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The Newborn's Appearance
With the birth of a new baby, the mother's first and foremost
question is, "Is it all right?", and in most cases the answer is
usually "Yes", but at the first sight of her newborn baby, the new
mother may be quite alarmed at what she sees. Newborn babies have
many physical peculiarities which are all quite normal, but not
necessarily what you may have been expecting.
Vernix
Following the birth most babies are covered in a creamy white
substance known as vernix. This is simply the accumulated secretions
of the skin glands, which protected your baby's skin while in the
uterus and although it may initially be difficult to remove at
first, it does soon go, and needn't be washed off as it does prevent
the skin from drying out.
Lanugo
Some babies, especially those born before their time have a light
covering of hair over their bodies, this is nothing to be worried
about as it is perfectly normal and will disappear in the first few
weeks of life.
The head
Your baby's head may seem out of proportion when she is born, but
this is just due to the pressure that is placed on it during the
last months of pregnancy and the delivery itself. This is commonly
called 'moulding' and the shape all depends on what position the
head was lying in. It is absolutely normal and will righten itself.
Babies born via caesarean section seem to have beautifully rounded
heads from the start.
If you examine your baby's head, you will notice that in the center
of the top of her head there are two places where a bone is missing.
The rear of the two is triangular shaped and will close on it's own
in about three months. The larger one, or the one closest to the
front of her head is diamond shaped and closes up by fifteen to
eighteen months following the birth.
These are known as fontanelles' or the 'soft spot', and is actually
tougher than it looks. These openings are covered by a sturdy
membrane that is totally capable of protecting the openings even
from the most curious sibling fingers, and certainly from everyday
handling, so there is no need to be especially careful when washing
your baby's head.
Although these openings may cause great concern, they are designed
for a very special purpose, that being, that during childbirth, they
allow for the head to be moulded, thus being able to fit through the
birth canal - something a totally fused skull would be unable to do.
Later on, they also allow for the tremendous growth of the brain in
the first year of life.
Another common characteristic on the face of newborns' is a dark red
patch seen either on the upper eyelids, bridge of the nose or back
of the neck, and although no-one knows what causes them they do have
quite an appropriate name. Stork beak marks do always vanish in the
first year.
Hair
During pregnancy you may have had a preconceived idea as to what
your baby's hair would look like, but this unfortunately won't
always comply with your wishes. Some babies are born with a thick
crop of hair, which usually rubs off and is replaced - although some
do retain this hair and add to it as time passes. Then again there
are those little ones who appear to be born with a totally bare
head, but if you look closely you will notice that eventhough sparse
there is very fine fair hair. The colour can vary greatly and it
shouldn't be thought that if your baby had thick dark hair at birth
that it will remain that way throughout life - you may just notice
that the dark little brunette you gave birth to has turned into a
golden princess by the time she reaches two years of age.
Eyes
The majority of Caucasian babies are born with dark blue or slate
coloured eyes, and black and oriental babies with dark brown eyes,
so at this early stage it may be too soon to try and guess what
colour her eyes will turn out to be. The eyes of darker skinned
babies will normally remain a dark shade, while those of the lighter
skinned babies, will go through a number of changes, with the true
colour only setting in nearer to her first birthday.
Umbilical cord
 A
few minutes after the birth the umbilical cord will be tied and cut,
it is most often left about two
inches long, and the hospital staff will advise you on the care and
cleaning of the stump. Between five and ten days following the birth
the cord will drop off leaving a small, moist pink area, which
should dry up on it's own.
Scrotum
Newborn baby boys may appear to have very large testicles, this is
caused by fluid and may take some time before it fully subsides. It
should not be of great concern though, as it doesn't seem to cause
any pain.
Vaginal bleeding
There may be slight vaginal bleeding present in some baby girls,
this is caused by the hormones that are passed on to your baby girl,
while in the uterus.
Milk in the breasts
Some babies have swollen breasts at birth, and may even produce a
few drops of milk, but again this is due to hormones crossing to the
baby.
Hiccoughs
Hiccoughs in a new baby are common, and eventhough they sound
terrible, they don't seem to bother baby much. They are caused by
the baby swallowing air and there is not too much that can be done
about it. In any case they will do her no harm.
Urine
Your baby usually first passes water within twelve hours after
birth, but sometimes it may only occur up to thirty-six hours later.
Bowel movements
Your baby will normally have his first bowel movement within the
first two days. These first excretions, known as meconium were used
to plug the baby's bowel before birth. Meconium is a dark green
sticky substance which is fairly difficult to remove from the baby's
skin, and the peculiar smell can be quite off-putting. Once all the
meconium has been released from his system, usually within the first
24 hours, you will see transitional stools, which are loose and
yellow, and may occasionally contain small amounts of mucus.
After the first week your baby's stools should begin to alter their
appearance, depending on whether you are breastfeeding (stools
remain soft or even watery) or bottlefeeding (stools will be pale in
colour but will hold a better shape). If it is necessary to give
your baby vitamin drops, or the formula you are using is
iron-fortified, the stools may appear to be a dark green, bordering
black. These changes are all normal, and shouldn't be compared to
those of other babies, as once he has taken on a more solid diet his
stools will take on more recognised appearance.
Feeding
By this stage you have probably decided on whether to breast or
bottle feed, and either way should be a wonderful time getting to
know and love each other. Feeding on demand, which is simply feeding
when your baby is hungry, is favoured by many mothers. This is
usually every 3 - 4 hours in bottle-fed babies and every 2 - 3 hours
in breastfed babies, although this may vary.
When sucking on a breast or bottle, milk isn't the only thing that
is swallowed, and occasionally when your baby does gulp down air, he
may become uncomfortable and cry and even feel satisfied before he's
actually finished his meal. This is particularly common in
bottle-fed babies, and can be brought to a minimum by burping your
baby frequently during the feed, which will also prevent him from
spitting-up his entire meal, had it been left until afterwards.
There are three ways in which burping your baby can be practiced -
held up over your shoulder, lying face down on your lap or sitting
on your lap with her head firmly supported - and it is a good idea
to try all to see which one works best for you. If after a few
minutes you are unable to get your baby to release a burp, simply
continue with feeding, as he may not need to burp each time.
Sleeping
At first your baby will not know the difference between night and
day, and you may find that it is a good few months before she
actually sleeps through the entire night. These early-morning
parades are most likely to leave you feeling utterly exhausted,
wishing you had taken full advantage of rest and relaxation while
pregnant. Unfortunately this is part of early motherhood and
eventhough you may presently find it hard to imagine ever becoming
accustomed to, it does pass and should be viewed as a unique,
unhurried time spent together. Try establishing a routine where
night-time feeds are quiet, soothing periods done in a dimly-lit
room with as little stimulation as possible.
Crying
Most new babies, in fact cry a great deal, and if this is your first
you may find it extremely worrying. Do bear in mind though that this
is the only way of expressing that he is tired, hungry, hot or even
in need of a little love. In the first few weeks following the
birth, the most likely causes of crying are from hunger or the
discomfort of wind and these shouldn't be ignored no matter how
frustrated one may feel. If after trying all the available options
she still does not settle, try wrapping her firmly in a blanket,
bathing her in warm water, taking her for a walk or even a drive in
the car, this should cause her to drift off to sleep. If she still
refuses to quieten and you are feeling particularly worn out at the
thought of having a baby that screams for hours everyday, it may be
time to seek help through your doctor or clinic sister as she may
just be suffering from colic.
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