1. Their first poop is odorless
Meconium is a black, tar-like substance made up of mucus, womb fluid, and whatever else they absorbed while within mom. However, it lacks the intestinal microorganisms that cause odor in excrement. Bacteria will colonize a baby's intestines as soon as you start feeding them. Bowel movements turn green, yellow, or brown after a day or two, and have that recognizable odor.
2. Infants have a tendency to stop breathing
They may pause for 5 to 10 seconds without taking a breath while sleeping, which is just long enough to make a new mom or dad panic. Breathing irregularities are common. (However, if your baby's breathing stops for an extended period of time or goes blue, it's a medical emergency.) Babies can take more than 60 breaths in a minute when they are happy or after crying.
3. They have taste buds in their tonsils
Although a baby's taste sensors are similar to those seen in children and younger people, they cover a larger area, including the tonsils and the back of the throat. A newborn's taste buds can detect sweetness, bitterness, and sourness, but not saltiness (until around 5 months). It's a question of life and death: Breast milk is sweet, whereas bitter and sour milk might be dangerous. When they're ready to start eating solid food, they'll want to eat the same foods mom did while she was pregnant and breastfeeding.
4. At first, they cry without tears
Around 2-3 weeks, babies begin to cry, but tears do not appear until they are around a month old. The late afternoon and early evening are ideal times for fussing. It's frequently for no apparent reason, and nothing you do will help. Around 46 weeks after conception, or 6-8 weeks for full-term babies, "peak crying" occurs. The storm normally passes after three months. (Because they were born prematurely, preemies tend to be older.)
5. Breasts are present in newborns
Both boys and girls might appear to have tiny breasts when they are first born. There's a chance they'll spill milk! However, avoid squeezing the stiff tiny lumps. They form as babies absorb estrogen from their mothers, and they normally disappear after a few weeks. A tiny period or vaginal discharge that lasts a few days may also occur in baby girls.
6. They prefer to face to the right
When laying on their backs, just 15% of newborns prefer to turn their heads left. It appears to be linked to a gene, similar to having dimples. This bias only lasts a few months, but it could explain why more individuals are right-handed.
7. They have an increased number of particular brain cells
Although a baby's brain will grow in size over the first year, it already contains the majority of the nerve cells that transmit electrical messages. Because many of these neurons die and are not regenerated, adults have fewer of them. As babies get older, the connections between their cells become "clipped," which helps them focus but limits their inventiveness.
8. There are erections in baby boys
It usually happens right before they go to the bathroom. (Think of it as a warning to hide during a diaper change!) We're not sure why, but it's nothing to be concerned about or ashamed of. Before they are born, you might be able to view one on an ultrasound. It's typical for his penis to appear huge at birth. Hormones, as well as those of their mothers, play a role, as do bruising and swelling after the birth process.
9. They have the ability to terrify themselves
A loud noise, strong scent, bright light, unexpected motion, or even their own screams might shock a baby. When they thrust their arms out to the ends, hands open, then swiftly close up and tuck back in toward their body, you'll know it's happened. This Moro reaction may have evolved as a warning indication that a young monkey was unbalanced, allowing mom to intervene and avert a fall.
10. Some birthmarks may fade away
"Stork bites" or "angel kisses" (a red or pink area on the forehead, eyes, bridge of the nose, or neck area) and Mongolian spots (flat, bluish patterns on the back or bottom that seem like ink stains) fade after a few years. We have no idea what causes them. Fast-growing blood vessels cause a bright-red elevated "strawberry" hemangioma. These birthmarks appear over a period of weeks and might last for years.
