What To Expect In A Newborn

Most parents have never ever seen a newborn baby before. There are certain "oddities" you should be prepared for so that they don't surprise or concern you. Most newborns do not look like cherubs; some parents are so disappointed by this that they have a hard time accepting their baby's looks. Try to see some pictures of newborns so that your expectations are realistic. The parent-child bond can be hindered if you are displeased with how your baby looks.

All new babies

sound like they have a cold--they sniffle and sneeze. This is because their breathing organs are new and have to adjust.

The "startle reflex"

is normal and something a baby grows out to. A newborn tends to jump at noises and may tremble. You may worry that the baby is nervous, but this is just a sign of her system adjusting.

The rooting reflex

causes the baby to turn her head toward anything that touches her cheek. This is an instinctive mechanism that helps the baby find food. You need only touch the baby's cheek with the nipple. Do not touch both the baby's cheeks at the same time or hold her by both cheeks to guide her head toward the nipple--this will just confuse her.

A wobbly head

occurs because a baby's head is large and her neck muscles are not developed. The head always needs support in the first few months.

Hearing

is impaired during the first few days after birth because the middle part of the baby's ear behind the eardrum is still full of amniotic fluid. Gradually it gets absorbed and evaporates, but until then, sounds reaching the baby's ears are muffled.

Smells and textures

all interest the newborn. You can wear different fabrics when holding the baby to give him varying sensory stimulation. The baby may be excited by crinkly, colorful paper that makes a noise when the infant touches it.

The umbilical cord

should be kept dry. You can cleanse it with alcohol on a piece of cotton or just leave it alone. Keep the cord stump protected and above the diaper. Notify the doctor if it bleeds, gets red, or has an unusual odor, all signs of infection. Most stumps takes about 6 or 7 days to drop off and there may be a slight amount of bloody drainage when this happens.

The external genitals

are often swollen at birth. The maternal hormones of pregnancy have passed to the baby; this swelling recedes gradually. The girl's clitoris may be swollen so that it looks like penis and she may have vaginal bleeding. This is from the estrogenic hormones that were in the mother's system: it will disappear in a short time

Milk in the baby's breasts

is fairly common for both males and females. The same hormones that prepare your breasts to lactate affect the baby, who can have milk in her breasts for a few days after birth.

The nails

may be long at birth. They will be soft and are easiest to trim when the baby is asleep. If you are nervous at first using even blunt baby scissors, you can just make a small cut on the side of the nail and peel off the rest.

The baby's temperature

is something you should be aware of because a newborn has an ineffecient heating system. If a baby has a cool hands and feet but a warm body, that means he is at a good temperature. Feel with your finger along his neck or legs to determine if the body is warm.

THE BABY'S SKIN

The skin of a newborn is very sensitive

It is susceptible to infection so all nursery linens and clothes should be sterilized by washing in hot water in a machine and all attendants should wash their hands carefully.

Skin color at birth

may be a blotchy red or grayish blue regardless of the baby's race. Some babies start to develop racial color when born and others remain a very light color for at least the first few hours.

The skin may peel

a few days after birth, like a peeling sunburn. Do not use lotions or pull off the skin--it will come off naturally.

Lanugo

the downy hair covering the baby's skin at birth can be quite heavy and noticeable, especially if it's dark. Lanugo is most abundant over the back, shoulders, forehead, and cheeks. It usually falls out and is rubbed away during the first few weeks of life. This does not mean the child will have hairy skin later on--there is no relation between that and lanugo.

Mottling,

or marbleized spots on the skin, is normal when you are undressing the baby.

Mongolian spots

are irregular, greenish-blue pigmentation over the lower back that occurs in Negro, Mediterranean, and Asian races. These spots will disappear by school age.

Prickly heat

is clusters of minute pink pimples surrounded by areas of pink skin. It is due to the overactivity of sweat glands. It can be cured by ventilating the skin using a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda and a bland powder, but be sure the baby cannot touch the mixture and then put his fingers to his mouth. Most important, put lighter clothes and covers on the baby.

Milia

look like whiteheads. They are concentrated on the baby's nose, chin, and forehead. These are immature oil glands and will disappear by themselves. Leave them alone--squeezing them can cause infection.

Diaper rash

can be caused by too-strong soap used on diapers or diapers that haven't been boiled long enough to kill the bacteria. Change your laundry habits and use zinc oxide or a commercial preparation like Desitin, which contains zinc oxide, on the affected area.

THE BABY'S EYES

The baby's eyes are usually blue or slate-gray. The permanent color comes in between 6 months and 1 year. The iris flecks with brown about the 3rd month if the eyes are going to be hazel or brown. A blue-eyed child retains the blue shade.

A newborn's eyes are crossed

because the muscles that keep both eyes pointing in the same direction aren't working yet. In a few weeks they will correct themselves as they develop.

Seeing

It has only recently been realized that little babies can see at all. However, they do have a fairly rigid distance of focus--around 9 inches away from their eyes. If you want the baby to look at something, it is best to show it at this distance. An amazing natural phenomenon is that during breast-feeding this is just about the distance from your face to the baby's. It is evidently a built-in part of the mothering system that a baby's focal distance is correlated to where his mother holds his for nursing.