Babies are interesting beings, aren’t they? Of course, a mom would only know that if she have one of her own. Anyone thinking about becoming a mother or are expecting her first child, may have no idea what I mean by that. Well, stay with me because I am about to explain exactly what I mean.

When we are pregnant, there are many things that our doctors tell us about. They tell us how to handle childbirth, and even how to feed or care for our babies. That is, the most basic information. What about all the things they don’t warn us about? You can bet that there are a lot of things they just don’t tell us about. That is not due to negligence on their part, there is just so much to know about little babies. That is why informational articles like us are here. We are here to fill in all the holes with important and interesting nuggets of information.

Babies do a lot more than eat, sleep and cry. They partake in a world of activities that has the rest of us shaking our heads. Some of it may even lead to some pretty big fears that something is wrong. This can make even the most prepared mom rush to the ER to make sure everything is OK. The truth is, usually everything is fine, but it never hurts to get checked if you really are worried.

There are specifically 15 things that babies do that can cause some fear and anxiety in a new mom, but they are actually completely normal (and sometimes healthy) things that most of all newborn babies do.

15 What Is With All The Groaning?

Remember when I said that babies do a lot more than just cry? This is very accurate. You can expect a lot more than cooing or crying from your little bundle of joy. Newborns are capable of making all sorts of noises. They grunt and groan, which can make you think that they are either constipated or very uncomfortable. Before you start frantically trying to fix what may be wrong, these noises are all perfectly normal, and does not mean that your baby is in any distress.

These noises all happen because the baby’s nasal passages are still narrow. Mix that with a bit of left over amniotic fluid in their system and you are left with a pretty congested and grunting baby. You can always clear the baby’s nose with a nasal aspirator, but you could also leave it to clear on its own.

14 A Little Young To Be A Head Banger?

This one brings about the most concern when it comes to baby behaviour. It is when they bang their head against surfaces. This one was enough to even worry me (and I consider myself a pretty laid-back mom). You immediately think they are going to give themselves a concussion, or that something must be wrong for them to act like this. Nothing is wrong, just another normal (but very bizarre) baby behaviour.

This behaviour is normally found in older babies, starting just before they turn one, and it happens for a multitude of reasons. They may do it out of frustration, because they do not know any other way of expressing themselves. They may do it when they are in pain. If they are teething, for example. They also may do it to comfort themselves. They end up doing it because they are ‘rocking’ themselves either to sleep or just to feel better. Don’t worry, chances are they are not doing it hard enough to seriously injure themselves.

13 Holding Their Breath Is Normal, I Promise!

One of the things that terrified me when my daughter was a newborn was when she would hold her breath. It worried me enough to make sure I brought it up at the next doctor’s appointment; only to be told that it was completely normal. This normally starts to happen when the baby is about 6 months old, but it can happen even earlier, and it is normally a result of an upsetting situation.

If a baby gets themselves worked up out of hunger or tiredness or has a small injury it is perfectly normal for them to hold their breath. Some babies even hold their breath up to one minute in length; causing them to lose consciousness. This behaviour was thought to be ‘attention seeking’. While this may be the cause if your child is older as a way to manipulate the parents into letting them have what they want, an infant does not know how to behave in a manipulating manner. It is an involuntary reflux.

12 Cross Their Eyes

We all know that it takes time for a newborn’s sight to become what we as adults are used to seeing. When they are first born, they can only see things very close and in black and white. It takes time for their vision to become clear. This means that their eyes are bound to do some pretty odd things. Some babies may have a lazy eye, while others may have crossed eyes from time to time. This can be very concerning to parents who are worried about their child’s sight, but it is also completely normal.

This happens because it takes time for them to grow and strengthen the muscle control they have of their eyes. You should only worry if this continues past 6-months of age. This is the time when those muscles should be strengthened, and they have developed the ability to focus their eyes. If they are still crossing their eyes past this age, it wouldn’t hurt to get their little eyes checked.

11 All The Explosive Poops … That Can’t Be Normal, Right?

We know that babies poop a lot, that is one thing that the doctors do warn us about. We also are used to hearing about our friend’s horror stories about their baby’s explosive poops. We don’t truly believe it will happen to us, or that it will happen on multiple occasions. It will happen to you, a lot. Babies are known for their explosive poops that go all up their back, and it happens often.

No, this does not mean that there is something medically wrong with your baby, or that he has the stomach flu for the tenth time this week. This is just how babies poop. Before they start solid foods, their nutrition is based on liquid. If all they are intaking is liquid, then all that will come out will be liquid as well. Because it is loose, and it is forced out, it has the ability to just go everywhere and normally it does. It will also always happen at the most inconvenient time.

10 If You Thought Sneezy The Dwarf Was Bad!

You know that cute little dwarf on Snow White? The one who sneezes so much that they call him Sneezy? Well, you may be wondering if you have his offspring in your house based on the amount of times your little one sneezes. Newborns sneeze a lot, and no, it does not mean that they have allergies that young. You don’t need to get rid of the cat just yet.

We must remember that a baby is new, this world is big, strange and at times scary to them. This means that they are not used to the air that we are breathing in. There are always little particles floating around and these can irritate their new little nasal passages, causing them to sneeze all the time. If your baby is not showing any other signs of being sick, then chances are this is normal. If the sneezing is accompanied by a wheezing sound or a persistent cough it would be a good idea to take them to their doctor.

9 Hungry, Yet Won’t Eat.

We can all say it: babies can be frustrating. Moms can easily reach a point where they are frustrated, when the baby cries and nothing seems to be making them feel better. A lot of frustration is centered around food, and there may be instances where your baby is starving but just will not eat. Nothing you do seems to work, you warm up the bottle or you offer the breast and they want nothing to do with it; yet they are crying for food.

