As a first time parent, there are just some things you wish you knew about newborns. When the unexpected things happen to your child, you wonder why nobody ever bothered to mention these things in the first place!
Sure everyone talks about the baby shower breeze and all the registry item you need to pick out – from the baby bibs, burp cloths to diapers, the list is really endless. But there are a few things that may happen to your newborn that my have you overwhelmed and sweating.
But don’t freak out just yet, we’re going to have you prepared for it so you don’t add more stress than you already have with this new truly amazing experience.
1. Red Spots On Baby’s Skin
This is something that catches most parents off guard because it’s so visual, but when baby’s are about a week old, you may start to notice they have red spots or bumps that look like acne.
This is alarming because it’s not just on the face, but all over your babies body. This can cause concern due to it’s appearance, but worry not because they will eventually disappear within a few weeks. This is most likely caused by the increase in hormones levels during pregnancy which slowly leave the body.
If your baby doesn’t look well and the rashes seem very unusual (other than what we described) then you should contact your health care physician.
2. Baby’s Always Hungry
Most people imagine all the cute moments they’ll share with their newborn, but never once do they think about the work that will go into the baby. The late nights, night after night.
This is just the truth. But the whole process is worthwhile because it’s your baby and you feel a very strong bond to overcome the challenges you’ll face. Your baby will eat very often, almost every 2 – 3 hours. But this feeding isn’t only throughout the day. They eat 24 hours around the clock, so be prepared to.
Even if your baby just ate and he starts to cry again and his diaper doesn’t need changing, chances are that he’s already hungry. It only takes about 45 minutes for breastmilk to be digested and processed in the body before it’s expelled.
More often than not, you’ll need to ask for support in some way if possible to help you through this phase.
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3. Constant Sneezing
After your newborn arrives, he’ll begin to sneeze here an there. This isn’t much of a concern at first, until he begins to sneeze 3 – 4 times in a row and then you begin to get concerned that he may have a cold or allergies of some sort.
Many caesarian babies experience more of the sneezing than the babies born vaginally. This is simply because a lot of the mucous is squeezed out during delivery. Other causes are related to clearing their sinuses with all the fluid they’ve been surrounded in and the fact that they’re getting used to a completely new environment.
4. Red Stain In Diaper
Something that can totally freak you out is when you’ve been changing diapers only to see one that is colored red!
“Is it blood?”
“Where is it coming from?”
“Why is this happening?”
These are just some of the questions that will cross your mind. But fear not, this color is typical and is related to urine called ‘brick dust’. It’s basically concentrated uric acid crystals that appear as a orange-red and is mistaken as blood all too often.
Phew!
You’ll notice this within the first week, but as your baby starts to drink larger quantities of milk, you’ll notice the color go away. If the color appears after 5 – 7 day mark, you should consider contacting your healthcare provider to manage the issue.
If you’ve got a baby girl, the issue could have to do with something called ‘pseudomenstration’ which is caused by the exposure to mom’s hormones in the womb. This “period” can be caused by the halting of these hormones after the baby is out of the womb and will go away after a week.
5. Umbilical Cord Bleeding
After the baby is delivered and the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, you will see a tiny bit of the cord at the belly button. Eventually it will dry out and get darker in color and get ready to fall off within a couple of weeks.
The base of the cord may express a small amount of blood, leaving stains some of baby’s clothes. This is 100% safe and normal, unless you notice blood continue to appear even after you’ve wiped the area clean.
If you notice a foul smell or pus, this calls for your healthcare provided. Other signs to look out for is if the baby looks ill or you see any redness near the umbilical cord.
6. Yellow In The White Of Eyes
Something that is all too common in newborns in the first week but parents get distraught about is Jaundice. Not only will the eyes appear yellow, but the skin will have a yellow look to it as well.
Jaundice is a common newborn condition that causes baby’s skin and the white parts of the eyes to appear yellow. Most babies will have at least some jaundice in the first week after birth and will start to fade away as your baby eats more and poops it out over time.
You’ll begin to notice the skin start to return to it’s normal color and the eyes follow suit becoming whiter and brighter.
7. Explosive Diarrhea
Because of how water your baby’s poop is, sometimes a little gas can cause your baby to have explosive diarrhea. You may be worried that all this pooping may cause dehydration in your baby but it usually won’t. After all, you’re typically feeding every 2 hours and keeping your baby well hydrated with over 300 nutrients and electrolytes keeping them well nourished.
The color of poop can range from yellow to white and even have little specks or seeds that are milk curds. It’s even normal to see your baby have a full diaper after every feeding.
8. Swollen Scrotum Or Labia
Something that may appear bizarre to you is how large the scrotum may appear relative to his body or how big the labia appears for your baby girl. This is not something to worry about as this is also related to the exposure to mom’s hormones in the womb.
After the first week or so, you’ll notice that the swelling of the genitals will return back to it’s appropriate size. If the scrotum continues to be swollen beyond the first couple of weeks or if pain seems to be an issue, this calls for a call to your healthcare provider.
9. Crossed Eyes
After you’ve spent a good amount of time smooching on your baby, you’ll maybe notice something is off. He usually looks around just fine, but then all of the sudden he’ll cross his eyes. You’ll think that something is wrong and that this maybe a permanent issue, but it’s not.
Newborn babies muscles in the eyes aren’t yet fully developed so they can lead to the cross eyes, but this will eventually stop happening after 2 – 3 months. Unless you notice this issue to be persistent more often than not and still hasn’t resolved after 5 months, you should consider consulting with your healthcare provider.
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10. Swollen Breasts
You may not notice at first, but eventually you’ll be shocked to discover that your baby boy has enlarged breasts. This can also appear in your baby girl and the area around the nipple will feel quite lumpy and swollen.
You’ll may jump to the conclusion that this is some sort of abnormality, but it certainly isn’t the case. Your baby was just exposed to mom’s hormones causing them to swell, similar to when mom’s breasts swell up when making milk. Don’t panic and know that this issue will resolve on it’s own just after a few weeks.
– 5 Best Baby Bibs That Solve Your Drool And Spit-Up Problems is an easy guide to help you find solutions to your baby’s drooling and spit-ups troubles.
– 5 Surprising Things New Moms Need For Their Baby will increase your confidence as parents by helping you discover unique products for your newborn baby.
As always, we’re here to help you relax and enjoy spending time with your baby instead of stressing out!