What’s Happening This Week
Week 6 is the busiest medical week of the newborn period for both baby and mother.
For the baby: the 6-week vaccine visit is the first major vaccination appointment. Your newborn gets multiple vaccines in one session.
For you: the 6-week postnatal check-up is the standard appointment to review your recovery.
Developmentally, the social smile is now more consistent and deliberate. Your baby may hold a smile for several seconds while looking at your face. Cooing sounds — soft, vowel-based — appear more frequently. Your baby can briefly hold their head up for a few seconds during tummy time. Eye tracking across a wide arc is more fluid.
This is also the peak of the purple crying period for many babies. The witching-hour crying should begin to decline over the coming weeks — though “beginning to decline” may not feel like much relief yet.
Feeding This Week
No significant changes in feeding this week unless something medical requires attention. Feed on demand, watch diaper output, watch weight gain. Breastfed babies typically gain 150–200 g per week through the first 4 months.
Post-vaccine, your baby may feed less for a day or two. This is normal. Keep offering feeds. If your baby refuses multiple feeds in a row and is not consolable, call your pediatrician.
6-Week Vaccinations (IAP Schedule, India)
These vaccines are all due at 6 weeks:
| Vaccine | Protects Against | Route |
|---|---|---|
| DTwP or DTaP (dose 1) | Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis | Injection |
| IPV (dose 1) | Polio | Injection |
| Hib (dose 1) | Haemophilus influenzae type b | Injection |
| PCV (dose 1) | Pneumococcal disease | Injection |
| Rotavirus (dose 1) | Rotavirus diarrhoea | Oral |
| Hepatitis B (dose 2) | Hepatitis B | Injection |
Your baby will likely receive 3–4 injections in one session. Crying at the time of injection is expected and brief. Hold your baby skin-to-skin before and immediately after — it significantly reduces pain response.
Post-Vaccine Care
What to expect:
- Fever: a temperature of 37.5–38.5°C within 24 hours of DTwP is common and normal. Give paracetamol (dose based on weight — your doctor will advise) if baby is uncomfortable.
- Soreness at injection site: red, swollen, or hard lump at the injection site is normal. It resolves within 1–2 weeks.
- Fussiness: increased crying and unsettled behavior for 24–48 hours is common.
- Drowsiness: some babies sleep more than usual for a day.
Do not sponge-bath or apply anything to injection sites for 24 hours. Fever above 39°C after DTwP is less common but should be reported to your pediatrician. Any fever after PCV alone (without DTwP) should be evaluated.
Mother’s 6-Week Check-Up
The 6-week postnatal visit with your OB/gynecologist covers:
- Wound review: episiotomy or C-section incision — checking healing, removing stitches if not absorbable
- Uterus involution: confirming the uterus has returned to normal size
- Cervical check if needed
- Breastfeeding support: addressing any ongoing issues
- Contraception: if you do not want another pregnancy soon, discuss options. Lactational amenorrhea is not reliable. Options safe for breastfeeding mothers include the progesterone-only pill, copper IUD, or barrier methods. Combined pills reduce milk supply.
- Mental health screening: postpartum depression screening (Edinburgh scale). If you’ve been struggling and haven’t said anything yet — this is the appointment to say it.
Is This Normal?
Multiple simultaneous vaccines. Some parents worry about “overloading” the immune system with several vaccines in one visit. This concern has no scientific basis — the immune system handles thousands of antigens daily. Combining vaccines at one visit does not increase adverse effects, and it reduces the number of medical visits for your baby.
When to Call the Doctor
- Fever above 39°C after vaccines
- Fever lasting more than 48 hours after vaccines
- Injection site becomes increasingly red, swollen, or hot after 48 hours
- Baby is inconsolable for more than 3 hours after vaccines
- Baby develops difficulty breathing, rash, or severe swelling (signs of allergic reaction — rare but requires immediate emergency care)
- Any fever at any time: at 6 weeks, fever is still a reason to call your doctor, not to wait
Real Questions from Indian Mothers
These are real questions asked by parents in the Babynama community, answered by our pediatricians.
“What are the things to expect after 6 weeks vaccination? And when to seek medical emergency? Means what are the symptoms that are not normal?”
Fever and pain at the injection site are common. If there is continuous, inconsolable crying, refusal to feed , lethargy , abnormal movements, then visit a pediatrician immediately
“My baby (6 weeks old) is trying to vomit and not being able to sleep comfortably. He even vomited once. He is combo fed.”
- Avoid over feeding - in mixed feeding mostly babies over feed and tend to vomit out or spit up more frequently Hold baby upright (shoulder pe ) and gently pat on back