Weird Baby: Preparing for a New Baby

So you were prepared for the good, the bad and maybe even the ugly…but has the weird of your brand new baby caught you a little off guard? In between the rush of pure love and joy and fatigue comes the questions from panicked new parents about their new babies. Babies will experience many new things and do new things that will make parents question if these things are normal.

Baby Poop

Bowel movements! Whatever parents may have been expecting, it wasn’t the tarry black ooze in baby’s first few dirty diapers. After that, it doesn’t get much better, with breastfed babies’ early poo being yellow, green or brown and “very wet,” like mustard. It’s more liquid than solid and sometimes even has speckles or “seeds.” It’s weird but it’s not diarrhea. It’s just baby’s hyper-effective digestive tract. Parents will experience all different poo coming from their baby. It will make them question what is normal. The biggest thing to worry about is absence of color. Chalky or white stools can be a sign of a liver problem and should be investigated by a doctor.

Irregularities

Baby takes on maternal hormones in the womb, which make for some bodily irregularity in the early days. Both boys and girls may have enlarged breasts or lumps under their nipples. This is quite common side effect of the same hormone that causes mom to produce milk. The breast tissue will shrink over the following few weeks.

Baby Sleep

You’ve heard the expression “sleeping like a baby”? If newborns are any indication, that means noisily and with odd breathing patterns that often scare new parents. Newborns make all sorts of strange squeaks in their sleep. As long as they are not grunting with every breath, it’s totally fine. Awake or asleep, an infant may exhibit irregular breathing for months until their nervous system fully develops, which can mean rapid, shallow breathing, followed by deep breaths and even a pause for up to 10 seconds. If baby’s nostrils flare or they grunt with every single breath or their ribs become pronounced with inhalation, baby may be working too hard for oxygen.

Babies do many things that parents will questions as they begin to develop. Your pediatrician will be your best friend in answering any of the questions. Always remember that no concern is to little to call about and get you pediatricians opinion. Here are some additional tips for new parents!