Newborn facts: Your baby's breasts

These might well be swollen – this has nothing to do with pressure during the birth process, but is simply due to exposure to Mom's hormones during pregnancy. Do not prod or squeeze your little one's breasts and simply clean them as you would the rest of the body. Sometimes there might even be a little discharge, which will soon clear. These symptoms need not concern you and they will settle down within a week or two.

Other facts about your baby's body:

• Both newborn boys and girls mostly have hard nodules under their nipples and the area might even appear swollen to the naked eye.
• A little girl's labia (the lips around the vagina) and a boy's scrotum are usually amazingly enlarged in proportion to their overall body size.
• There might be a slight bloody vaginal discharge in the case of a baby girl, and a slight blood smear might even be seen in a baby boy's nappy.

By Sister Lilian

Newborn facts: Your baby's bowel action


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