What a Newborn Baby Can See
Immediately at birth his pupils will adjust to let in more or less light, depending on the brightness of the room. His eyes focus best at the same distance at which your own eyes focus at rest, about 8 in/200 mm. the convergence of his eyes is very at first. He will fix you with a piercing look at one moment; the next he will lose interest, relax, and one eye will be gazing at the ceiling and the other at the window.
Read MoreA Newborn Baby
The baby has arrived safely, but what do we know about him? At the beginning, while the doctor is busy checking his birth weight and length, the mother notices only the obvious things; boy or girl; arms, legs, flat nose, fingernails, etc. Even if you have had a baby before you will probably have forgotten how tiny and frail he seems. His little limbs may look thin and scrawny. His skin may appear greasy and a little puffy at first; his head perhaps elongated from molding in the birth canal. He may have a great deal of hair or none. The color of his hair, if he has some, will not signify anything because it will gradually be replaced, possibly by hair of a quite different color and texture. If he has had an easy birth his eyes will be open, and he will already be looking around. However, if he has experienced a hard journey, he will probably protest vigorously for a time until he is soothed or held close against his mother. His eyes when you can see them will be a characteristic color – deep, cloudy blue. Only later will the development of the iris give him his own individual eye color.
Read MoreThe Birth
Transition is followed by the second stage of labor, when the baby moves down the birth canal and out into the world. At the end of the first stage more often than not he faces to the mother’s side. As his head moves down the birth canal it usually turns to face her back so that he is born facedown.
Read MoreThe Transition
The first stage of labor is the time taken for the cervix, the neck of the womb, to become fully dilated. The transition from the first to the second stage of labor, when the baby’s head begins to move down the birth canal, is for many mothers the most distressing time. They may feel lost, bewildered, and out of control, sometimes saying things the do not mean. Some women experience severe backache, caused by the pressure of the baby’s head on their lower spines. Steady massage from a caring husband can bring considerable relief to a weary mother to be.
Read MoreWhen to Call the Hospital
Sometimes the mother’s waters break quite early in this process, and some of the fluid from the womb escape. This liquid is usually colorless and it is sterile. So while it may be uncomfortable if the mother is out shopping at the time, no harm is done. It shows that labor is near, but again how near will not be certain. Another sign is a “show,” when the plug of jelly which has kept the cervix sealed up is ejected, sometimes with a little blood. This means that the cervix is “ripe,” and it is a good sign, although it can happen some days, or even longer, before labor starts, or even after it has started. If your waters break, or you have regular contractions, you should call or go to the hospital or contact your doctor if you are planning a home birth.
Read MoreHow a Mother’s Body Adjusts to Pregnancy
The changes in the mother’s own body during pregnancy are enormous. The womb itself grows from the sixe of a small orange to the size of a large fat squash to become by far the biggest muscle in the human body, male or female. This is not only done by stretching. New muscle fibers develop, and the old ones grow thicker and longer.
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