When you give birth and you’re presented with a beautiful little newborn, you already know that they’re amazing! The whole process of creating and giving birth to a baby is a miracle; often leaving you in awe of how you created something so precious. However, there are so many fascinating things you don’t know about your little one.
You often see babies as being completely incapable of doing anything for themselves, when in reality they are born with a wide skill set. It’s impressive what skills and instincts your baby actually has the minute they enter the world. Here in this two-part special, you’ll discover 10 of the most awesome facts about babies which make you realize just how truly amazing they actually are.
1. Your Baby Knows How To Crawl The Minute They Are Born
Yes, you did read that right! The minute your little one entered the world they already knew how to crawl. So, if that’s true, why does it take around six months for them to actually do it?
While babies are mentally prepared to start crawling right away, their little bodies need time to catch up. It is impossible for your baby to crawl until around six months of age because up until that point, they don’t have kneecaps. The cartilage fully develops at six months.
A study conducted back in 1987 by the Swedish Karolinska Institute, was the first to truly discover a newborn’s crawl ability. When dried and laid onto the mother’s chest, the baby took an hour, but they managed to crawl to the breast to feed.
2. The Mother-Baby Link Is Real
Babies can detect their mother’s voice over any other when they are born, despite the fact their hearing isn’t fully developed. The middle part of the ear still contains some fluid, making sounds difficult to identify. However, they still manage to recognize the sound of their mother’s voice.
Logically, you can link this to the fact that they’ve heard your voice for as long as they developed ears in the womb. It may have been muffled, but they still heard it a lot while they were developing. That’s also why you’re given the advice to speak to your bump. Fathers are also encouraged to do this frequently so baby recognizes their voice too when they arrive into the world.
It’s not just the hearing link between mother and baby that’s impressive. Within a few weeks, your little one will be able to physically distinguish you from other adults. They also recognise your smell from the minute they’re born.
3. Their Hair May Fall Out
This one can come as a shock! If your little one came out with a thick, full head of hair, it’s possible it might not stay that way! Within the first few weeks, some babies lose some, or all of their hair. Don’t worry, it will grow back. However, it could take around a year for all of the hair to regrow.
Similarly, the hair can change in texture. You may notice for example, the hair goes from straight to curly in a few weeks, or vice versa.
4. Your Baby Developes A Moustache In The Womb
One of the weirdest facts that very few people know, is that all babies develop a moustache in the womb. Even weirder? They eat it!
At around four months of age, the moustache develops. It then goes on to spread across the entire body over the space of a month. Medically, the hair is known as Lanugo and as well as being digested by baby, whatever is left over falls out before the birth. The hair that was digested, comes out in baby’s first poop, otherwise known as Meconium.
5. They Can’t Actually Cry
Ok, I know what you’re thinking – my baby cries all the time! They cry as soon as they are born. However, this isn’t actual crying. Howling? Yes. Wailing? Most definitely! But crying is physically impossible for a newborn. This is because the tear ducts do not fully develop until around three weeks after birth. In some cases, it can take four to five months, but this is quite rare.
That doesn’t mean they don’t produce any moisture. The tear glands and the ducts do work to produce lubrication for the eyes; just not enough for actual tears right away.
6. Your Little One Has More Bones Than You
It’s common to think that a little newborn would have far fewer bones than an adult. However, this is totally wrong. In fact, your baby is born with 270 bones! However, they aren’t fully developed yet.
Fascinatingly, what happens as your baby grows, is the bones start to fuse together; specifically, the spine and the skull. So, by the time they turn into an adult, they’ll have just 206 bones.
7. They Have A Total Of Around 70 Reflexes
Your baby already has pretty good skills and instincts! In total, they have around 70 different reflexes. So, as you watch your little one and notice all the little movements they make, you now know they are instincts that your baby already has.
Click here to learn about some of the most common!
8. Their Weight Will Double Within 5 Months
Have you been told to make the most of the first few months because your baby will change very quickly? They’re not wrong! In the first five months, your little bundle of joy is going to double in weight. You’ll soon start to notice they’re not as easy to carry around.
This weight gain is all down to the fact that infants spend the first few months of their lives eating, sleeping and eating some more. Their growth rate is remarkable. Just imagine yourself doubling in weight in five months! A scary thought, but it does put it into perspective.
9. Their Little Mouths Are Full Of Taste Buds
We all know that taste buds live on the tongue. However, did you know that babies have additional ones? Every infant is born with taste buds on the sides, roof and back of the mouth as well as on the tongue. As they age, these extra taste buds do disappear, but it’s still a fascinating fact that most people don’t know.
10. Baby Girls Have A Mini Period
Another strange, yet amazing fact is that little girls have a mini period, just like mom, soon after they are born. This occurs because they absorb a lot of your hormones during the pregnancy. The amount of estrogen in their bodies has to be eliminated somehow and the uterus lining is shed. So, if you notice a little blood in your baby girl’s diaper, it’s likely to be completely normal.
Conclusion
So that was part one of our amazing baby facts special. There are so many unique and fascinating facts that make your little miracle even more awesome! Want more? Click here to check out part 2!
And of course, if you have any of your own interesting baby facts that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate. You can tell us all about them below!
“The whole process of creating and giving birth to a baby is a miracle”.
There Is no way I will comment without quoting the above. I think that’s the best line in the entire post, but come to think of it…the entire post is awesome. These are little things people don’t think about, I don’t.
Point no 4:”Your Baby Developes A Moustache In The Womb” just a lit a bulb on my head. I’ve never heard of such before. How do you even come up with this? I can’t wait for their second part. Your post is really enlightening I must say.
I knew #8 My baby was 3.2 kg when he was born and by the time he was 5 moths, his weight doubled,
I also knew about the taste buds. Normally, we feed sweet and salty food to the baby, however, for change we sometimes let him taste hot and sour food.
I also knew about #10. I heard this from other parents.
Rest of the facts were unknown to me. Thanks for enriching my knowledge.