Facts About Newborns: Get To Know Your Baby

Baby’s life seems pretty simple, right? You know some facts about newborns like they wake up in the morning and their needs are met. They go to sleep at night and their needs are met again. In between, the baby just eats, drinks, poops, and sleeps. Babies don’t have to worry about bills or figuring out where they’re going to live or even if they’ll ever find love. Life really is easy when you’re just a baby — and that’s why you’ve got so much to learn from them! Here are just a few of the facts about newborns:

Sucking

Babies are born with a number of innate abilities. For example, one of the basic facts about newborns they’re experts at sucking. From breastfeeding to bottle-feeding, they’re well prepared for getting food through their lips and into their mouth. In fact, sucking is so important to babies that it remains one of their strongest reflexes as adults. We may not do it ourselves anymore, but we still recognize how important it is when we see other people suck (especially babies). It’s such an ingrained skill that few people actually think about why it’s so important.

Yawning

Do you know these facts about newborns that they yawn more frequently than adults. This could be because babies are growing and their bodies need more oxygen. Yawning also cools off their brain, and since babies have smaller brains than adults, it makes sense that they would do it more often. Finally, researchers think that yawning is a social signal that communicates your level of engagement in a conversation or activity with others. Babies might yawn to let others know they’re bored! So watch for baby-sized sighs—it may mean it’s time for some cuddles and snuggles. And there’s nothing new about that.

Grasping

It’s a common misconception that babies are born with no knowledge at all, but in fact, they already have quite a bit of information they’ve gleaned over time. They know how to grasp things and what it feels like when something slips out of their fingers. They know how to put their hands together in a prayer-like fashion and expect them to fit perfectly into your palms (and vice versa). And, most importantly, they know that crying gets results. Babies may not speak your language yet but don’t underestimate what you can learn from them.

Yelling when they’re angry

Babies are loud creatures and that’s one of the facts about newborns that eveyone knows. They can cry and shriek until they’re hoarse, but there’s usually a reason for their wailing—and it’s not that they’re necessarily sad or mad. Babies cry when they’re frustrated when they want something (like attention), or to get rid of some pent-up energy. In those cases, babies will often yell because it helps them release all that negative energy. Noticing and responding to your baby’s needs is a good way to calm their tantrums. And if you can figure out what your baby needs at any given moment—like a hug, a drink of water, or help using the potty—then you’ll know just how to react whenever your little one starts raising his voice.

Making sounds when they’re bored

Babies may not be able to talk, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely speechless. As a matter of fact, babies have quite a few ways of entertaining themselves if they’re bored—and they’re all quite funny. But while these silly baby sounds might seem cute at first glance, it’s important to pay attention to them. They can actually be an indication that your baby is trying to communicate something with you or that he or she is uncomfortable in his or her surroundings and needs some extra TLC. If you know what your little one is trying to say through those noises, it can help you better cater to their needs and make them feel happier and more secure overall.

Crying when they’re tired

Babies may be small, but they certainly know how to get what they want. Sometimes, that means crying when they’re tired. If you’re a parent, you know all too well how stubborn your little one can be; if they want to take a nap or go to bed early or just stay home instead of going to daycare (or if they just want to sit in their car seat forever) then they’re definitely going to let you know about it. But why do babies cry? Are they really tired? Well, maybe—but oftentimes babies are crying simply because that’s what babies do.