After birth: what to do first
The baby is here. You’re exhausted, and every relative has a different “you should.” Skip the master list for now. Take the next task in order.
Start at the hospital
Before you leave, finish birth registration with the hospital staff. Ask whether they can send the Social Security number request with that paperwork. Some hospitals can; if yours can’t, you’ll do it after you’re home. One form now beats chasing it later.
Birth certificate
The certificate usually finishes after you’re home. Your state or county handles the last steps. Keep the hospital discharge papers where you can find them. When the certificate arrives, store a copy with the baby’s other documents.
Add the baby to health insurance
Call or message HR if you’re on an employer plan, or open your Marketplace account if that’s how you’re covered. Ask for the special enrollment window that starts from the birth date. Confirm the date they give you — don’t guess from memory — then enroll inside that window.
Tell work about leave
Tell your employer you’re out, then start the leave notice or paid-leave claim that applies where you live. FMLA, state paid leave, and company policy are separate tracks. Do the next form that applies to you, then stop. The rest can wait for tomorrow.
Home, one errand at a time
Fit the car seat. Put the first pediatrician visit on the calendar (your clinician sets the timing). One errand, then sleep if you can. If a deadline is close, handle that first. If nothing is due today, the next task is rest and feeding support — not another search spiral.
First Hello is a sequential checklist for first-time dads: one next task in order, from the hospital stretch through the early months. It’s free, with no ads. Open it when you want the next step without building a master list yourself.
Deadlines and forms vary by state, employer, and plan. Verify with your HR, state program, or the linked official source on our main page. This page is not legal, medical, or tax advice. See also our main page.