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The physical characteristics of your newborn baby

Feeding takes priority

Food is the most important thing in your newborn’s life at the moment, and he’ll be feeding every two to three to four hours.

The impulse to feed is so strong that if you just stroke the cheek of a newborn he’ll turn his head and start looking for a feed. This reaction is known as rooting, and it will last until he’s about three or four months old.

The sucking reflex is also very strong in newborns, and simply placing your finger on his palate will stimulate this reaction.

Sleep comes a close second to food

Newborn babies can sleep for up to 16 or 17 hours in a 24-hour period, but this sleep will be broken up into a series of naps.

Scrunched up arms and legs

Your new baby will take a little time to uncurl after so much time scrunched up inside your tummy. Don’t worry – after about six months your baby should be fully ‘stretched out’.

Your baby’s primitive reflexes are the strongest

Your baby will continue to enjoy the same early habits he developed in the womb, like sucking and chewing on his own fingers and hands. New babies also really enjoy being tightly wrapped in blankets or ‘swaddled’ as it reminds them of being in the womb.

Crying is communication

Your baby will mainly express his needs and problems to you by crying, and you’ll soon come to learn what his different sounding cries mean.

A strong grasp

Newborns have a surprisingly strong grasp. If you touch the centre of their palm they will grip on very hard, and their grasp is sometimes strong enough to support their own weight.

A strong ‘startle’ reaction

Newborns have a very strong startle or ‘moro’ reaction if they think they’re falling or if they hear a loud noise. This inbuilt reaction means they will throw their arms and legs forward and arch their backs, followed by a curling inwards and clenching of the fists.