A newborn baby's normal physical appearance
Variations of the newborn's normal physical appearance
A newborn baby's normal behaviours
A newborn baby's normal reflexes
Seeing your baby for the first time and taking in their appearance can bring up many emotions, including awe, love and sometimes surprise. Many parents are unprepared for the image of a possibly red, puffy, swollen or 'ET'- like face of their new creation. If you have had very little exposure to newborn babies, then you should prepare yourself for the fact that your baby may initially look very different from the perfect 'TV cherub'.
For many parents, accepting the looks of their 'real' baby can often require a great mind shift, as their 'fantasy' baby (envisaged for the last 9 months) does not appear! This can be particularly the case if this is your first baby. Not knowing what is 'normal', as far as your new baby's physical appearance and behaviour, can also add to feelings of being unsure about how your baby should be.
Babies born vaginally will usually 'wear' the passage of their birth for a little while. Some babies who have had an assisted vaginal delivery (with either
forceps or a
ventouse) can also wear the use of such instruments. Babies who are born by Caesarean (particularly if the caesarean was performed before labour started) will not usually physically wear the passage of their birth (such as an irregular shaped head). This is because their head has not 'moulded' to the shape of their mother's pelvis and vagina during the labour and birth.
How your baby reacts and behaves immediately after their birth will also depend on how their journey unfolded. Some babies can seem quite calm and content, or cranky and irritable. They may be exhausted after a long labour (just like their mothers could be). Others can seem 'stunned' or 'shocked' if the labour and birth was very fast or ended with emergency procedures.