Having a new baby can be exciting and terrifying all at once. When I was pregnant with baby #1, I had no idea how many surprises I’d face. You’d think that when I was preparing for #2, I would have everything figured out, but each baby is so different and comes with his or her own adventures in motherhood.
See all of my Motherhood posts here.
Luckily, I wasn’t alone in trying to navigate this new season of life. My friend Susan was pregnant at the same time as me and our first babies are very close in age.
Susan is awesome. She tells you like it is, which is a great quality in a friend, especially one you can go to for talks about pregnancy and babies! Not to mention, I freakin’ love her honest and real sense of humor.
So, I asked her to share some of the things that surprised her about living with a newborn, in the hopes that it may help you feel more prepared for when you bring your bundle of joy home for the first time!
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Before having my son I would have considered myself very “baby” knowledgeable. I’d grown up caring for babies, went to college studying babies, read tons of baby books…
…but when you have your own baby, you realize there is a lot to learn. Babies have all sorts of stuff going on with them in the first year.
Here are 10 things that might surprise you about your newborn.
1. Umbilical Cords
Umbilical cords are straight out gross! And they stink! Caden’s umbilical cords smelled so bad I took him to the doctor because I thought it was infected. It was disgusting. So, don’t be surprised if your babies cord smells. Not to mention towards the end it starts to dangle. Yuck!
- Suggestions: Try and keep it as dry as possible. The drier it is, the quicker it will fall off. It’s sometimes hard though when they keep peeing on it.
2. Baby Acne.
You bring baby home and can’t stop staring and touching your little one’s flawless skin and then out of the blue your newborn starts looking like a teenager with raging hormones. Their face gets covered in little zits and bumps. It can spread all over their face, neck, back of the neck, chest and even arms and legs. I’ll never forget my brother asking “what’s all over his face.” Awesome, right?
- Suggestions: Keep the areas dry from milk or saliva. Use sensitive soap such as this one with little or no fragrance. We used Ceptaphil and it helped a little bit but honestly they really just have to grow out of it. It’s from the hormones left in the baby from the mother. It’s not because they are dirty. So don’t try and scrub ‘em. 🙂
3. Baby Eczema.
Baby Eczema is pretty similar to baby acne and it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference. Baby Eczema is usually rough, dry skin and can appear on their face, neck and body. If you see rashes in their folds of their skin it’s most likely eczema.
- Suggestions: Aquaphor. It’s like a Vaseline type substance, some people says it helps; others say it didn’t do a thing. It can help the itching though that eczema might cause. If it’s a really bad case talk with your pediatrician because they might be able to prescribe something better.
4. Cradle Cap.
I like to call it Cradle Crap. It’s this yellowish flaky scalp that is all over the head and it can spread behind their ears, neck and even on their face. These poor kids can not catch a break their first couple months of life.
- Suggestions: Olive oil, put it on their scalp and let it soak in for about 15 minutes. Give them a bath and wash it out with baby shampoo. Then after the bath, take a soft brush and brush over the cradle crap. You may have to repeat a couple times but this worked best for us; way better then the store bought stuff that we tried.
5. Lumpy Nipple.
You guys, I thought my kid seriously had breast cancer at the age of 2 weeks! And he’s a boy! I picked him up one day and noticed he had a lump in one of his nipples. I of course googled it right away and found out it’s completely normal and is pretty common in newborns.
- Suggestions: Chalk it up to hormones, it’s normal and not a big deal and will go away on its own. But if you’re super concerned or if you notice it being other than just a bump go ahead and contact your pediatrician. But boys and girls both can get them.
6. Fingernail Growth.
Newborns’ fingernails grow so fast — I am assuming it’s because they are getting so many vitamins. Their little nails are like razor blades. They scratch themselves and everything around them, including mom! Cutting them the very first time is super nerve wrecking. The last thing you want to do is miss and cut a little itty bitty finger.
Suggestion: Cut their nails when the baby is sleeping or nursing and take your time.
