8 Things To Know About Newborns

Newborn babies are beautiful blessings, but for many new parents, they can also be an enigma. If you’re anticipating a new addition to your family, read on to find out some strange but true facts about your impending bundle of joy.  

They have more bones than adults do
Babies actually have 300 bones when they are born. However, with time, some of these bones will fuse together. Eventually, there will only be 206 bones.

They’re short-sighted
Newborns are only able to see clearly for a distance of up to 20-30cm. It may not be a lot but it’s a great excuse to snuggle and bond with them at close quarters. Meanwhile, you can help develop their vision by giving them toys with bright, vivid colours.

Their first poop is odourless

Interestingly, baby’s first poop doesn’t smell. However, it looks strange because it is black and tar-like. This is meconium, which is essentially fluids and other stuff that were digested when they were in the womb. Babies do not have gut bacteria until you start feeding them. After that, their poop will turn into the very familiar colour and smell we all know.

They cry to communicate

Babies communicate by crying. As this is their only means of letting you know their needs, expect a lot of it. At first, it can be hard to tell if a baby needs food, nappy changes or to be held, but it gets easier as time goes on.

They have tiny stomachs
Newborns’ stomachs are tiny. In fact, they are only about the size of a hazelnut. Hence, they can’t eat a lot, but they eat often. Air bubbles also take up stomach space so you may need to burp your baby after feeding.

Nappies hide something unusual
Since newborns have extra fluids in them, it is possible for baby boys to have swollen genitals and baby girls to have white discharge. These usually go away after a while but if they persist, you should ask the doctor about it.

They learn more things

Newborns are able to learn more things quicker because they have more brain cells. As such, the newborn stage is a great time for parents to engage more with their baby in order to enhance his or her skills.

There’s no need to bathe them all the time

Babies don’t actually need to be bathed every day, but it is important to keep them clean. Make sure that all the important areas are clean and the umbilical cord stump is dry as this will help it to fall off on its own.

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