Your Newborn Baby; 5 Things You’ll Want to Know
As the delivery day approaches you’ll have all kinds of feels. The idea of your newborn baby in your arms can be overwhelming and exciting all at the same time. As a New Family Support Specialist, I want to help enhance your experience. So today I’m sharing with you 5 things you’ll want to know about your newborn baby.
1. Your newborn baby will cry.
I’m sure that comes as no shock, after all, babies cry, it’s sort of their thing. The feeling you get when you hear the sound of your baby’s cry can catch you off guard though. I mean, you know babies cry, so why all the emotions? Damn hormones! Hormones and instincts are to blame. We are wired to respond and be attentive to our newborns most of the time. Your newborn baby has very few ways to communicate with you, crying is the most recognizable one and gets the most attention quickly.
Babies cry for a number of reasons; hunger, discomfort or pain, startling, and sometimes they just cry. Yes, for no known reason. Write this one down folks! No, in fact just print this blog, frame it, and hang it in the nursery as a reminder! It will be ok. You try “all the things”, and at the end of the day, you remind yourself that you did the best you could and that is enough. As your baby grows you will begin to learn what cry means what. For some, it’s an intuitive feeling, but for most, it’s a learned art, it takes time, and that’s ok.
2. Your newborn may have a mini period and swollen breasts.
Maternal hormones from the mother’s body are responsible for these happenings. Again I say, damn hormones! In the first couple of weeks of life, your newborn baby girl may shed a tiny amount of blood from her uterus into her vagina, and make its way to her diaper. This is normal and perfectly healthy. We’re talking a very small amount.
Your newborn boy or girl may have swollen breasts. Yep, boys can have boobies too! For a limited time only, usually lasting around six weeks of age your baby’s breast tissue can appear raised, swollen, or full.
3. Your newborn will have mucus, and may sneeze frequently.
Your newborn spent his entire life surrounded by amniotic fluid. Stepping, sucking, practicing acrobatics, and he was taking practice breaths of fluid. At birth, most of that fluid is cleared via a good squeeze as he passes through the birth canal and is suctioned away by the provider. In a cesarean birth, babies are suctioned more thoroughly because they need a little more help clearing that fluid. Some of that fluid still remains in your newborn no matter how they were born.
Your newborn will pass that mucous over the next couple of weeks and will need your help being suctioned occasionally. Hearing your newborn with mucous in his mouth and throat can be a little unsettling, but have no fear, it’s normal and will pass with time. Sneezing is one way your baby clears his respiratory passages. Using a bulb syringe or similar product like the Nose-Frida you will help remove what they cannot clear themselves. As long as the fluid is clear or milky-like and not yellow or green there is no reason to be alarmed.
In the Confident Birth and Baby class, we cover birth, but we also cover what to expect in the first two weeks after birth. The classes are comprehensive and customized to your unique needs.
4. Your baby’s eyes may look crossed from time to time.
You could stare into her eyes forever! Don’t be surprised if one day while staring back your newborn’s eyes are crossed. In the first few months of life, it’s very common. The eyes are surrounded by muscles. The majority of the time when the eyes have crossed some muscles may be a little weaker than others and just need more time to gain strength.
Your pediatrician will examine your baby’s eyes at each visit to make certain that everything is developing properly. If there is a reason for concern you will be referred to a children’s eye specialist where further testing may be done. If you are concerned or notice it happening more often absolutely mention it to your pediatrician.
Sometimes a baby’s eyes may appear to be crossed but actually are not. This illusion is called pseudo strabismus and usually happens when a baby has a wide nasal bridge.
5. Your newborn will signal you when hungry.
You won’t hear the ringing of a little bell or get a, “Yo mom, when’s dinner?” No, no, you have a least a decade before that occurs, but your newborn will signal you when he or she wants to be fed. We all recognize crying as a sign of distress or hunger, but crying is actually a late indicator of hunger.
Catch your baby’s cues early and you can make feeding time a more enjoyable experience for all. If you wait until the late signs of hunger are displayed it may be necessary to calm your newborn before feeding her.
Early signs of hunger in your newborn include:
- licking or smacking lips
- opening and closing mouth
- sucking on anything (lips, tongue, finger, hand)
Active signs of hunger in your newborn include:
- the rooting reflex or turning their mouth towards your chest
- crankiness displayed as breathing faster
- squirming around, increased movement or stirring
Late signs of hunger in your newborn include:
- crying
- moving head from side to side
- frantically moving around