7. Ear Wax.
I’m not sure why this surprised me since they are human but it seems that babies have a lot of ear wax. At least mine does.
- Suggestion: You can use a Q-tip but make sure you don’t go into the ear canal. A better bet is to use a warm washcloth to gently wash the ear and wait for the ear wax to fall out on its own.
8. Green Poop.
Yes, poop. You’ll find that after you have your baby, poop is all you’ll talk about. You’ll be ecstatic when your baby has their first “yellow” normal poop and probably tell your family and friends. I remember when Caden had his first poop I yelled down to my husband: “He pooped!” and we both started cheering. Yea, that really happened.
You can tell a lot about what is going on with your baby just in his or her diaper. Which brings me to the next surprise. Green, explosive poop!
All of a sudden your baby’s yellow seedy poop turns green, slimy and gross. The good news is it could be a couple things and none of them are too serious.
The first is probably your milk supply. I myself fudged up my supply by pumping as much as I could so I could have a night out stash. Well, it bit me in the butt because I then had an over-supply and he was getting way too much fore milk rather than the hind milk, which was causing the green poop.
It can also be caused by not allowing the baby to empty one breast before moving to the next.
Drool could also be the culprit or it could be something you ate or it just may be normal. But if it’s green and frothing looking … it’s most likely the baby is getting too much fore milk.
- Suggestions: Don’t go overboard on the pumping. If you do, like I did, you can fix the problem by block feeding (feeding one / same breast two feedings in a row and then switching) or offering one breast and making sure they finish the breast before moving to the next. A good way to see how much fore milk you have is to pump. If your milk is super clear, that is the fore milk. If it’s creamy and thick looking, that’s the hind milk. When you put it in the refrigerator, you can see it separating. The fore milk is on the bottom and the hind milk stays up at the top. The fore milk (low calorie) quenches the babies thirst while the hind milk (higher calorie) is what fills the baby up.
9. Growth Spurts.
Uh, the dreaded growth spurts. They always sneak up on you even when you know they are coming. Babies go through grow spurts at 10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months.
I’ve even heard a 4-month spurt is in there too. What I didn’t know and what may surprise you as well is these aren’t all physical. So even though your little one may not be gaining drastic weight they may be working on seeing patterns, rolling over or trying to sit up. So their little baby brains are going crazy which will affect their sleeping and eating habits.
- Suggestions: Power through them, camp out on the couch because you’ll be feeding a lot. and remember it’s not their fault and they aren’t trying to upset you, piss you off or make your life miserable. It won’t last forever even though it feels like an eternity sometimes. Try and find some help at these times if you’re frustrated because they can be extremely draining and overwhelming, especially if you’re not getting much sleep yourself.
10. LOVE.
You’ll feel a love that you never even knew you had. There aren’t any words to describe what you feel when your little one looks up at you and shows you that gummy grin or when they laugh for the first time. Nothing else seems to matter at that point and time. It’s the best feeling in the world.
- Suggestions: Soak up every minute and be thankful. It’s amazing, beautiful thing to have a child and every child is truly a blessing.
Nicole says
so much to learn with babies… thanks for the info!
Kath says
Such a great honest post! Thanks Susan! [not planning to be a mom anytime soon…but always helpeful 🙂 ]
Kat @ Big Apple Little Kitchen says
hormonal much? #10 made me burst into tears….in the middle of Starbucks…at 8:30am!
Brittney says
This is really informative, I didn’t know most of this stuff! Thanks for sharing!
Tiff @ Love Sweat and Beers says
Oh my – so many joys. ha
Kristin @ eat healthy. be happy. live well says
Thank you so much for this! Babies aren’t on the near horizon for me, but I love reading about them and feeling like I’m “prepping” myself for the realities to come!
My honey and I have a puppy, and we are always talking about his poop! Did he poop yet? Was there anything in his poop? How did it look? Why is he pooping more? It’s crazy! But such a vital thing that you have to make sure it is happening!
