Having a newborn is always a beautiful and special milestone. But caring for them can be pretty scary and daunting for new parents, especially those who weren’t exposed to babies prior to having them.
The following is a list of things that might worry a mom but are actually pretty common, normal, and even expected.
Baby breastfeeding all the time and refusing to be put down
Unli-latch is a term coined this century to refer to babies who seem to nurse for hours. We get it, a mom also needs to recover from the delivery. Unfortunately, babies often start crying the minute they’re put down and it can get to a point where mothers feel absolutely exhausted.
However, frequent suckling actually helps a baby master the suck-swallow-breathe dynamic and strengthens their developing respiratory system. Being close to Mom also regulates babies’ body temperature, normalizes their heartbeat as it syncs with Mom’s, and colonizes them with Mom’s bacteria so that Mom can make the antibodies that she passes on through her milk.
Being held close also gives a baby the feeling of safety they enjoyed in the womb, which is crucial for their emotional well-being later in life. These are all survival mechanisms that help a baby get the best of care. So, delegate all other tasks to other people and ask for volunteers to hold the baby in your stead just so you can shower or sleep some more.
Consult your doctor if your baby is growing more restless and unable to feed and sleep well.
Cradle cap
Babies sometimes get a dry, flaky scalp condition called cradle cap. It’s generally harmless, does not bother the baby and goes away on its own. Its appearance can make mommies worried, though.
Applying natural oil like sunflower oil on it for 10-15 minutes, gently brushing away the flaky crust and then washing with a gentle baby shampoo is usually enough to improve the condition. You can also try a specialized cradle crap set if the condition persists.
Consult your doctor if the dry patches turn reddish, spreads to other parts of the body, and seems to be irritating the baby.
Noisy breathing, groaning and grunting noises, sneezing
Newborns’ breaths are so shallow that we hardly observe them actually taking one! So when a mom suddenly hears some sort of noise, they cannot help but worry. That’s us being protective and responsible. Fortunately, it’s common to hear the occasional grunt and grumble in full-term newborns because their air passages are still very small. This is actually their way of learning to clear their airways, dislodge mucus and naturally fight off irritants.
Contact your baby’s doctor if your baby seems to be in distress, there is grunting at the end of each breath, prominent rib cage and neck muscle movement and poor feeding.
Oddly-shaped heads
Passage through the birth canal can result in oddly-shaped heads since human babies are born with their skulls still developing. This generally corrects itself within the first 6 months. Moms can help things along by making sure to alternate baby’s head position during feeding, playing and sleeping.
Bring your baby for a consultation if you notice that the bumps are becoming more prominent or disproportionate and you observe other symptoms.
Cross-eyed look
Most people don’t know that babies need time to master muscle control of their eyes, giving rise to occasions where they’d give us cross-eyed looks. Random occurrences of wandering eyes should improve within the first six months. Consult your doctor if you notice the incident increasing in frequency or duration.
Baby boobs, even in baby boys
High levels of estrogen that prepared the mother’s body to breastfeed can sometimes result in “baby boobage” in newborns. Sometimes, gently squeezing these “breasts” even yields drops of liquid (witch’s milk) coming out of them. Moms, don’t worry because this usually resolves on its own as the pregnancy hormones in your baby wears off.
See your doctor, however, if you notice any pus-like discharge or if the breasts appear swollen, red and tender.
Sudden and jerky movements
The Moro reflex, or startle reflex, is an involuntary, normal, and expected motor response present in babies at birth. Doctors would even check for these reflexes during the first few checkups since they’re normal reactions for healthy babies. Often, it involves a baby extending all limbs, tilting their head back and then bringing back their arms in front of their body. Babies may or may not cry after such an episode. It is often triggered by loud noises, sudden movements or intense light. Nothing to worry about though as this reflex starts to go away once the baby starts developing neck control and should disappear around the sixth month.
Putting babies in a sleepsack or swaddling them well may help lessen the occurrence of this reflex. Consult your doctor if you feel the startle response is exaggerated or when it is followed by brief periods of muscle rigidity or paralysis.
It takes a while for parents to gain confidence and really learn about their babies’ cues and needs. Hopefully, the above will keep some of the worries away and help you enjoy bonding with your newborn more.