The Newborn Baby

Labour is finally over, and the sense of quiet concentration and bustle which was present during the delivery has been exchanged for a sense of peace and fulfilment, and even though you may be feeling totally exhausted, you have the satisfaction of having just achieved something quite unique.
Life with your new baby is just beginning, and these early hours are a very special time for both of you to begin the bonding process. It takes a considerable amount of patience and natural intuition to get to know your baby, and some of his behaviour might even surprise you a little at first - changing skin colour, rapid jerky movements, irregular breathing patterns and snuffles may give you a shock unless you know why your baby behaves as he does.

Babies are born with a number of abilities and reflexes, and within a few days he will be able to recognise you by your smell and soon after, by sight. In fact, he can see, hear, understand and relate to you and other people even before he learns to control his movements.

	Apgar Scoring
	The Newborn's Reflexes
	The Newborn's Appearance
	Birthweight
	Birthmarks and Common Skin Conditions
	Bath-time for Beginners