Grammar Cop says
Great post with lots of info I didn’t know… but remember that babies is plural meaning more than one and baby’s is possesive, as in my “baby’s poop is yellow”. My babies poop would mean you have multiple babies and they’re all pooping… which I would imagine is NOT fun. 🙂
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
Your right multiple babies pooping would not be fun. I wish I could say the error was from being sleep deprived … it’s not, I’m awful at grammar. You may want to stay away from my blog… you would have a field day over there ha-ha :)!
Jen says
Susan, this is SO helpful! I can honestly say I didn’t know most of this and I’m having my first baby in 2 months. Yikes! Marking this post as a favorite 🙂
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
Wow 2 months .. you are SO close, congrats!! I’m glad the post is helpful 🙂
Cameron says
Wow, great post Susan – this is definitely something I will go back to in 2 months when our little one arrives. Who knew babies could have so many skin problems!!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
Wow, lots I didn’t know about…
Cindi says
Susan – this post is awesome! Molly had the worst cradle cap & I’m constantly getting out ear wax (and the latest has been boogers!) The only time I can ever cut her nails is when she’s eating. I can’t wait for Caden & Molly to meet. He’s so stinkin cute!
Jen @ Living a Brighter Life says
Susan, What an awesome post! I’m not pregnant yet, but I’m definitely bookmarking this post for future reference! I’m a worrier by nature so having a heads-up of the things we may encounter is really helpful!
Alyssa @ Life of bLyss says
remind me to go back to this when I get to this point, k? 😉
Lauren B says
I’m gonna have to write this stuff down! Thanks! 🙂
Kristen @ The Concrete Runner says
Just being days away from becoming a first time mom – THANK YOU! I am bookmarking this and sending it to my husband! All that stuff definitely would have us freaked out for sure!
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
Oh my gosh, Congrats! It’s so awesome being a mom, you are going to love it!
Jennie says
How does drool play into green stool? I never heard that and I am trying to work on my baby’s green stools. How often do you pump each day?
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
Hey Jennie! When I was trying to build up my stock I was pumping really frequently. Sometimes after every feed. I mean, I was getting a little out of hand; but now I pump once or twice a day.
When the baby swallows an excessive amount of drool it can irritate the intestines and cause mucus in the poop. (gross right? :))
chandana says
This was very helpful. Thanks Susan.
John J. says
Well said. Informative and snazzy writing style. Looks like part of book in the making.
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
oooh I would LOVE to write a book one day 🙂 Glad you liked the post.
christina says
lumpy nipple. that is awesome.
Allison @ PickyEatingRD says
Interesting. Now hopefully I remember this info in about 5 yrs or so!
Michaela says
That was such a sweet post, Susan!
And so honest. A lot more women should tell honestly about what is going on, bc I know sooooo many parents who were not only suprised, but actually shocked to find out about certain things.
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
I agree! I wish more people would tell it like it is rather then sugar coat everything. Every parent is going to shocked at some point because well you just can’t ever be 100% prepared for parenthood. 🙂 I’m glad you liked the post!
Michaela says
definitely!!
Sarah says
I’m expecting to go into labor in the next few weeks or so…so I’m especially glad to have read this post! Thanks for being so upfront about the unexpected things that can “come” with a new born.
Lauren says
Ah, the growth spurt. My baby has been going thru one for what seems like forever.
Shannon says
I literally got nauseous. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT STICK A Q-TIP IN YOUR INFANTS EAR. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE. Our bodies naturally expel ear wax and all a q-tip does is push it further back.
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
Please re-read the article. Never did I say stick a Q-tip in your infants ear.
“Use Q-tip but make sure you don’t go into the ear canal. You can also use a wash cloth to get the inside.”
My son had really bad ear wax like pouring out of his ear. I used a Q-tip to get the wax that was visible. Which is also why a wash cloth works in this situation.
