8 surprising things about your newborn
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Louisa Sherlock
Associate EditorPrepare for your new baby and get to know your new baby a little better with these incredible newborn baby facts
It’s a given that your newborn is the most amazing baby ever. But there are some unexpected things you might not know that makes your baby even more incredible.
From why they smell soooo good through to their multitasking skills, here are 8 surprising newborn baby facts every new parent should know.
1. The new baby smell makes mums feel good
According to science, there’s a reason the new baby scent is so amazing.
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A study found the smell of a new baby triggers dopamine pathways in women. This is the part of your brain that’s also triggered by the smell of your favourite food and that makes you feel good. Researchers found mothers had a stronger reaction to the new baby scent than non-mums.
Add to your feel-good factor by washing your baby’s clothes – as well as yours – with Fairy’s Sensitive Skin Dream Team: Fairy Non Bio PODS® and Fairy Fabric Softener. (Some baby clothes are treated with special flame-resistant chemicals and aren’t suitable for washing with fabric softener. Always check the care labels first.)
The laundry dream team is Netmums Recommended and gentle enough for even newborn skin.
2. They have more bones than you
Babies are born with 300 bones – that's 94 more than we’ve got as adults. So the question is, where do these extra bones go?
There’s a simple explanation: their bones eventually fuse together as they grow. And some of your newborn’s bones are partly made of cartilage, which is more flexible. This makes their birth easier for them (and you).
Another random fact: babies don’t have kneecaps when they’re born. Who knew?
3. They cry without tears
As a new parent, you’ll quickly realise that your baby cries a lot. But along with trying to figure out why they’re crying, there’s something else that might baffle you: their lack of tears.
Yep, surprising fact #3 is that newborns don’t cry actual tears at first. When they’re around 2 weeks old, they’ll start producing a few tears, but they won’t fully appear until they’re between 1-3 months old.
4. Newborn poop doesn’t smell
You’re primed and ready for up to 12 nappy changes a day. So it will be welcome news that newborn baby poop doesn’t really smell!
In fact, it only gets seriously whiffy when your baby starts weaning. That’s not to say, however, that it’s not messy. But Fairy Non Bio has you covered: the laundry favourite contains gentle ingredients and clever technology to tackle baby poop. Here’s our complete guide for getting baby poop out of your newborn’s clothes.
5. They are amazing at multitasking
Your baby can drink and breathe at the same time for long periods. Something us adults can’t do!
This is due to the position of their larynx, which is higher in the throats of newborns. That explains why they can breathe normally while feeding, even up to 45 minutes (or more) at a time.
6. They can taste different flavours
Your newborn can pick out sweet and sour flavours from birth. For more proof that they are super tasters, newborns even have taste buds in their tonsils!
Your baby developed this sense of taste in the womb. It will be a few months before they start detecting bitter or salty tastes. Just in time for becoming fussy eaters during baby weaning!
7. They can scare themselves
The world is a big, bright, noisy place for your newborn. But it’s not just sudden sounds from you that make them jump. Your baby can also frighten themselves with their own cry. Awww.
They're born with the Moro reflex (also known as the startle reflex) which can also make them jump.
This reflex can suddenly cause them to throw their heads back or stretch out their arms and legs. It can even wake them up at night. Nooooo!
8. Their skin is much thinner than yours
Your newborn’s skin is incredibly fragile, and is 30% thinner than yours.
Which means looking after their skin is super important. The whole Fairy Non Bio range has been awarded the Skin Health Alliance seal of approval, making it ideal for even newborn skin. In fact, Fairy Non Bio has been voted the number one laundry brand for sensitive skin*.
*Online panel of 7,413 adults among which Fairy Non Bio laundry products were voted most often as the #1 laundry brand for sensitive skin.
Head to our Laundry Room hub for more expert tips for washing your family's clothes.
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