9 things about newborns you shouldn’t be concerned about

Bringing a newborn home is a strange mix of joy and low-level panic. Every squeak, twitch and odd little habit can send you straight to Google at 3am. The good news is that most of the things that feel alarming in those first weeks are completely normal parts of newborn development. Here are nine of the most common ones, along with what’s actually going on and when it’s genuinely worth a call to your GP, midwife or health visitor.

1. Hiccups after almost every feed

Newborn hiccups are extremely common, and they’re usually nothing to do with the diaphragm “learning” anything new, despite what you might have read elsewhere. They’re more often linked to swallowing air during feeds, feeding too quickly, or mild reflux, where a bit of milk and stomach acid comes back up and irritates the diaphragm. Babies’ oesophagus muscles are still immature, so this happens more easily than it does in older children or adults.

Most babies aren’t bothered by their own hiccups at all, even if they sound dramatic. If yours seems to be gagging, arching away from the bottle or breast, or hiccups constantly alongside spitting up large amounts, it’s worth mentioning to your health visitor or GP, as it could point to reflux that needs managing rather than just watching.

2. Chubby cheeks and a double chin

Those squishy cheeks aren’t just adorable, they serve a purpose. Babies are born with extra fat pads in their cheeks, called buccal fat pads, which help support the strong sucking action needed for breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Combined with the general layer of baby fat most healthy newborns carry, this gives that classic chubby-cheeked look.

A double chin or rolls on the arms and legs in the early weeks is usually a sign your baby is feeding well and gaining weight as expected. Your midwife or health visitor will track this at weigh-ins using a growth chart, so you don’t need to worry about it yourself unless they raise a concern.

3. Fine, downy hair (lanugo)

Lanugo is the soft, fine hair that can cover a newborn’s shoulders, back, ears and forehead. It develops in the womb from around 16 weeks and normally starts shedding before birth, which is why full-term babies often have very little left. Babies born early tend to have more of it, simply because they haven’t had as much time in the womb to shed it.

There’s nothing to do here, it isn’t a sign of anything being wrong. It usually rubs off naturally within the first few weeks through normal handling, bathing and friction against clothing or bedding.

4. Sleeping what feels like all day

Newborns typically sleep somewhere between 14 and 17 hours in a 24 hour period, though it’s rarely in one convenient stretch. Their sleep is broken into short cycles because they need to wake regularly to feed, especially in the first few weeks when frequent feeding supports growth and, for breastfed babies, helps establish your milk supply.

What matters more than the total hours is where and how they’re sleeping. Current safe sleep guidance recommends:

• Always place your baby on their back to sleep, for every sleep, day and night
• Use a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet, no pillows, cot bumpers or loose bedding
• Keep your baby in the same room as you for sleeps, ideally for the first six months
• Avoid letting your baby sleep for long stretches on you, in a car seat or on a sofa

If your baby is very difficult to wake for feeds, feels floppy, or you’re worried they’re feeding less than usual because of sleepiness, contact your midwife or health visitor rather than waiting it out.

5. Grunts, snuffles and odd breathing sounds

Newborns are noisy little sleepers. Their nasal passages are tiny, so normal mucus or milk residue can cause snuffling and snorting that sounds worse than it is. They also do something called periodic breathing, where they breathe quickly for a bit, pause briefly, then carry on. This is usually completely normal in the first few months.

That said, some breathing signs do need urgent attention. Get medical help straight away if you notice:

• Fast breathing that doesn’t settle, or grunting with every single breath
• The skin between the ribs or at the neck pulling in with each breath (this is called recession)
• Blue or grey tinge around the lips, tongue or face
• Pauses in breathing lasting more than 15 to 20 seconds

If in doubt, trust your instincts and call your GP, out of hours service, or 999 if your baby seems seriously unwell. Ordinary grunts and squeaks during sleep, on the other hand, are just part of newborn life.

6. Diaper changes that don’t go to plan

Getting sprayed, splashed or worse during a nappy change is a genuine rite of passage, particularly with boys, though it happens with girls too. It’s simply because you’ve removed the nappy and the bladder or bowel decides that’s the moment to go. Keeping a spare cloth or flannel over your baby while you change them, and having everything you need laid out before you start, saves a lot of laundry.

What’s more useful to actually pay attention to during nappy changes is the content itself. Newborn poo changes colour a lot in the first week or two, from black, tarry meconium to yellowish, seedy stools once feeding is established. If you ever see pale, chalky white stools or blood in the nappy, mention it to your health visitor or GP, as these are things worth checking rather than ignoring.

7. Tightly clenched fists

Newborns are born with a grasp reflex, one of several primitive reflexes present from birth. If you press a finger into your baby’s palm, they’ll instinctively curl their fingers around it. Outside of feeds and cuddles, their hands often stay clenched simply because they haven’t yet developed the muscle control to keep them relaxed and open.

This usually eases naturally somewhere between two and four months, as your baby gains more control over their movements and starts to bring their hands together, bat at toys, and eventually reach for things deliberately.

8. Eyes that seem to wander or cross

It’s common for a newborn’s eyes to drift, cross, or seem to move independently of each other in the first few months. Their eye muscles and the part of the brain that coordinates binocular vision are still developing, and babies also can’t focus well on anything more than about 20 to 30cm away in the earliest weeks.

Most of this sorts itself out by around four to six months, as babies start tracking objects and faces more smoothly. If crossing or wandering is constant rather than occasional, or is still noticeable after six months, it’s worth having it checked, as it could be a sign of a condition such as strabismus that benefits from early treatment. Your health visitor can refer you if needed.

9. Feeding what feels like constantly

Newborn stomachs are genuinely tiny, roughly the size of a cherry in the first day or two, growing to about the size of an egg by two weeks. That’s why they need to feed so often, typically 8 to 12 times in 24 hours in the early weeks, whether breastfed or bottle fed. Cluster feeding, where your baby wants to feed almost back to back for a few hours, often in the evening, is also completely normal and usually settles down as your baby gets a bit older.

If you’re breastfeeding, frequent feeding is also how your body gets the signal to build up milk supply, so it’s doing an important job even when it feels relentless. If you’re worried your baby isn’t getting enough, whether breast or bottle fed, weight checks with your health visitor are the most reliable way to know for sure rather than trying to judge it from feeding frequency alone.

Trust the process, but don’t ignore your instincts

Most of the strange little quirks newborns come with are simply signs of a body and brain that are still finishing their development outside the womb. Hiccups, grunts, clenched fists and odd eye movements will almost all resolve on their own within the first few months.

That said, you know your baby better than anyone else does, and no article can replace a proper check by someone who’s actually seen them. If something feels genuinely off, not just unfamiliar, it’s always worth a call to your midwife, health visitor or GP. Most of the time you’ll be reassured, and that’s a perfectly good use of a phone call in the newborn stage.