Newborns are not as helpless as they look. In fact, looks can be deceiving. Newborns are born to survive and because of this they have many "tools" in their survival belt from day one. Newborn's initial hours and days are full of 'firsts': the first time to breathe air into their lungs; the first time to lie down on a hard surface after being cozily curled up in the womb; the first time to swallow milk for nourishment instead of being fed through the umbilical cord; and the first time to regulate their own bodies' temperature. That is a lot of new responsibilities!

• The first group of 'tools' that a newborn comes equipped with is the senses:  smelling, hearing, tasting, seeing and touch. All very handy tools to have.  A newborn's sense of smell is rather keen, and it's little wonder that it doesn't take them long to know your scent. After all, your baby depends upon you to survive, so it makes perfect sense that she knows your scent! Visually your baby is drawn to your face and will spend short periods of time just gazing at it.  Newborns see your face the best when it's about 7-12 inches away. That's about the distance from your baby's face to your face when you are holding her in a feeding position. See our tip on activities for sight development for ways to help your baby develop.


• Newborns are also born with reflexes that are designed to help them survive in the world. The sucking reflex is probably one of the most important one because this is how the newborn will now get his nourishment. Also important is the grasp reflex that allows a newborn to grasp hold of a parent. A newborn also has a hand-to-mouth reflex that gives her the ability to  practice sucking and to self soothe.


• Newborns are also able to sneeze and cough. Both of these skills are necessary to keep their nose and throat clear.

• Your baby is adjusting to life outside your womb and will take a few weeks to 'uncurl'. Watch as your baby stretches out her  whole body. This is a way for him to give herself an entire body workout and to get those muscles moving in different ways after being curled up in the womb for so long. Your baby's movements will be jerky, as she does not yet have control over her new muscles. See our tip on activities for gross motor development for ways to help your baby develop.

• Did you know that newborn babies (even those only a few hours old) can imitate our expressions! Research shows that babies only 1 to 2 days old can imitate adult's facial gestures. Poke your tongue out at your baby and watch as he copies you.

• Newborn babies can often startle when they hear a loud noise. Remember they have been hearing muffled sounds from the womb, so it will take them a little while to adjust to the noisy outside world. This doesn't mean you have to tiptoe around - in fact the opposite is best. You want your baby to adjust to noise and sleep when noise is occurring. It's almost impossible to be quiet every time a baby sleeps. So don't try. I've seen plenty of babies happily sleeping in many shopping malls!

Your newborn baby loves to be:

• Held and cuddled. 
• Responded to quickly when she cries.
• Fed when hungry.
• Able to get the sleep she needs.
• Gently rocked and sung to.

Related Tips

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