This is normal, and the probable cause is timing. Babies show cues that they are getting hungry, and the earlier you catch these cues the easier it will be to feed them. This happens to almost every mom at least once, and it is not your fault. If the baby gets worked up then they will refuse the food. You must calm the baby down before attempting to feed again. Another possible reason could be that the baby needs a burp before they want to eat or continue to eat if they stop mid-feeding.

8 Jerk Motions

Do you know that feeling when you are about to fall asleep, and then it feels like you have fallen over a curb? This is quite common, and it can also happen to babies. Newborns make a lot of jerky motions, and this is completely normal and does not mean that your baby has a nerve issue. This is called the Moro-reflux and it is something that all babies are born with.

They are so used to being tucked inside mom’s womb that this big world feels very scary to them. Therefore, they make those refluxes, and it feels very similar to when you ‘fall’ in bed. The best way to combat this is to swaddle them. This phenomenon may also be a survival instinct. Years ago, moms carried their babies everywhere, and this reflux was helpful if her grasp was slipping.

7 Grinding Teeth Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine!

Nobody likes the sound of nails on a chalkboard, it is enough to send shivers down your spine. It is much the same when a baby grinds their teeth, or even their gums. It is a sound that can have you shivering and wondering if your baby is OK. Chances are, yes, they are. This is another weird thing that babies do that is completely normal. This happens for a couple of reasons.

If your baby is teething, this rubbing sensation can be their way of offering some form of pain relief. The rubbing feels good and can help their little teeth break through the gums. It also just could be them exploring a new sensation. If they have just gotten some teeth, it is all new to them. Babies like to play with things that are new, so they will rub them together to learn more about this new sensation. Most children do outgrow this at some point, but you can bring it up at a dentist’s appointment.

6 There Is Blood… Where?

Blood is something that is bound to worry any parent, either new or experienced. Blood indicates to us that something is wrong, and their baby is hurt, but this is not always the case. If you notice blood in your newborn’s diaper, you may not need to rush to your nearest emergency room, because believe it or not this can be normal.

If you have just had a little girl, it is common for them to have some blood in their diaper. This is often referred to as a “mini-period” and it is due to the hormone changes after leaving your body. It is a direct result of estrogen withdrawal and is never anything to worry about. A particularly rough bowel movement could also be the cause of the blood, if it resulted in a small cut or scratch. If you recently had your boy circumcised it could also just be blood from the healing wound.

5 Crocodile Tears?

We have all heard the term crocodile tears, it is normally something you see with older children. When they are crying, but there are no tears. This normally tells a parent that nothing is really wrong. Newborns also experience crocodile tears, and it is not because they are just faking it. Babies don’t know how to fake anything, but they also don’t know how to produce tears.

It takes time for a newborn to get tears. Their tear ducts are still developing. There is no need to worry when your little one cries but no tears are coming out. It does not mean that something is wrong, and it does not mean that they are faking it. At around 3 – 4 months of age is when your baby will gain the ability to shed those tears, but they are so heartbreaking you wish they never did.

4 Hiccups All The Darn Day Long!

I detest the hiccups, I get almost enraged when I get them because they drive me absolutely crazy. It was a bit of a shock to me when I witnessed just how often my little one got the hiccups and how long they lasted. It was enough to make me worry that she had some sort of gastro-intestinal issue (yes, I was a first-time mom). Turns out it is completely normal. So normal that it may be odd if your little one does not hiccup like crazy.

Chronic hiccups could be a result of eating too fast, or due to the fact that their breathing system hasn’t fully synchronised yet. These both result in a lot of swallowed air that needs to work itself out. This is another reason why burping is so important. The baby is not bothered by the hiccups at all, even if it does make mom or dad a little nervous. It is actually a good thing, it shows that their digestive system is working properly.

3 Are They Breathing Right?

New parents obsess over breathing. They monitor their baby to make sure breath is coming out, and they also go as far as to wake their baby in the middle of the night to make sure that they are still breathing. This is all normal new-parent behaviour, but so is weird breathing patterns in babies. It is very normal for their breathing to be heavy and scattered when they are brand new.

Heavy breathing does not mean that they are struggling to get air in. It probably just sounds heavy because of all the extra fluid that they still have in their system. They also will be more congested due to this fluid. This will all result in heavier breathing. When babies are born, they only breathe out of their nose, this is to ensure they can eat properly. They don’t know how to breathe out of their mouth, it all comes through the nose, so there are bound to be some weird and concerning noises.

2 Good Children Don’t Touch That! (Heavy With Sarcasm)

This is one that concerns a lot of parents, when their children have learned to touch everything, including their private parts. It is important to know that this is only weird to us because we are adults, and we know that these places should not be touched. Babies are the definition of innocence, they don’t feel any shame in their body or what they are doing.

When baby can start reaching for things, it is yet another thing that they are experiencing for the first time. This makes them curious and they have an urge to explore everything around them. That means that when the diaper comes off, they immediately want to know what is under there. This is not something to worry about, it is completely normal, and they will grow out of it. Just remember that it is only embarrassing to you, and no one else.

1 Alzheimer’s In Baby???

We have all been there: when the baby rolls over for the first time or starts to clap. We are elated and want to share this with the world, so we grab our cameras to catch this momentous occasion. Then what inevitably happens is that they don’t do it again. They have appeared to completely forget how to do something they literally just did ten minutes ago. This is normal and does not mean that your baby has a memory issue that needs to be addressed.

The reason your baby may not do it again is because they simply don’t need to. They’ve learned, they did it, and now it is time to move on to bigger and greater things. Or, they just want to drive you nuts may be a better explanation. Don’t worry. They will do it again, but they will probably never do it when you have a camera out and pointed at them.

Sources: parent24.com, parenting.com, thebump.com, babycenter.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov