How your newborn will look

Meeting your baby is a fantastic moment, but some new mums are surprised by how their baby looks. Here’s what to expect when you meet your new arrival…

The birth day is approaching, and chances are the main thing on your mind (apart from what the labour will be like, of course) is meeting your baby face to face. Seeing your newborn for the first time is one of the most wonderful moments of your life, and it’s safe to say you’ll be smitten – you probably won’t notice anything other than his gorgeous eyes and tiny fingers.

But after nine months in the amniotic fluid and several hours of being pushed into the world, your baby might have gathered some odd-looking, albeit natural and temporary, characteristics.

He’s covered in white stuff

During his last few months in the womb, your baby’s skin has been covered with a thick, white substance called vernix caseosa. It has formed a protective layer between his skin and the amniotic fluid, and it’s also slippery to help him travel through the narrow birth canal.

When he’s born you may well see vernix still covering his skin, whether it’s all over or just in the folds by his armpits, neck or face. Vernix is good for the skin, and as most newborns aren’t washed within 24 hours it will be harmlessly absorbed into his skin or rub off on his clothes.

Her head is cone-shaped

If your newborn’s head looks cone-shaped, don’t despair. There hasn’t been much room for manoeuvre during her journey through the birth canal (we’re sure your labour pains made you well aware of this!), and the plates of bone that make up her skull aren’t yet fully fused together. This means the pressure of the birth canal can mould and slide them into a slight cone shape, which can help make her journey slightly easier.

This doesn’t hurt your baby, and her head will settle back to normal within 48 hours. Babies born after a short labour or Caesarean are unlikely to have this head shape as they haven’t been subjected to prolonged pressure. If your baby has been lying in the breach position, her head may look flat from where it has been resting against your diaphragm, and her legs may stick up in the air – both these traits will resolve themselves within a week or so.

He’s got big red spots

Your baby may emerge with stork marks – so called because (with a bit of imagination) they make it look as though he’s been delivered by a stork. These small, red patches between your baby’s eyes, and on his nose and possibly neck, are common, and most will disappear within a year. Many black and Asian babies are born with dark blue patches, called Mongolian spots, on their lower back – these resemble bruises, but are harmless and soon disappear.

She looks like she’s been in a fight

Don’t worry if the sweet angel you’ve been bonding with for the last nine months emerges looking more like a boxer than a ballerina. The pressure of coming through the birth canal can leave her eyes puffy, but don’t worry – the swelling is harmless and will go down in a day or two.

If you had a forceps delivery, her head may look bruised for a short time, and a ventouse delivery can leave some redness and swelling on her head too. She won’t have come to any damage, but she may be a bit grumpy, just like the rest of us would be with a sore head.

His willy is huge

While dads may be inordinately proud, it can come as quite a shock to see your son’s penis looking large and out of proportion to his little body. This is due to pregnancy hormones that have crossed the placenta, and they can affect females too. Your newborn girl’s sexual organs may well be swollen and she might even have a small period, so don’t panic if you find blood in her nappy within the first week (check with your midwife just to be sure).

Newborn girls, and less commonly boys, may also emerge with developed breasts. These will be tender, so avoid picking your baby up with your thumbs over the breast area. The hormones and their effects won’t do your baby any harm, and the swelling in genitals and breasts will go down within a week.

She’s got a moustache

Or perhaps even hairy shoulders, or a fluffy back. Before you start worrying what kind of hair removal she’ll need to use in her teens, rest assured that these patches of hair will disappear of their own accord within weeks. They are simply remnants of lanugo, the covering of hair all babies develop in the womb.

Most babies shed it at around eight months of pregnancy, but a number will have small patches left when they’re born. It’s so soft and delicate that most mums can’t get enough of gently touching it!

He’s got yellow bumps

If your newborn emerges with tiny yellow or white spots clustered around his face, it’s not a sign of disease or infection – it’s just a harmless skin condition called milia. Caused by blocked sebaceous glands (which naturally produce oil to lubricate the skin), these little spots may make him look as though he’s got acne, but they’ll clear up without treatment soon enough.

Her hands and feet look blue

During the first 24 to 48 hours after she’s born, your baby’s body is adapting from a fetal circulatory system to baby circulation, which includes some valves in the heart having to close. Until this change is complete, it’s normal for your baby to have bluish hands and feet, and they may feel cold too.

This doesn’t mean your baby hasn’t got enough oxygen – she’s got plenty – but her body is merely conserving energy until her transition to baby circulation is finished. By that time, her hands and feet will be as pink and warm as the rest of her.