Yes, she really can see you! From a distance of 20-25 cm your newborn focuses clearly.

      What newborns look like

      Being born is no picnic, so don’t expect to see a perfectly formed little beauty at first. Newborns often have a puffy, boxer-type face, and many have temporarily ‘cone-shaped’ heads from the journey out. If the birth involved a ventouse (a suction device), the top of your baby’s head may bulge noticeably and have a circular red mark on it. Similarly a forceps-delivered baby may have temporary marks where the tongs were. Caesarean-born babies, particularly if the Caesarean was planned, tend to be more ‘perfect’ looking.

      A ‘term’ baby (one not born prematurely) can be anything from 5 lb to a whopping 10 lb or more. Twins on average weigh 5 lb 8 oz, but it’s normal for one twin to be much bigger than the other.

      A greyish-blue colour at birth is normal (even with black or Asian babies, which has thrown many an unsuspecting dad), but within a few breaths they generally turn a more ‘healthy’ colour. Their skin can stay red, blotchy, peely, flaky or significantly lighter or darker than you’d expect for a while though. Some babies are also born covered in vernix (white, creamy stuff that protects their skin in the womb: you don’t need to wipe this off–it’s good for the baby’s skin).

      Birthmarks are common, harmless and usually temporary. A ‘stork mark’ at the nape of the neck or eyelids caused by dilated blood vessels is the most common; it generally disappears within the first year. ‘Strawberry’ birthmarks–raised and red with a dotted effect–appear in about ten per cent of babies within four weeks and usually fade within two years. ‘Port-wine stain’ birthmarks are flat, red marks found in about 2 in 1,000 babies and don’t usually fade away. Ask your midwife if you have any birthmark concerns.

      If the whites of your baby’s eyes and the skin below her nipple line are turning yellowish, it may be jaundice. Jaundice can be caused by prematurity, bruising at birth, infection or exposure to drugs the mother may have had in labour. Most newborns will become a little bit jaundiced between day two and day seven, and you should mention this to the midwife or GP if you notice it. Frequent feeding is usually recommended. Jaundice in the first forty-eight hours, however, can be quite serious, so call the midwife or GP straight away if you notice anything amiss.

      If the midwife thinks your baby is jaundiced, she may take some blood from your baby’s heel. This helps her to work out how jaundiced she is, and your baby may then need to be put under blue lights (‘phototherapy’) to clear it up. You may have to stay in hospital for a few days if this happens.

      Another new-parent surprise is that newborn boys and girls often have swollen genitals and breasts. A tiny amount of milky discharge may come out of the nipples, and girl babies may even have a bit of bloody discharge from their vaginas. This is all caused by the mother’s hormones circulating through the baby at birth; it is totally healthy and stops after a day or so.

      Other surprises

      In the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours, sticky secretions that your baby has swallowed during the birth can get stuck in her throat, making her choke and sometimes turn blue. If this happens, put her over your knee, face down, and give her a firm slap between the shoulders to clear the airways. If this doesn’t work straight away, call for help. Some babies vomit up a bit of mucus spontaneously. Again, all this is completely normal, but scary if you don’t know what to do.

      BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR BABY HOME, A DOCTOR WILL CHECK YOUR BABY’S:

      Meanwhile, at the other end, your baby’s first couple of poos will be a tar-like, sticky, greenish-black colour. This is meconium, the waste products she has accumulated in the womb. Most babies (ninety-four per cent) will pass meconium within twenty-four hours. But two to four per cent of normal babies don’t pass meconium by forty-eight hours. If your baby has not done a black poo after about twenty-four hours, tell the midwife. If your baby is vomiting, or has a very tight, swollen belly and has not passed meconium, tell the doctor or midwife immediately.

      Looking after your brand-new baby

      All being well, all you’ll have to do in the first forty-eight hours or so of your baby’s life is feed, cuddle endlessly, change the odd nappy and take tons of photos. What could be simpler?

      Cuddling

      Studies have shown that skin-to-skin contact is important for parents and babies alike–it can help you bond with your baby and can help establish breastfeeding. Don’t be afraid to open the poppers of her Babygro and put her against your chest (dads too) to calm her down if she’s yelling. Many newborns will only be content when cuddled close (if she can hear your heart beat she may be calmer), so don’t feel she needs to be in that Perspex cot.