Answers
The questions parents actually ask
One page per question, answered plainly, and each one says when you should speak to a doctor and when it can wait. Written and signed by Dr Didier Decamps, paediatrician.
We're moving to Belgium. Do our children have to start their vaccinations again?
In almost every case, no — documented doses normally count. What a doctor checks when reading a vaccination record from another country.
My baby is under 3 months and has a temperature. Is that an emergency?
Yes — 38°C or more under three months means urgent, in-person assessment, every time. Why age changes the rule, and what not to do while you arrange care.
My newborn looks yellow. Should I be worried?
Why almost every baby yellows in the first week, what the normal pattern looks like day by day, and the five findings that need a same-day check.
My baby cries for hours in the evening. Is this colic?
The crying curve peaks at six to eight weeks in almost every baby. What helps, what does not, and how to protect yourself when it is relentless.
How should my baby sleep in the first months?
On the back, on a firm flat surface, in your room but not your bed. The full safe-sleep setup, and the newborn sleep noises that are normal.
My newborn has lost weight since birth. Is that normal?
Nearly every baby dips, usually bottoming out at day 3 to 5 and back to birth weight by around two weeks. What helps regain, and when the trend needs review.
How many wet nappies should my newborn have?
Nappies are the everyday sign that feeding is working. The day-by-day pattern, what 'properly wet' actually feels like, and the day-5 checkpoint.
My baby wants to feed constantly in the evening. Do I have enough milk?
Cluster feeding is usually how supply is set, not evidence that it is short. How to get through the stretch, and the signs that do warrant a review.
How do I look after the cord stump, and when is redness a problem?
Air, plain water, and no pulling. What normal drying and separation look like, and how spreading redness differs from the thin rim that is expected.
My baby brings up milk after every feed. Is that reflux?
Everyday spit-up in a baby who is content and gaining weight needs nothing. What can help if it bothers you, and the vomiting that is not this.
What should my baby be doing at two months?
The first social smile, following a face, steadier movement. A loose guide for the routine check rather than a checklist — and what does warrant asking about.
What is this rash on my newborn?
Erythema toxicum, milia, cradle cap and nappy rash — the four common, harmless patterns of the first weeks, and how to tell them from something that needs review.
My baby has a flat spot on their head. What should I do?
Why back-sleeping made tummy time matter more, how mild flattening usually resolves, and when a head preference points to torticollis.
I'm breastfeeding and I use opioids or other drugs. What should I know?
What is compatible with breastfeeding, what is never safe, and how to keep your baby safe — without judgement.
Can I breastfeed while taking oxycodone or morphine?
How strong opioid painkillers pass into milk, how to keep the course short, and the signs of too much sedation in a baby.
Can I breastfeed with a fentanyl or buprenorphine patch?
What a pain patch means for a breastfed baby, and what to watch for.
Is it safe to use cannabis while breastfeeding?
What the research shows about THC in breast milk, why there is no proven safe level, and how we can help.
Can I use CBD products while breastfeeding?
What is known and unknown about CBD in breast milk, and safer ways to support your wellbeing.
Can I breastfeed while taking an antipsychotic medicine?
Why you should not stop your medicine, which antipsychotics are often used while breastfeeding, and what to watch for in your baby.
Can I breastfeed while taking quetiapine?
What is known about quetiapine in breast milk and what to watch for in your baby.
Can I breastfeed while taking olanzapine?
What is known about olanzapine in breast milk and what to watch for in your baby.
Can I breastfeed while taking risperidone?
What is known about risperidone in breast milk and what to watch for in your baby.
Can aripiprazole affect my milk supply?
Why aripiprazole can lower milk supply, and what to watch for in your baby.
Can I breastfeed while taking clonazepam or lorazepam?
How these benzodiazepines differ in breast milk, and the signs of sedation in a baby.
Can I breastfeed while taking sleeping tablets like zopiclone or zolpidem?
What sleeping tablets mean for a breastfed baby, and why safe sleep matters even more.
Emergency? Call 112. Do not wait for a reply from us.