Having a newborn is kind of like being thrown into a marathon without any training. Even though this was our second go-around with it I feel like there was so much I forgot! It made me think of how much we don’t know about newborns until we have one. Not the obvious things but the little things! These things no one tells you about newborns are things that for sure shocked us and If you plan to have a baby you may want to know too- especially if like me, you get alarmed easily.
Things No One Tells You About Newborns
They don’t breathe through their mouths yet: So this we did not know about with Liam. Thankfully Andrew’s best friend is a pediatrician and told us this. It also helps to know so you can make sure to keep their noses clean. Since Charlotte was pretty sick in her first few months we used this A LOT.
Their hands and feet are FREEZING: This also freaked me out and I assumed that my kiddos were cold all the time. The best way to tell if your baby is cold or warm is to feel their stomachs. Their midsection holds all the heat. So try not to freak out if they have cold hands and feet.
Their lips blister: I don’t know if this is as true for breastfed babies but my two bottle-fed babies lips blister from bottles. It’s nothing to be alarmed about and our pedi told us it’s completely normal. This happened with both my kids in the first month or so!
They sneeze….A LOT: I am pretty sure both Charlotte and Liam sneezed about 40 times a day. At first, I was always worried they were sick but it’s just their way like ours of getting crap out of their noses. Plus baby sneezes are pretty darn cute!
They move/make LOTS of noise in their sleep: I think as moms, it’s our instinct to jump up as soon as a baby makes noise but that’s not necessary all the time. Babies are LOUD sleepers. They move, make lots of noises, and sounds in their sleep. They also cycle through sleep cycles much faster than we do so they wake and readjust a lot. Give me a second and make sure they really need something before you accidentally wake them up!
All of these things I have checked with our pediatrician about and all are completely normal. They also ALL made me freak out at first. Newborns are super weird little humans but they make them pretty cute! Please though, I am not a medical expert so always check with your own doctor first! These are just my experiences!
I know most people love the new baby stage, but I didn’t. There are so many unknowns and things that seem bad (like those you listed) that are totally normal for them. Both of my boys were bottle-fed and their lips didn’t blister, but I would have been concerned if I saw that, too!
I realized our son made a lot of noise because he had a lot of gas. When I started wearing him AND walking around the house with him in the carrier, it helped him get rid of the tummy gas so much easier.
You’re doing an amazing job with your sleep training too. I had no idea what sleep training was until our son was almost 3!
It also worried me a lot when my babies had cold hands and feet. I always put mittens and booties on them even in the summer! Sometimes we get to worried about things only to find out that they are just normal things newborns do.
Oh and the list is not complete! If you have a third one, you’ll still find things you did not know, LOL Motherhood is learning EVERY day 😉
I breastfed my second, and I bottle fed my first, no blisters in their lips, so my suggestion is to change bottle brand?
I did not know these! Thanks for sharing! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I know most people love the new baby stage, but I didn’t. There are so many unknowns and things that seem bad (like those you listed) that are totally normal for them. Both of my boys were bottle-fed and their lips didn’t blister, but I would have been concerned if I saw that, too!
I realized our son made a lot of noise because he had a lot of gas. When I started wearing him AND walking around the house with him in the carrier, it helped him get rid of the tummy gas so much easier.
You’re doing an amazing job with your sleep training too. I had no idea what sleep training was until our son was almost 3!
I love the newborn stage. We are getting ready to welcome baby number 4 and I a m so excited for the newborn baby smell!
It also worried me a lot when my babies had cold hands and feet. I always put mittens and booties on them even in the summer! Sometimes we get to worried about things only to find out that they are just normal things newborns do.
I haven’t seen a newborn since my sister was born about 21 years ago. But, I didn’t know these facts about newborns, they were really interesting!
Oh and the list is not complete! If you have a third one, you’ll still find things you did not know, LOL Motherhood is learning EVERY day 😉
I breastfed my second, and I bottle fed my first, no blisters in their lips, so my suggestion is to change bottle brand?
lol that is soooo cute!! I actually had no idea that they sneeze a lot, so cute!!! Thanks a lot for the info.
It’s been years since I’ve had a newborn around me! I do remember both of my kids were very loud sleepers though. Sounds about right!
I remember the newborn stage. EVERYTHING freaked me out. I called my mom so many times a day. Lol.