The First Look: What to Expect When Meeting Your Newborn
Author: Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
From the moment you found out you were expecting, you’ve been dreaming about the moment that you will meet your little one. Perhaps they will have your big blue eyes, or your husband’s gorgeous smile. You might be dreaming of the perfect baby skin you see during those commercial breaks on TV. Soon, the moment will be here.
Labor and delivery can be tough on everyone. Yes, you are going through a lot, but stop and think about the journey of your child. Whether you deliver vaginally or via c-section, don’t be surprised if your first meeting of your newborn doesn’t meet every vision you had imagined.
What might your newborn look like?
Cone head?
Don’t be surprised if your little one’s head is shaped a bit oddly. You might have been waiting to see a perfectly formed cherub head, but instead you study your child wondering if they are related to the Coneheads you once saw on “Saturday Night Live”. Never fear, over time, your child’s head will take a more “normal” shape. Your baby’s newborn head may have taken a slightly different shape as it worked to fit down through your pelvis.
Hairy? Bald?
Maybe you have golden locks and your husband has brown curly hair. You’re excited to see what your child has. First appearances may be deceiving. Most times, the hair that a baby is born with is not what their hair will be like as they grow. So, if you’re baby comes out with a mass of hair or no hair at all, chances are it’s temporary.
Hairy Back?
The moment you see your little one, chances are you will want to study every inch of their body. If you find a coating of fine hair on your little one’s shoulders, back, or forehead, don’t worry; your child probably hasn’t inherited some crazy genes from your wacky uncle. Chances are what you are seeing is lanugo. This hair will generally shed within the first week of your little one’s life.
Puffy Eyes?
Your baby comes out and looks like she or he has been pulling all-nighters. If puffy eyes catch your attention, they are only due to the fact that your child has been in a pool of fluid (amniotic fluid) for the past nine months and has been squeezed through a narrow canal during the birthing process. Put anyone in that situation and you will find they have puffy eyes too!
Enlarged?
As you examine every little finger, toe, and all the other appendages, you may encounter that some things are bigger than you expected. Little girls' and little boys' genitals and breasts may be enlarged at birth. This is due to the hormones produced by you, the mother. Never fear, with time (generally under two weeks), these enlargements will decrease and disappear.
Although the above may sound a bit overwhelming, maybe even scary, chances are they won’t bother you a bit. When you meet your little one, you will meet a new love – regardless of what they look like at birth and beyond – you will love them simply because they are yours.
