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Newborn babies often appear less than appealing with their blotchy, wrinkled skin, large weird heads, swollen features and blue tinge.

Your newborn baby's limbs might be covered by fine hair (called lanugo) and a greasy white substance (called vernix) that protects your baby's skin while in the womb. There may also be a vaginal discharge from baby girls and a milky discharge from the breasts of both sexes which is quite normal in newborns.

Weird shaped heads and flattened features which are common in newborn baby's are due to the pressure of birth and having to squeeze through the pelvis and an increase in female hormones from the placenta (just before birth) can result in your newborn baby's genitals being enlarged or breasts slightly swollen.

The bluish tinge to the skin will dissipate soon after birth once your newborns oxygen from his lungs has reached the bloodstream and many of the other features, common in newborns, gradually disappear over the first few weeks.

The weight of your newborn will depend on such things as the mother's state of health, the amount of weight she has gained during pregnancy, whether the mother is a smoker and the size of both parents. The average weight and size of a newborn is around 3.4kg and 48-51 cm in length although size and weight can vary dramatically with some preterm babies weighing no more than a bag of sugar.

During the first week or so following birth your newborns weight will probably drop while he adjusts to the feeding regime. Once your newborn is feeding regularly his weight will stabilize and within a day or so start to recover regaining birth weight over the next week to ten days.

One of a newborn baby's automatic reflexes is the rooting reflex which enables them to search for a nipple in order to feed. Every newborn can suck, swallow and gag with the gagging reflex preventing your newborn from choking.

Initially your newborns breathing rhythm can appear jerky causing your baby to hiccup and newborns nasal passages are very small so as they learn to breathe through their noise they make a kind of snuffling noise which will stop once their nasal passage has increased in size.

Some babies cry as soon as chest delivered while others wait until they are breathing normally. Crying is your newborns way of communicating and helps to exercise their lungs. Newborns main reasons for crying is generally hunger, tiredness, loneliness or because they need changing. Sometimes babies cry because they don't like being undressed or they hate water. You will quickly learn to recognise why your baby is crying and how to soothe him but if you are struggling to cope or have any concerns over your babies wellbeing contact your midwife or healthcare provider.