Newborn worries...please share your experiences

[mw1234]

Just had a gorgeous little boy. Weighed a big 10lb 1oz. He's less than 2 days old so I'm probably being silly, but some things, cumulatively, are making me a little worried.

He has a large head circumference (98th percentile) but the paediatrician says he is physically fine but something to keep an eye on. He is very sleepy, and hasn't been awake much, and is not taking to the nipple although he drunk the formula he was given. He's not a real 'mover' during his sleep and doesn't make a huge amount of noise or crying. Very different to my first.

Also, he doesn't open his eyes a huge amount when awake and his eyelids seem to almost curve inwards (difficult to describe).

Also, his chin is slightly receded.

What keeps on worrying me is that the pediatricians have asked 'does he look like anyone in your family' as if this is a 'code' question amongst themselves that they suspect a condition but aren't saying.

I know baby is very very new, so am I worrying for nothing?

mw

Are you a health care professional yourself? Could you be reading too much into things? I mean it's easy to jump to worst case scenerios when you have some knowledge.

You will be comparing to your first born. He might be very different.

Unusual facial features can be a sign of chromosome abnormality. This is unlikely, remember. New borns often just look funny.Often hospital doctors are not that experienced at this time of year, new SHOs, and can say off hand odd comments.

Talk your worries over with your mid wife, health visitor or GP. Is better to talk about your worry than bottle it up.

Your baby is more than likely fine. Don't let your worry spoil this special time. I bet he's gorgous. Enjoy him and take care of your self. Congratulations!

He sounds utterly gorgeous. Congratulations.

No-one on MN will be able to answer your question about any condition definitely; if you are concerned you would need to talk with your health professionals surely? They have the one advantage of having met your baby

On the face of it, I thought many newborns are sleepy and not very noisy- I remember being warned about it as everything thinks yipee I have an easy baby - and then they get a shock a week later when the baby grows up a bit!

All the best.

X-posts- but I think I was trying to say the same thing as missworried!

congratulations mw! I'm not an expert by any means, but would have thought the head circumference would have been large due to his weight? - guessing he's up on the 98th for weight too? DD was 9lb 9oz and her head circumference was fairly high up too. Also, both DS and DD slept LOADS in the first couple of days and I think this is quite common - when you consider the journey they've had to get here, they're ready for a rest. DD fed more as we had a normal delviery, but DS was ventouse and slept for 11hours solid without waking when we got him home, we were so worried we kept ringing the delivery suite to check was this normal.

Can you express some milk, just a little amount to get the taste onto his mouth? lie down together on your bed maybe with his head next to your boob and to do some skin-to-skin with him, see if this helps? If you can just keep offering the breast as often as you can and try and stay away from formula for now he will hopefully start to latch on? - however I'm no expert on any of this other than having 2 LOs myself, so it's just my own experience I'm going on. you have more chance of him starting to latch on if he's only offered the breast, but of course if you're seriously worried he's not taking anything, then do what feels right for you with regards the formula.

how are his nappies? are they wet when changed? also how is his soft spot? can you speak to your midwife / delivery suite / hv ?

I don't know anything about the chin or eyelids, but would say that as you've just given birth, you will be feeling so protective and emotional, so might be worrying a bit too much. I remember the first night in hospital with DS staring at him convinced something was wrong with him - I thought his chin looked receeded and was panicking that they hadn't picked something up - of course he was just perfect.

I'd say go and enjoy staring at your beautiful new baby whilst he sleeps whilst you can before he wakes up in the real world and lets you know he's here and just keep pickinghim up every so often and putting him to the breast and try not to worry

Hope you get some well earnt sleep now MW. Good night!

Thanks for all the comments/responses.

Since last night, little one has become much more active. He's had 3 really good breast feeding sessions and woke me up a couple of times at midnight and during the night asking for food. No complaints from me.

Still sleepy compared to my first but he is also more active when he is asleep, moving hands, feet, etc.

We again spoke to the paediatrician today and two came along - we have now had 4 different paediatricians say that they believe nothing is wrong with him.

However, because of a couple of 'soft' issues e.g. he is slighly hypotonic, and he has a double crease on one palm but a single on the other (which can mean nothing) and considering we are stressing and perhaps latching on to a few things, they have offered some chromosomal tests. We have agreed since we would sooner know however, we are much more reassured given the developments over the past 24 hours i.e. normal feeding, pooing, eyes open, alert time, etc.

He seems like a normal baby - it's just impossible not to get stressed and worried..I thought I would be less worried with my second, but clearly not.

I should add that he was delivered via C-section and stuck right up the top of the uterus so no surprise he looks odd - they all do.

Thanks all.