Weird Things About Newborns That Are Totally Normal
When a newborn arrives in the home, most parents are frightened. They worry about whether they'll know what to do and how to do it. They worry that somehow, they'll hurt that tiny little being. To make sure that the baby is healthy and safe, they carefully study everything the baby does, and how she looks. However, not every unusual thing should be a cause of panic. Some weird things that newborns do are totally normal.
They lose weight while in the maternity ward - It's perfectly normal for a newborn to lose some weight in the first 24 hours of life, due to lots of pooping and shedding some of the extra fluid accumulated during the birth.
Their feet are blue - When you see your newborn baby for the first time, you may notice that his feet and hands are blue or purple. That's because after birth a newborn's circulatory system doesn't work full capacity.
Their breasts and genitals are swollen - During the first few days after delivery, the additional estrogen that's been passed through the umbilical cord to your baby and extra fluid that your baby retains can cause swollen breasts and genitals (testicles in boys and labia in girls). Once your baby sheds the excess fluid accumulated during birth, everything will return to normal.
They breathe irregularly - Since they don't have a regular breathing pattern, newborns look like they're always catching their breath. Don't be surprised if they stop breathing once in a while.
They get hiccups often - Babies start to hiccup within the womb, and that continues after they're born. Hiccups are likely to happen since their breathing and swallowing aren’t synchronized yet. Another reason for hiccups to occur is quick feeding, so remember to burp your baby well during and after feedings.
They cross their eyes - Your baby will need some time to gain a little muscle control and learn how to focus things. Until then, you’ll just have to get used to her crossed eyes. You should also know that sometimes even when baby's eyes may look like they're crossed, they may not be. That’s all because of a broad bridge of the nose, extra skin folds can mask some of the white parts of baby's eyes, which creates a sort of optical illusion called pseudoesotropia.
They have hair everywhere - Your newborn baby will likely have hair on the ears, shoulders, on the back... but don't worry. This soft, fuzzy hair is called lanugo, and it'll eventually fall off.
Their skin is full of acne - There's no clear answer why the acne will appear on your baby's skin. They can be present at birth or (more often) they'll show up a couple of weeks after. You'll notice white or red bumps or pimples, usually on the cheeks and sometimes on the forehead, chin and back. However, not all blemishes on your newborn's face are acne. Tiny white bumps, present at birth, are called milia, and they'll disappear in the first few weeks. If the irritation appears elsewhere on your baby's body, he may have eczema or some other condition.
Their hair is full of crusty spots - Those yellowish, greasy, crusty spots are called cradle cap. Usually, they aren't itchy and don't bother the baby. Other affected areas are often around the ear, the eyebrows or the eyelids. If you want to get rid of it, you should rub your baby’s head with a little natural baby oil and then gently massage your baby's scalp with a soft brush to loosen and comb out the flakes.
They poop a lot - And not only that they poop all the time (usually after every meal), but their first poop (called meconium) is sticky, thick and almost black. That's because meconium is composed of intestinal epithelial cells, lanugo, mucus, amniotic fluid and other materials your infant ingested during the time spent in the uterus.
Even though all these weird things are totally normal, if you're ever concerned about anything your baby does, don't hesitate to speak to your baby's pediatrician.
