When my firstborn entered the world, he arrived with a pointy cone head, puffy eyes, and to be frank he looked a little strange and was a bit grumpy. He did not look like all those cute newborn pictures I saw online.
Four hours later I looked at him and had to do a double take, he looked like a different baby. I checked the name band to be sure he was mine.
It is important to consider that after staying in cramped quarters and squeezing through the birth canal your baby might need a bit of time to adjust.
Some things not to be alarmed about:
- Large, cone-shaped head-this is thanks to hours spent squeezing through the birth canal. This is where a cute little baby hat is helpful.
- Hairy or fuzzy body – this peach fuzz is called lanugo and keeps them warm. It may be gone by delivery or disappear the first few weeks of life.
- Red patches/blotches – these are called stork bites and usually fade after time
- White spots – these are called milia or milk spots and are common on the nose and eyes of newborn. Leave them alone and they will disappear on their own.
- Baby Acne – This can last till almost 3 months old but have no fear it will resolve on its own.
- Weird scratches – Have you seen those fingernails?
- Cross Eyes – Just give them some time and they will learn to focus and use their eye muscles!
- Dry Skin – It may seem that your baby is shedding an entire layer of skin. They are. They are a little dried out from being in amniotic fluid for so long. This will get better!
No matter what your baby looks like when they come out, I promise you they are the cutest baby on the face of the earth.
Yours truly,
Stork Mama
