When it comes to meeting your newborn for the first time, many parents agree, it is a moment that will remain with them forever. The birth of a new life nestled in your arms is indisputably lovely; it is a sensitive, soul-stirring moment. But it’s also, well… weird.
For crying out loud, nobody ever tells you the baby will come out with a cone-shaped skull initially! And the gruesome looking white, wax-like tint of their skin.
After passing through the birth canal, your kid will initially look very different from what you had imagined. But don’t be shocked by that.
Your Baby’s Eyes
Baby’s eyes were also swollen, almost to the point of being shut.
Even their legs might emerge bent or bowed due to the cramped living quarters of the womb. Don’t panic; the curves straighten out eventually.
Your Baby’s Skull
Pressure from the tight and narrow birth canal could lead to the baby’s skull bones overlapping, producing a cone-shaped, elongated skull upon birth.
This is especially true if you had a protracted labor or a vacuum-assisted delivery. But after a few days, you can anticipate a spherical cranium.
The top of your newborn’s head will also have two soft, delicate spots where the skull bones have not yet fused together. These areas, known as “fontanels,” are there to accommodate the developing brain of the infant. They are safe to brush and often fuse under two years, so don’t be frightened.
Your Baby’s Umbilical Cord
The stump or base of your baby’s umbilical cord is generally a yellowish/ greenish hue upon birth. In the process of drying out (eventually, falling off two weeks post birth), the base will turn to brownish-black.
While that area heals, it’s crucial to keep the residual clean and dry by exposing it to air and sticking to sponge baths.
Your Baby’s Skin
Upon birth, you may discern tiny white bumps referred to as ‘milia,’ on your baby’s face. They resemble white bumps. The puberty that your infant is experiencing is not some kind of accelerated, strange puberty. After a few weeks, these patches will naturally fade.
You will notice peeling, dry skin in those first few weeks since your newborn’s top layer of skin will start to flake quickly after birth.
Your Baby’s Birth Marks
There may be pink or reddish patches on the eyelids, at the back of the neck or on the forehead of your newborn. They go by the name “angel kisses” (aw) and usually get brighter when your baby screams. Usually, after a few months, these marks vanish. In certain circumstances, they could disappear over time or just keep happening.
