Newborn Appearance

africanmum

Newborn babies do not always look like picture book babies you see in baby magazines and often have blotchy faces, milia spots, a touch of Jaundice and crossed eyes. (And you will love them even more for it) They will all clear up after a few weeks and any blotchiness is just her skin getting used to her new environment.

Your newborns limbs may be curled up for a few days, even weeks. This is because she is used to being squashed and curled up in your womb, and is not used to stretching out, something she will learn in time.

Cradle cap

She may also develop cradle cap over the next few weeks, which is basically scaly, greasy patches that form on the scalp of your baby's head. They are completely harmless but often look unsightly and smell greasy.

You can rub olive oil on to your baby's head before she sleeps and brush off the scaled the next morning with a baby hairbrush. Avoid picking the scales off yourself as they could get infected. Cradle cap causes no harm to your baby and will go on its own accord if left. .

Anatomy of a newborn

The soft spots on your baby’s head are known as fontanelles and sometimes you can see them pulsating up and down. Try not to press them too firmly.
Your baby’s eyes may look puffy and closed, but they will open in time. Nearly all babies are born with blue or blue-grey eyes, but permanent eye colouration will develop over the first few months.
Her fingers will be curled up in balls
Her umbilical cord will be cut, and clamped and there will be a stump which falls off after a few days
Her limbs are curled up as they were in your womb, but these will uncurl in time
Babies genitals are usually swollen and enlarged after delivery and for a few days afterwards because of hormones left over from your body
Her hands and feet may be covered in dry, peeling skin as it adjusts to life outside the womb

Don't forget, you are getting used to each other little by little everyday. Soon there will be a time when you won't remember what you did with your time before you had a baby! The early days of a newborn are precious and as everyone always tells you, they go very fast. Soon your tiny bundle of joy is a crawling adventurous toddler!