Am I prepared for my newborn coming home?

From the day your baby is born, you’ll care for them with all the love and nurturing they need to grow. And from the day you bring them home wrapped in their first baby blanket, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared for all the other ‘firsts’ you might not have expected!

Many parents already know that when a baby is born, their head won’t be fully formed yet and are likely to be a little cone-shaped. What parents might not know is that lots of babies also have a flaky scalp for the first few months (seborrheic dermatitis, more commonly known as cradle cap) and might even have soft baby hairs covering their body. Both are perfectly normal and should disappear in a few months.

Your baby might also have tiny white spots on their skin for a short period of time, normally across the cheeks, nose, forehead chin or around their eyes – these are known as Milia and known as ‘milk spots’.  These first spots on babies’ skin are common and affects 1 in 5 newborns.  They are most common in the first weeks after birth and should disappear altogether by the time your baby is 3 months old.

If the spots on their face look red and angry raised blemishes, this could be baby acne. Much like milia, it should clear up naturally over time.

One of the most infamous and unexpected ‘firsts’ that parents aren’t aware of (or prepared for) is one of the most obvious – a baby’s first poo. Known as meconium, it won’t look like poo at all – it’s likely to be black, sticky, much like tar and tricky to clean from your baby’s bottom. It’ll stay like this for a few days, and then start to change to a lighter colour. 

When it comes to keeping your baby clean during moments like this use only the gentlest skin care products and look for baby wipes that are ‘hypoallergenic’ and ‘clinically tested’ to keep your baby’s delicate skin as pure as possible – ready for the first of many hugs and kisses!