We knew they were cute – but that was about the extent of it.
When you give birth you suddenly become the Minder-in-chief of a brand new human who you have never met before
And while it is no walk in the park, luckily, you would do anything for them.
It is really amazing how our biology kicks in and within a few weeks you are back-rubbing like a pro.
At HerFamily, there was plenty we didn’t know before we had our own babies and it is worth showing just how unbelievable nature really is.
Here are some of the most interesting facts you should know about newborns – after all, you are about to become a professional at all of this!
1. Your little screamer can’t cry. That’s right – they can wail and whimper, but can’t produce actual tears until about three weeks in. Some babies don’t even shed their first tears until they are about five months old.
2. They may only be able to see blurry images in the first few weeks but your newborn’s hearing is perfectly formed as soon as they pop out. You will learn this very quickly as you startle them as you creep out of the nursery via the creaky floorboard.
3. Everyone telling you your new baby is a big ‘un? Show off by telling them this startling fact: The biggest baby ever born was 10.2kg (22lbs 8oz) and was born in Italy in 1955. Zing!
4. Another interesting weight fact is that May is the month that sees the heaviest babies born (an average of 200g heavier than any other month)
5. Can’t get enough of that sweet newborn smell? Well, that’s because you are actually addicted to your little newbie. A Canadian study looked at the brains of new mamas and found that the smell of your baby is the same as the pleasure and craving of food when we are hungry. That’s maybe why we want to bite those yummy cheeks.
6. Your newborn has his own protection mechanism – a startle called the Moro reflex. It is a natural response to a loud noise or feeling of falling that makes them fling their little arms open wide. This passes after about six months.
7. Their taste in music continues from womb to world – babies can recognise songs they first hear in the womb for four months after they are born.
8. Babies are born with 300 bones which fuse together to give about 206 by the time he or she is a grown-up.
9. Did you know that newborns cry with an accent? German researchers discovered that babies pick up their mother’s native tongue in the last few weeks of pregnancy and replicate similar characteristics from the pattern of their cry. Wow.
10. Cute fact alert! Your heart beats together. A study carried out by an Israeli university found that when mum and baby faced each other eye to eye their heart rates co-ordinated immediately.
