Things to do when you have a new baby

When you welcome a new baby, there will be some things you need to do in the first few weeks. The early days can be exhausting and overwhelming for new parents. It can help to think about these jobs before your baby is here and decide who will do what.

If you are supporting someone who has just had a baby, you can also help them with some of the new baby admin.

There are some things parents and carers are legally required to do when a baby is born or adopted. You might also think about making a will but there’s no legal requirement to do this.

Register the birth

After your baby is born, you will need to register their birth within 42 days. It is free to register, but you have to go to the register office that is local to where your baby was born. It’s a good idea to find out where you will need to go and how will you get there. GOV.UK has more information on registering a birth and who can do this.

Adoption and surrogacy

If you have adopted your baby or they were born through surrogacy, there are different processes to legally become their parent.

If you’re adopting, your adoption agency will explain the legal process to you.

GOV.UK has information about legal rights for parents and surrogates.

Make a will

A will is a legal document that says what you want to happen to your money and things you own when you die. If you already have a will, it’s likely you’ll want to update it to leave your money, home and belongings to your child. You can also write in your will who you would like to care for your child if both their parents die. Citizens Advice has information on making a will.

Make sure you know what financial support you can get and what costs you might have. If you haven’t already, you might think about budgeting for your baby.

Benefits

Once you are the registered parent of your baby, you can claim child benefit. Only one person can get child benefit for a child, so you will need to decide who will make the claim. Find out how to claim child benefit.

Depending on your situation, you might also be eligible for other financial support.

Child maintenance

If you are separated from your child’s other parent, you’ll both be responsible for the cost of raising them. This might mean that one of you pays child maintenance.

Life insurance

You might think about taking out life insurance when you have a child. This is a policy that you pay into, so that your child’s home and living expenses will be taken care of if you die. Money Helper has more information about life insurance.

In the first 2 weeks after your baby is born, your midwife will arrange to see you and your baby either at home or at a children’s centre.

Your baby will then have regular checks with a health visitor until they are 2 years old. You’ll be given a child health record (sometimes called the red book) to record their development. The red book will have details of what tests and vaccinations they will need and you should bring this with you to any appointments. Read the NHS information about your baby’s health reviews.

You should also register your baby with a GP.

When you are looking after a baby, it’s easy to forget about your own needs. Your body might be recovering from a vaginal birth or c-section. Make sure you:

• eat and drink regularly
• take postnatal vitamins
• tell your midwife or health visitor if something doesn’t feel right

The NHS has information about what to expect after birth.

Think about the things you might need extra help with and who you can ask. This might be lifts to appointments, making meals or help around the house.

Anyone who is pregnant or has a child under 5 can join the priority services register to get extra help from energy and water suppliers. This means they will make sure you get urgent help if you lose power or water. Cadent has accessible information about the priority services register and how to join.

It can take a while to adjust to having a new baby and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Both parents can struggle with their mental health after a new baby arrives. It’s important to get support if your mood doesn’t improve. Read our advice on looking after your mental health with a new baby.

Page last reviewed: April 2025
Next review due: April 2028