New babies are amazing
7 facts about newborns
Your new baby is an amazing creature with a powerful survival instinct and a strong need for food, safety and comfort.
newborn weight
physiological changes at birth
your baby’s skull
your baby’s brain
eyesight in new babies
new baby sleep
reflexes in new babies
The average weight of a newborn baby
7.7lb (3.5kg)
At birth, changes take place to your baby’s heart & lungs
As soon as your baby is born, your baby’s lungs inflate and blood travels from the right side of the heart to the lungs for oxygen, back to the left side of the heart and into the aorta, the main artery of the body.
The Ductus Arteriosus (which forces blood to bypass the lungs in pregnancy), the Ductus Venosus (which forces fetal blood to bypass the liver in pregnancy) and the umbilical vessels close.
Your baby’s skull
Your new baby’s skull has bony plates with two soft spots (fontanelles) to allow the plates to overlap, to change shape for the birth canal.
The fontanelle at the back of your baby’s head will close by about 6 weeks and the fontanelle at the front of his head will close by about 18 months.
Your baby’s brain
Your baby is born with about 200 billion brain cells but with very few connections – these develop as your baby grows.
Your baby’s eyesight
Your new baby will be able to see your face from about 20cm away – so when at the breast or in the crook of your arm for a cuddle. Anything further away could look fuzzy, although he will turn towards the light and will like the contrast between light and dark.
Your baby’s sleep
It is normal for this to be very random and chaotic because your baby will probably wake up easily and here’s why:
* Your baby will experience 45-minute sleep cycles (whereas an adults is 90 minutes)
* Most of your baby’s sleep is active sleep – this is a light sleep with noises, movements and fluttering eyelids. This makes up about 25 minutes of your baby’s 45-minute sleep cycle and he could wake easily during this stretch.* Then your baby will fall into a deeper sleep when he is harder to wake up and his breathing is deeper. He will then move into quiet sleep again and this is when he could wake up needing food or comfort.
Your new baby has a number of reflexes
Root reflex – when the corner of your baby’s mouth is touched he will turn his head and open his mouth to begin feeding. This reflex lasts about 4 months.
Moro reflex – also called the startle reflex because it often happens when your baby is startled by a loud sound or a sudden movement. Your baby will throw back his head, throw out his arms and legs and then pull them back in again. This reflex lasts until your baby is about 5-6 months old
Tonic neck reflex – when your baby’s head is turned to one side, the arm on that side will stretch out and the opposite arm will bends up at the elbow. Also called the fencing position, this lasts until your baby is about 5 – 6 months old.
Grasp reflex – stroking the palm of your baby’s hand will cause him to grasp your finger. This lasts until your baby is about 5-6 months old.
Babinski reflex – if you stroke the sole of your baby’s foot, his big toe will bend backwards and the other toes will fan out. This lasts until your baby turns two.
Step reflex – also called the walking reflex your baby will look like he is taking steps when you hold him upright on a solid surface This reflex lasts about 2 months.
Tongue thrust reflex – this protects your baby from choking. When something is placed on his tongue, he will automatically thrust his tongue forward. This will gradually disappear between 4-6 months when he is getting ready for solid food.
Every baby is brilliant and unique, they develop and grow at
their own pace. If you have any concerns about your baby you can speak to your midwife/health visitor or your GP.
Please do leave comments and questions below and don’t forget I’ll be adding new birth & baby videos as well.
Janine x
Coming up:
What do you want your birth story to be?
Realistic expectations & postnatal challenges
Spotting the signs of labour
Unsettled babies