The joy you feel when you hear your baby cry for the first time can quickly be replaced by questions. Why is the baby blue? What is that waxy thing on his skin? Why is she so swollen? Let’s talk about what newborns really look like.
Expectation: rosy-cheeked baby
Reality: red and blotchy
Immediately after being born, babies tend to have red, sometimes even bluish skin. Their lungs are just starting to work, so initially their blood is not sufficiently oxygenated [1]. Within a few minutes, your baby will turn pink and you may notice some red spots on the bridge of the nose, eyelids, and back of the neck. They are commonly called "stork bites" or salmon patches, and 80% of babies have them. They usually disappear within the first few months of life [2].
Expectation: clear skin
Reality: skin is covered in something white
Every newborn's body is covered in a primordial lubricant called vernix caseosa, which is white and waxy. Premature babies have a lot of it, while post-term babies have almost none. It is not advised to wash off the vernix immediately after birth, as it can protect the skin from dryness and bacteria. You can give your baby their first bath a day or so after birth [3].
Expectation: big blue eyes
Reality: dark irises
A newborn’s eyes are unable to focus, so you will sometimes see your baby squinting. During the first weeks, babies can’t fix their gaze. In terms of a baby’s eye color, many are born with dark blueish irises, but their true color develops at about six months.
Expectation: a cute round head
Reality: an elongated and uneven head
Some babies are born with cone-shaped heads! This happens when the baby's head descends into the pelvic area well before birth, and the soft bone structure of the skull takes on a temporary elongated shape. Babies delivered vaginally may show bumps and bruises on the top or sides of the head, but they disappear within a few weeks [4]. Babies born by C-section tend to have a rounder head at birth.
