Are you a new mother who can’t stop checking her baby? You check if she is breathing properly. You check if she is pooping too much. You check if she is sleeping too much. Don’t get worked up on little things and call your pediatrician. Before you do, check out this list of weird yet completely normal things about babies:
- Constant sneezing
Don’t forget that the baby lived in a fluid for nine months and suddenly hit the air. He may have little congestion which is normal. No need to rush to the hospital.
Secondly, he is sensitive to a lot of things in the environment. It will take some time before he gets immune to it. If your baby is constantly sneezing, it just means that his tiny little system is trying to get rid of the foreign particles that got through his nasal passage.
Babies also sneeze after feeding. That is because his tiny nostrils get pressed while he was feeding and sneezing opens his nose. If he sneezes when he out in the sun, it may also be because of the light. Through sneezing, he may also be getting rid of the amniotic fluid in his airways.
- Too much crying
Babies cry a lot. It is nothing to worry about. They arrive in this world with an immature nervous system making them startle easily. This is the reason they might cry too easily.
So what if they don’t know how to speak proper words right now? They know how to cry. That is how they communicate. They cry when they are hungry. They cry when they are sleepy and want to be held. They cry when their diapers are dirty. With time you will learn to figure out the reason for all their cries.
If your baby is crying too much, it doesn’t mean you are not a good parent. Some babies will cry more than others do. If nothing consoles him, it is something to worry about. Talk to your doctor whether your baby is colic. Babies who are colic cry for hours because of the pain in the gut.
- Blood in the Diaper
On seeing even little blood in a baby’s diaper can get you all worried. However, it is actually not a matter of concern. When your baby girl was in your womb, she was exposed to high levels of estrogen which can stimulate the female fetus’s uterus. This ‘mini period’ is just a side effect of being exposed to such high levels of estrogen. This effect will go away soon.
Yet another reason for a little trace of blood is rough bowel movement. It might cut or scratch a little when it comes out but it will go away quickly. If this still doesn’t satisfy you, you can simply call your doctor for your own peace of mind.
- Touching the soft spot and noticing pulse
Many mothers are too scared to even gently rub their hand on the soft spot. Don’t be afraid to touch your baby’s soft spot. This soft spot is called the fontanel which is the undeveloped part of the brain.
The reason it is so soft is that the baby can find its way out of the birth canal and through your pelvic bone. It helps him in his way out. You are touching a protective membrane and not the brain of your baby.
If you feel pulse on the fontanels, that is because it has a veins and arteries right below it. Just don’t freak out and rush to your doctor. It is normal.
- The strange Groaning sounds
Did you think your baby will just cry and coo at times? That is not all the noise he is going to make. He will give out all kinds of funny sounds like snorting, groaning and grunting. Ever wondered what causes these strange noises? Your baby has a nasal passage that is very narrow. It traps the mucus which results in funny noises adding other melodious strings to it.
In case you think you are listening to a lot of such noises, just use a nasal aspirate to clear away the baby’s nasal passage. Worry when you notice grunts with every breath. Go see a doctor because that is a sign of baby finding it difficult to breath.
- Random jerky movements
Your baby is going through a variety of developmental changes. You might notice random jerks which might seem awkward in the beginning. You might even feel that there is something wrong with your baby but he is just trying to practice his startle reflex. He might do it after hearing a loud noise or just randomly. This startle reflex will fade away after 4 months. Babies even get startle when they suddenly wake up. The best thing to do is to swaddle them so they sleep peacefully.
You should be worried if the baby does NOT show any startling and jerky movements. Talk to your doctor about it as it could mean there is something wrong with the baby.
- Funny shaped heads
There is no doubt that delivering a baby is a difficult job but it not only you who is doing all the working. Your baby is also making efforts to get past the birth canal. Why else do you think your baby looks all swollen, red and purple when it successfully gets past your birth canal?
The baby’s head is soft in the beginning. There is a reason for it. It has to go past your pelvic bone and that can result in a bit of flattening. Another reason for that odd shaped head is that your baby lies in one particular position too much. Make sure you keep changing the sides.
- Breastfeeding like a pro
Most of the new mothers think they will be able to breastfeed easily just after they give birth. Remember that breastfeeding is a skill that requires learning from your side as well as the baby. This journey might not go too smooth for many. You baby might not latch on or their might be problems with your nipple.
Most new mothers are always worried that the baby isn’t taking in enough milk. They seem hungry all the time. It might seem like your baby wants food all the time. It will take some time for everything to set in place. Your milk supply and schedule will get into a routine when you breastfeed often.
- Swollen breasts
The fluctuating hormones made you crazy in your pregnancy. It may be surprising but they can do the same to your baby too whether it is a baby boy or a baby girl. Being exposed to your hormones for so long can result in in the development of breast tissues causing swollen breasts. The effects of hormones will take some time to go away. There is nothing to worry about as it goes away on its own.
