Who doesn’t find babies cute? It is impossible to ignore their charming and adorable looks. However, did you know that babies do not look like this at all when they are just born? They look nothing like those fluffy baby pictures you are used to seeing. On the contrary, they might look greasy, grimy, and even weird. And this isn’t limited to their appearance alone. Here are 5 weird things about newborn babies, especially the first hour after birth (1):
They Are Covered In A Cheesy, White Stuff
Soon after the baby comes out of the mother’s womb, his/her body is covered all over in a thick, cheesy white substance which is known as vernix caseosa.
Remember, your baby swims in amniotic fluid for 40 weeks. It’s this coating that protects an unborn baby’s skin from the fluid. Without this protection, a baby’s skin would chap or wrinkle in the womb.
It is a protective layer that usually starts developing on the fetal skin during the third trimester. The vernix caseosa contributes to babies having soft skin after birth. It also protects your baby’s skin from infections while in the womb.
Their First Poop Will Scare You
It is only after your baby is born that his/her gastrointestinal system starts functioning properly. No wonder then that soon after birth, your baby will be expected to poop. However, one look at the slime in your baby’s diaper might throw you off guard! This is because the color of your baby’s first poop will either be black or a green tarry shade. It has no smell and is called meconium.
As soon as you start feeding a baby, bacteria will start colonizing their intestines. After a day or so, bowel movements become green, yellow, or brown — with that familiar odor.
They’ll Have Fine Hair All Over The Body
After delivery, you’ll notice that your baby will be unusually hairy. By this, we don’t mean the hair on the head. There will be fine hair all over your baby’s body. But there is no need for concern. The term “lanugo” refers to the fine, downy hair that often appears on the fetal body about the fifth month of pregnancy. While they often go around the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy, some of them are still present when the baby is born. However, they soon disappear on their own after a few days or weeks of birth.
They Burn Infant Brown Fat To Prevent Hypothermia
We bet you didn’t know about this! Your baby remains warm and cozy inside your womb. Therefore, it is clear that the outside temperature is significantly lower for children. However, it is uncommon to find newborn newborns shivering at the time of birth. This is due to the fact that nature has already taken care of this. A newborn’s body temperature rapidly lowers after delivery. At this point, the baby’s skin’s receptors send a signal to the brain informing it that the environment is too chilly. Then, the baby’s body burns the brown fat in order to create heat and regulate your baby’s body temperature until it gets normal.
The Umbilical Cord Continues To Nourish Even After Delivery
The umbilical cord supplies oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to the fetus while still being inside the womb. The lungs take over the task of supplying the heart and body with oxygenated blood once the infant is born and begins to breathe on its own. But even after the cord is severed and clamped, some of the leftover blood is transfused from the cord to the infant. This continues to nourish your baby until the time the lungs completely take over.
Aren’t these facts about a newborn baby really weird and amusing? There may be some that you are already familiar with and some that are completely original. Whatever the situation may be, we are confident that with your newfound knowledge, you will now view babies from a completely new viewpoint!
