Skin
Underlying blood vessels show through the new delicate skin, giving it a pinkish or reddish tone. Your newborn is wrinkly because she’s just spent nine months in fluid and now she’s exposed to dry air, plus she’s a little dehydrated right after birth. Her circulatory system isn’t quite up to speed yet, so when she [...]
Babies aren’t born all pink and plump. When you first lay eyes on your baby, chances are you’ll think he’s absolutely perfect, but you can’t help noticing that his body has a few blemishes. So what’s normal? Here, a head-to-toe guide to your newborn’s birthday suit.
Feeding
Breast or Bottle
Old Advice: Formula is just as healthy for babies as breast milk. In the ’60s, mothers and doctors saw ready-to-use formula as a modern convenience. Pediatricians didn’t encourage mothers to breast-feed, because the health advantages hadn’t yet been discovered.
Bath Time & Fever Cures
Bathing Basics
Old Advice: Babies need daily baths.
New Advice: It’s not necessary to bathe an infant more than two or three times a week, as long as you wash her face, hands, and bottom in between full baths. If your baby enjoys baths and you choose to bathe her every day, however, [...]
Lifesaving Screenings
Sometime during your newborn’s first two days of life, blood will be drawn from her heel and screened for certain disorders. Exactly which disorders she’ll be tested for depends on where you live.
In the Nursery
After about 30 minutes, a nurse will likely put your baby in a warmed Isolette (an enclosed crib on wheels) and bring her to the nursery. However, if your hospital allows “rooming in” — in which the mother and baby are kept together — you and your newborn will travel to your postpartum [...]
In the Delivery Room
The big day is finally here: After all those hours of labor, you’ll see your newborn for the first time. And while you’ve probably read up on what will happen to you after giving birth, you may not have realized how busy your baby will be during his first 48 hours. Procedures [...]