Jennifer says
You may want to reconsider some of the advice on this article-it does not appear to be fact-checked, and some of the advice can be misleading/misinformative. For instance:
Olive oil is one of the worst things to use for cradle cap!! It’s cause is yeast-based, and olive oil actually makes it worse because it feeds the yeast. Coconut oil or even Vaseline is a better solution. Apply, leave on overnight, and shampoo out in the morning.
For baby acne, breast milk can actually help reduce the inflammation. It does not cure it, but it can help lessen the redness.
Fingernails should not be cut on a newborn because the nail does not separate from the fingertip enough. Chew or peel them off.
Pumping is not a good way of determining your fore/hind milk ratio. A pump does not stimulate your breast in the same way that your baby does. While you may be getting mostly foremilk while pumping, your baby may be getting plenty when nursing. Monitoring their weight gain is the only reliable means.
Susan @ Real Life Travels says
Hi Jennifer,
First off I just want to say I’m not a doctor. I’m a mom. So, if I was misleading in any way in my article I apologize. However, Olive oil may not be the best way to go for cradle crap but my son had it pretty bad and it was the only thing that cleared it up and we tried multiple things.
As for baby acne, our Doctor is the one who advised us to keep it dry as possible which helped a lot. When milk did get on his face during nursing sessions it irritated it more then anything. I do agree that breast milk can help in certain situations. Our situation it did not.
I’ve read many articles; remind you this was my first kid I did a ton of research on EVERYTHING before I did it. Chewing on your baby’s fingernails is just straight up unsanitary. We have a ton of bacteria in our mouths and peeling off your child’s nails that’s worse. I think a better way all around would be a nail file. However, clipping worked for us.
And as for pumping, the information above was from our lactation consultant that we went to a handful of times. Monitoring their weight gain is absolutely a very reliable way to see how much they are eating, and the pump doesn’t stimulate the breast the same way as your baby. BUT seeing green frothy poop and noticing you have a ton of clear milk instead of of the creamy white milk is certainly an indicator that you have a lot of fore milk versus
Jodester says
Too much fore milk can cause green poop. However, the separation in the fridge is just water separating from fat. It’s not the same as fore milk/hind milk separation. When I pump I just make sure I put it all in one container mixed up evenly before measuring it into smaller container. It’s also normal for it to separate while defrosting it. Love the blog though.
Valerie says
Newborn girls might have a “period”. My daughter bled for a few days, not much, but enough to notice. Just like other things you listed, this is just caused from hormones from mama. It worked it’s at first, but my doctor said it is fairly common.
Valerie says
I meant to say it worried us at first
What Causes Moles says
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Cheryl says
I never had a problem with the cord stinking until my 3rd baby. Then it smelled like a decaying body. It was so gross!
syrina says
Yes the whole nipple thing caught me off gaurd with my second…took her to the pediatrician the next day and she was producing her own milk! They told me she was just getting lots of hormones from me via breast feeding and to not worry if she had a period, it’s common. I’m pregnat with my third girl, we’ll see what surpises she holds for me. 🙂
kara says
Awesome tips! Best thing I have read!
Mary says
I like the information, but I would like to offer some constructive criticism. If you are going to write a blog, be sure to spellcheck it. I noticed a lot of errors as I read, and that makes it hard to take you seriously. Basic grammar such as your/you’re and then/than make a big difference in how you are perceived.
Chelsea says
just a note on fingernails. The best thing to do is actually file the, down. The chance of clipping them too short is high so just a soft nail file will do the trick
Michelle says
Coconut oil is awesome as a natural moisturiser. As well, babiesbabies who aren’t exploring don’t need soap when they have a bath. Just use water and coconut oil after. Using soap dries their skin.
Vikki says
Awesome read but I do feel though that are still some things missed . Like the little gasping noises baby make while sleeping or eating . The first tooth or teething in general . I have personally went through the first year with my 3 children ages 14, 10, 7 now . All are different yet alike in their own ways . I have my newest addition that is a week and 2 days old . Miss willow reminds me we don’t know everything and how every child can be different . Can’t wait to see what she brings me .