10 Ways A Newborn Will Surprise You

If you are dreaming of having a baby that appears in the posters or greeting cards, you might not be too far away from your dream. But that is how not your baby will look as soon as he is born. Newborns are a little under beautiful – well, they are beautiful but in a different way. The beauty as we see in them when they grow up by few weeks or months is a little different. It’s quite similar to the caterpillar to butterfly transition. But as you look at your little bundle of joy, he will still look adorable with these surprises:

In This Article

1. Stork Bites or Angel Kisses

The pinkish patches that occur between the eyes, on the eyelids, or on the nape of the neck in several babies are called Angel Kisses or Stork Bites. The patches appear because of the capillary blood vessels that run close to the skin. They usually last a year or so and disappear without any medical intervention.

2. Crossed Eyes

You must have noticed several babies who seem to cross their eyes in the first six weeks of life. But that shouldn’t be a matter of concern. It is only when the baby keeps crossing its eyes even after the first six weeks of life when it is time to get alarmed.

3. The Moro Reflux

Ever seen the newborns with quivering limbs? It’s not necessarily being cold. It’s in fact a totally normal reflex that has much to do with an infant’s development that lasts for the first three to four months. Swaddling the baby might be a good idea if it is waking up frequently with a startle.

4. A “Fur Coat”

The body of newborns is covered with a soft velvety hair called lanugo. In fact lanugo first appears when the baby is still in the mother’s womb. Before birth the babies usually shed their hairs, but the soft patches of hairs tend to remain on the foreheads, the cheeks, shoulders and backs. While these tiny hairs disappear on their own, any extensive and excessive hairs could always be addressed to your pediatrician.

5. Noisy Sleepers

The breathing-control center of the brain in a newborn is still immature. That is why even when sleeping normally, your baby might make gurgling sounds. It could pretty much contradict your belief that babies sleep undisturbed. Well, they do, but we could say that they are most unfazed by their own rattles ;)

6. Epstein Pearls

About eighty percent of newborns show white or yellow cysts in the gums and roof of the mouth. The cysts should not worry you as they resolve on their own within the first two weeks of birth.

7. Baby Boobs

Does this surprise you? But newborn babies have little boobs and that includes the male babies too.
This is because when your baby is in the womb, the hormones that stimulate your mammary glands also influence your baby in the womb to a certain extent with the same effect. Therefore at times, even a newborn can have breastmilk expressed from them! This trend goes down within the first few weeks or months since the time of birth apart from the breast tissue dwindling away eventually.

8. Conehead

The head of the newborns are so soft that during the process of birthing, the head region can undergo wear and tear. As a result the head part could emerge a bit distorted. However the baby’s head will more than often return to normal on its own. Consult your pediatrician if it is a case otherwise.

9. Crocodile Tears

WebMD reports that at least six out of every hundred newborns have blocked tear ducts. Excessive tears are in fact a sign that there is an obstruction in the duct that would normally provide an outlet to tears but is obstructed. This condition also resolves on its own and needs no medical intervention. But it might take a year for it to disappear and it might be important that you keep the area clean and infection-free.

10. Cradle Cap

If your baby’s scalp is showing scaly patches, it what is known as ‘cradle cap’. The scaly patches don’t need any medical intervention, nor does it bother your baby. The condition vanishes out on its own. The scales however can flake out if you very gently scrub the baby’s scalp with a mild shampoo or use a gentle toothbrush.

What were your observations of your baby or other newborns elsewhere? We would be interested in hearing from you!

Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.