Your Newborn

When your newborn finally arrives, it's natural to feel overwhelmed by your new responsibilities. Ask your doctor or nurse questions about your baby's care before you leave the hospital, ask for help at home when you need it - and trust your instincts. Here is a brief guide to how you can expect your newborn to look and behave.

Appearance: Your newborn will likely have a somewhat pointed head from the trip down the birth canal. Later, the head will round out and don't worry about the soft spots on your baby's head. The skull will eventually grow over these spots until then, a tough membrane provides ample protection for your baby's brain.

The average newborn weighs about 7.5 pounds at birth. All babies lose a few ounces during the first few days of adjusting to life outside their mother's wombs - this is not a cause for concern. As long as the baby is having about six wet diapers per day, you can be reasonably sure he or she is getting enough milk. Most babies regain their birth weight by the time they're 10 days old, double it by the fifth month and triple it in one year.

You should clean your baby's umbilical cord stump five times daily with alcohol; it will fall off by itself after a few weeks. The resulting scab may leak clear or slightly blood-tinged discharge. Continue to treat the area with alcohol until it is fully healed.

Behavior: Most newborns wake up for feedings every two to three hours for the first six weeks. This can be a highly stressful time as your family adjusts to the new arrival. At six to eight weeks old, most babies start sleeping through one or two feedings per night, allowing you five to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Until that happens, be patient and try to sleep when your baby does.

Crying is your baby's way of communicating. Generally, it signifies that your baby is hungry, tired, too warm or too cold, or needs a diaper change. Sometimes, however, newborns cry for no obvious reason - again, your best bet is to be patient and wait it out.

When to Call: Even experienced parents may be concerned as they adjust to their newborns' habits, needs and personality. In fact, it can be hard to tell when your baby is sick, uncomfortable or just fussy. Here is a quick list of symptoms that let you know it's time to call the doctor:

• Fever (with a rectal thermometer--100.4 F or more. With an axilary thermometer--100.4F or more);
• Repeated vomiting or refusal of seveveral feedings in a row;
• Listlessness
• Crying excessively without a known cause
• An unsusual or severe rash (other than prickly heat);
• Unusually frequent or successive bowel movements with excessive fluid, mucous or foul odor.