What Your Newborn Will Look Like

New parents who do not have much experience around newborns are often surprised by to find that their babies are not the charming, camera-ready cuties they had been expecting. Of course, newborns are very lovable and most new parents are enamored from the moment they lay eyes on their little sons or daughters, but it takes several days, even weeks in some cases, for a newborn’s appearance to begin to soften into something thing that resembles the image of babies we all have in our minds. So if you are new to this newborn business, here are some potentially surprising things to expect. •    At birth, a newborn’s head is much larger in proportion to the rest of its body than it will be later on, so expect  a large head to go along with scrawny arms and legs. Meanwhile, the size of the head causes many children’s skulls to be molded into funny shapes on the way out of the birth canal. This is perfectly natural—newborns’ skulls are made to do this—but it can lead to a misshapen head that will gradually work itself into its normal shape in the first few weeks of life. •    Because of the trauma involved in birth, many new babies are born with bruises and other marks on their bodies, especially on the head. And if your doctors were required to take special actions such as suction to remove the baby from the birth canal, the bruises can be even more pronounced. •    Your newborn’s eyes will be out of focus, almost as if he or she does not even see anything. Indeed, newborns do not see much—the world is mostly a blur—but this is nothing to be alarmed about. Also keep in mind that newborns’ eyes often go in different directions. This is not permanent. •    In the hours immediately after birth, expect your baby to be red and swollen, especially in the face. His or her eyes might be almost swollen shut and there might be significant swelling in the hands and feet and other parts of the face. Swelling around the genitals is also common. •    The baby’s skin is likely to be pinkish for the first few weeks. This is simply because newborns’ skin is especially thin, meaning that the red of the blood vessels beneath the surface is more visible. •    Many newborn babies are born with a decent amount of hair (which is typically reduced during the first few months before growing in more thickly later on) while others are born with almost no hair on their heads. Meanwhile, you might find your child has fuzz in strange places such as on the face, back, and arms and legs. This is especially pronounced on babies born early. This fuzz disappears within a few weeks. If you have ever wondered why people typically only snap a couple of photos of their newborns just after birth, these are the reasons why. Most of these things start to improve within hours of birth, however, and the rest improve within the first few weeks. Even if your baby comes out looking like she’s been in a nasty barroom brawl, give it a little time, and she will soon look more like the bouncing, dimpled child you had expected. And in the meantime, you will love your child no matter how he or she looks. By Lisa Pecos