10 surprises TO EXPECT FROM YOUR NEWBORN
While this is a magical time of bonding, getting to know your new baby in the next few days can bring with it a few unexpected realisations
#1 BABY’S HEAD IS MISSHAPEN
A newborn’s head may look swollen and a bit squashed at birth due to the bones in the head having to overlap when passing through the birth canal. Haroon Saloojee, personal professor for the department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Wits University, adds that a difficult delivery may also cause swelling and bruising of the baby’s head. Sister Bronwyn Lendrum, Netcare Stork’s Nest coordinator at Netcare Waterfall City Hospital explains that the shape usually settles within three days to six weeks after birth.
#2 SWOLLEN GENITALS, BREAST STONES AND EVEN DISCHARGE
Don’t get freaked out by this. Sr Lendrum says it is normal for the labia or scrotum of newborns to be swollen and this usually reduces after a week or two. She says babies may have also small lumps under their nipples called breast stones, which should go away within six weeks and baby girls may have a clear or whitish vaginal discharge for a few days after delivery. Professor Saloojee explains that these symptoms result from high oestrogen levels transferred from mother to baby, which fall dramatically after birth, that sometimes also causes a baby girl to have vaginal blood streaks for one or two days.
#3 PEELING SKIN AND BODY HAIR
According to Sr Lendrum, during the first three to four weeks after birth, a baby’s first layer of skin may peel off in little bits because the skin dehydrates after having been in the amniotic fluid for months. This is especially evident in babies born after their due date. Professor Saloojee says newborns can also have a variety of skin rashes lasting for a short period of time, and prem babies are likely to have fine, soft hair on their bodies called lanugo, which disappears over the first month.
#4 BABY’S POOP CHANGES
You’re going to find yourself fascinated by the contents of your baby’s nappy – it’s normal! Prof Saloojee adds that 98 percent of babies pass stools within 48 hours of birth and these first few stools, called meconium, are sticky, greenish-black in colour and look like motor oil. By the third or fourth day more normal looking, lighter stools appear but their appearance and frequency differs greatly, depending on how a baby is fed. “An exclusively breastfed baby will have yellow or slightly green stools with a mushy or creamy consistency. Formula fed babies have pasty, peanut butter-like stools on the brown side of the colour spectrum,” he says.
#5 BABY SNEEZES TO “BLOW HER NOSE”
It’s probably not a cold. Sister Lendrum says an infant’s sneeze is their way of blowing their noses, since their airways still contain some amniotic fluid with microscopic skin and hair cells. These substances irritate
a newborn’s nasal passages, so your baby sneezes to clear them. Professor Saloojee says this is common, normal reflex in newborns and most likely not the result of an infection, allergy or other problems.
#6 GRUNTING AND GROANING
Expect your newborn to snort and grunt and make odd noises. Professor Saloojee says that because babies breathe through their noses (allowing them to feed while breathing) it’s easy for mucus to block a baby’s nose, and since they can’t blow their own nose it stays there and produces a whistle, sniffle or a snort. If the mucus descends into the baby’s throat it may cause a gurgle. These noises can last up to a year. Sr Lendrum says babies also groan when they are trying to pass wind or a stool and healthcare providers can supply remedies to comfort babies experiencing tummy cramps caused by trapped wind – so chat to your doctor or clinic sister.
#7 BABY’S BRAIN IS PROTECTED
Newborns have two fontanelles on the head. These soft spots in your baby’s skull help make delivery easier and allow for the brain to continue growing rapidly after birth, explains Professor Saloojee. The smaller fontanelle closes by three months, and the larger one closes between 12 to 18 months of age. Despite these, your baby’s brain is well protected by skin, a thin layer of muscle (the scalp) and three membranes, so don’t be concerned about easily hurting your baby’s head.
#8 BABY’S NOT CRYING TEARS YET
According to Sister Lendrum, it is typical for newborns not to shed tears because their tear ducts don’t fully form until after more than a month after birth. She says babies may scrunch up their tiny features and cry loudly, but they usually only start crying tears at six to eight weeks of age, as the tear ducts become functional.
#9 BABY EATS ALL THE TIME
Newborns need to feed every two to four hours. This is because your tiny baby has a small stomach, so she fills up easily but her food is digested quickly too. Don’t try to stick to a schedule, as every baby’s nutritional needs are different. Rather feed your baby on demand right now. These frequent feeds stimulate your breasts to produce milk regularly and in sufficient quantities for the growing baby.
#10 SLEEP IS BUT A DREAM
Between frequent feeds and common sleep issues like swapping day and night, you can expect your baby to be waking up quite a lot. Professor Saloojee says that babies’ sleep patterns even out around three months of age or when they weigh about 6kg, But this varies considerably. It is unusual for new babies to sleep longer than three to four hours at a stretch. For now, expect your baby to wake up and want to be fed between eight to 12 times in a 24 hour period.