism signs
Why babies under 12 months shouldn't have honey, whether cooked honey or a honey dummy counts, the signs of infant botulism, and honey for coughs after age 1.
PumpingHealth
How long does breast milk last? Fridge, freezer and thawing times
Storage times for expressed breast milk under Australian, UK and US guidance, plus thawing, leftovers, transport, power cuts and soapy-smelling milk.
HealthRoutines
How to bath a newborn: water temperature, steps and safety
How often to bath your newborn, top-and-tail versus a full bath, safe water temperature, step-by-step bathing, products and skin care.
BottleHealth
How to prepare baby formula safely: steps, water and storage
Step-by-step formula preparation with the water rules for Australia, the UK, the US and WHO, plus storage times, night feeds and travel.
SolidsHealth
Introducing allergens to babies: peanut, egg and reaction signs
When and how to introduce peanut, egg and other common allergy foods, how to spot a reaction, and what to do if one happens.
SolidsHealth
Iron-rich first foods for babies: what to offer and why
Why babies need iron from around 6 months, the best iron-rich first foods and how to prepare them, what helps absorption, and when iron drops come in.
SolidsHealth
Juice for babies and toddlers: when, how much and better drinks
Why babies under 12 months don't need juice, how much toddlers can have under Australian, UK and US advice, teeth, constipation and better drinks.
BreastfeedingIllness
Mastitis and blocked ducts: symptoms, self-care and when to get help
How to recognise breast inflammation and mastitis, the current gentle approach to self-care, what to stop doing, and when you need a doctor the same day or urgently.
SleepHealth
Melatonin and sleep aids for babies and toddlers: what's safe?
What AU, UK and US guidance says about melatonin, sedating antihistamines, cough medicines, herbal remedies and essential oils as sleep aids for young children.
DiapersIllness
Nappy rash: causes, treatment and when to see a GP
What causes nappy rash, step-by-step treatment, choosing a barrier cream, spotting a thrush rash, and when a rash needs a GP or urgent care.
Health
Newborn jaundice: signs, checks, treatment and when it's urgent
How to spot jaundice in your newborn, which signs need urgent help, how it is tested and treated, and what to do if it lasts past 2 weeks.
Health
Newborn rashes and spots: what's normal and when to worry
A guide to milia, baby acne, erythema toxicum, heat rash, peeling skin, eczema and birthmarks, what to do, and the rash signs that need urgent help.
HealthBreastfeeding
Oral thrush in babies: signs, treatment and feeding tips
How to tell oral thrush from milk on the tongue, ease feeding, get the right treatment, handle nipple thrush and sterilise bottles and dummies.
PostpartumHealth
Recovery after birth: bleeding, stitches and warning signs
What's normal in the weeks after giving birth, from bleeding and stitches to weeing and pelvic floor, and which warning signs need help today or straight away.
Safe SleepSleep
Safe sleep for babies: the rules for every sleep, and why
The safe sleep recommendations from Red Nose, the NHS, the Lullaby Trust, the AAP and NICHD, explained for every nap and night in the first year.
PregnancyHealth
Second trimester: first movements, scans, vaccines and planning
What to expect from weeks 13 to 27 of pregnancy, from easing nausea and first kicks to the 20-week scan, the glucose test, pregnancy vaccines and pelvic floor exercises.
SolidsDevelopment
Starting solids: readiness signs, first foods and how much
When and how to start solids, the signs your baby is ready, what to offer first, how much food by age, and how advice differs in Australia, the UK and the US.
Health
Sticky eyes in babies: blocked tear ducts, cleaning and red flags
Why newborns get sticky or watery eyes, how to clean them and massage a blocked tear duct, how to tell it from conjunctivitis, and when to get help.
HealthTravel
Sun safety for babies: sunscreen, shade, UV and sunburn
How to protect babies and young children from the sun by age, what each country says about sunscreen, safe pram shade, the UV index, and how to handle sunburn.
TeethingHealth
Teething: signs, safe relief and when it is really illness
How to spot teething, what safely eases sore gums, which products to avoid, and the signs that point to illness rather than a new tooth.
PregnancyHealth
Third trimester: movements, checks, strep B and going overdue
What to expect from 28 weeks to birth, including your baby's movements, side-sleeping, antenatal checks, group B strep, pre-eclampsia, getting ready and going past your due date.
BreastfeedingHealth
Tongue-tie in babies: signs, feeding problems and frenotomy
What tongue-tie is, how it can affect breastfeeding and bottle feeding, who can assess it, and what the evidence says about tongue-tie division.
Health
Umbilical cord stump care: cleaning, healing and infection signs
How to care for your newborn's cord stump, what is normal as it heals and falls off, and which signs of infection need a doctor.
HealthBreastfeeding
Vitamin D drops for babies: who needs them, by country
Which babies are advised vitamin D drops in Australia, the UK and the US, how formula changes the advice, giving drops safely, and where iron fits in.
HealthIllness
When to call the doctor for your baby: red flags by urgency
Which baby symptoms need an ambulance now, a doctor today or a routine GP visit, with newborn signs and what to say when you call.
SoothingBehavior
Why is my baby crying? A calm checklist and soothing ideas
Why babies cry, a step-by-step checklist, soothing techniques that help, how much crying is normal, which cries need urgent help, and coping when it's too much.
PregnancyBreastfeeding
Your newborn's first 24 hours: feeds, checks, nappies and sleep
What happens in the first day after birth, from skin-to-skin and the first feed to newborn checks, the first wee and poo, safe sleep and the signs that need help now.
Key terms
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Baby sleepStarting solidsDaily routinesBreastfeedingDevelopment & milestonesSafe sleepBehaviourSoothing & cryingBottle feedingWhen baby is unwellPostpartum recoveryPregnancy & birthTravel & outingsGrowth & percentilesWeaningPumping & milk supplyDiapers & nappiesParent mental healthTeethingAll guides
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