Baby in Québec, day by day
Baby at 4 weeks: what is happening, and what to do in Québec
One month: the baby stares at faces, reacts to voices, and the declaration of birth must be in. First vaccines come in a month.
Your baby
Lots of sleep, in short stretches
A newborn sleeps most of the day, often 16 to 18 hours, but in short stretches, day and night alike. The difference between the two is not there yet. Longer nights will come on their own over the weeks.
Frequent feeds, on the baby’s cue
In the first days, most babies ask to feed every time they wake. According to the INSPQ guide From Tiny Tot to Toddler, a breastfed baby usually feeds 8 or more times in 24 hours, and a formula-fed baby 6 or more. The number varies from day to day: hunger cues matter, not the clock.
The first real smile
Around six to eight weeks, the baby smiles back at a face or a voice: no longer a reflex. The baby follows slow movement with the eyes and turns toward familiar sounds. Every baby has their own pace; milestones are averages, not deadlines.
Growth spurts
For a few days the baby suddenly asks for many more feeds: often a growth spurt, common around two to three weeks, six weeks and three months. Closer feeds raise milk supply, then the pace settles.
Fever before three months
In a baby under three months, a fever calls for prompt assessment by a professional, even if the baby seems well. Take the temperature before calling and describe what you see: Info-Santé 811 will tell you where to go. This page gives no threshold and no medication.
Crying rises, then falls
According to the INSPQ, crying increases from the second week, peaks around the sixth week and decreases around the third or fourth month. Bouts of intense crying, often called colic, are common and usually not linked to a health problem. Never shake a baby: if the baby is inconsolable and you are at the end of your rope, put the baby down safely in the crib, step away for a few minutes and ask for help, 811 if needed.
Tummy time while awake
Back sleeping protects the baby but can flatten the back of the head. The INSPQ suggests supervised tummy time while awake, and turning the head to the other side in the crib each day. A few minutes several times a day is enough at first.
On the back, in their own bed
From birth, the baby sleeps on the back, on a firm mattress, in a crib, cradle or bassinet that meets Canadian standards, with a fitted sheet and nothing else: no pillow, comforter or bumper pad. The Canadian Paediatric Society and Health Canada recommend sleeping in the parents’ room, but in their own bed, for the first six months. Once the baby rolls over alone, any position is fine.
Vitamin D for the breastfed baby
In Québec, a vitamin D supplement is recommended for breastfed babies from birth, because breast milk does not contain enough for our climate. The product and the amount are confirmed with the CLSC nurse, the doctor or the pharmacist; this page gives no dose.
In Québec
Declare the birth within 30 days
The place of birth gives you the attestation of birth. With it, the parents fill in the Declaration of Birth of the Directeur de l’état civil, online or on paper, within 30 days of the birth: free within that time, with fees after. Common-law parents must both sign it to establish filiation. Once received, the declaration becomes the official act of birth, and it triggers RAMQ registration and the Family Allowance.
The other parent’s QPIP weeks
The parent who did not give birth is entitled to QPIP paternity or parental weeks: 5 exclusive weeks under the basic plan, 3 under the special plan, plus the shared parental weeks. Apply online, at the earliest on the Sunday of the week payments should start; both parents must choose the same plan. Our QPIP calculator estimates the amounts.
The health insurance card comes on its own
If a parent is already insured by the RAMQ, nothing more is needed: the Directeur de l’état civil passes on the information, the baby is registered and the card arrives by mail within a few weeks. Meanwhile the baby’s care is covered; keep the attestation of birth handy. If neither parent is eligible, the RAMQ sends a temporary certificate and the card follows.
The Family Allowance, no application
For a child born in Québec, Retraite Québec’s Family Allowance starts automatically from the declaration of birth: no application if the parents live in Québec. The first payments arrive in the following weeks, based on the situation declared to Revenu Québec.
On the federal side: CCB and social insurance number
The Canada Child Benefit is applied for with the Canada Revenue Agency, online in My Account or by form; it is not automatic in Québec. The baby’s social insurance number is obtained from Service Canada with the act of birth. Both are needed later, for an RESP for instance.
RSV protection in the cold season
Québec’s immunization program offers babies born during respiratory syncytial virus season, in autumn and winter, a preventive antibody treatment, often before leaving the hospital. These are ready-made antibodies that protect through the season. Ask at the place of birth or the CLSC if it was not offered.
Depression after the birth
According to the INSPQ, depression after childbirth affects about 2 women in 10 and about 1 man in 10, and most often appears between two weeks and six months after the birth. Sadness that does not pass, loss of interest, anxiety, no sleep even when the baby sleeps: effective treatments exist. The CLSC, the doctor or 811 are the first doors.
The baby’s follow-up visits
After the nurse’s visit, the baby is seen by a doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife around two weeks, then around two, four, six, nine and twelve months, often at the same time as vaccines. Weight, length, head circumference and development are recorded in the health booklet. Bring your questions and your notes from the past weeks.
Register the baby on the childcare portal
Since autumn 2025, the Childcare Services Registration Portal replaces La Place 0-5. A child can be registered only after birth, and it is the desired start date that counts for the allocation of places, not the registration date. Best to create the file early, with the CPEs and daycares you want, and keep it up to date.
With Maliah
Feeds and diapers, counted without effort
The nurse will ask how many feeds and diapers the baby had in the last 24 hours. In Maliah, every feed and every diaper is logged in two taps or by voice, “10-minute feed, left breast, for Noah”, and the last-24-hour total appears on its own, for both parents.
Weight, visit after visit
Each weighing is logged in Maliah with its date; the growth curve is drawn against WHO standards, as a fact, without judgment. Before an appointment, the summary for the doctor gathers the measurements and what was noted since last time.
The whole family sees the same thing
The partner, grandma or the babysitter see the last feed, the last sleep and the last diaper when they open the app, no texting needed. Everyone logs what they do, with their name and the time, and nobody asks the same question twice.
Related free tools
Sources : INSPQ : Mieux vivre avec notre enfant de la grossesse à deux ans (guide 2026) · INSPQ, Mieux vivre : Pleurs · INSPQ, Mieux vivre : Prévention de la tête plate · INSPQ, Mieux vivre : Baby blues · Directeur de l’état civil : Déclaration de naissance · RAMQ : Naissance ou adoption · Québec.ca : Allocation famille · Québec.ca : Dépistage sanguin chez les nouveau-nés · Québec.ca : Dépistage de la surdité chez les nouveau-nés · Québec.ca : Programme québécois d’immunisation · Québec.ca : Trouver un service de garde et inscrire mon enfant (Portail d’inscription) · RQAP : faire une demande de prestations · Agence du revenu du Canada : Allocation canadienne pour enfants · Service Canada : numéro d’assurance sociale
This article is for information; it does not replace advice from a health professional. In Québec, call Info-Santé 811 when in doubt (elsewhere in Canada, your provincial health line). In an emergency, call 911. Updated on October 27, 2026.