Behavior Of Newborns
It is natural for parents to worry and fret over a newborn's behavior, especially if it's the parents' first baby. Newborns develop at different rates, but they share certain behavioral traits that can often alarm a new parent, if she is unsure of what is considered "normal." Most newborns grow out of some of the worrisome or strange behaviors within three months; But until then, parents will enjoy their time with their newborn more, if they understand why newborns behave the way they do.
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Crying
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Crying is the only way newborns can communicate. The most common reason for crying is hunger -- newborns have tiny stomachs that don't remain full for long -- so typically, newborns will feel hunger every 2 to 3 hours. Newborns also cry if they're tired, have a dirty diaper, feel irritation from their clothing or anything else touching them, are too hot or cold, or are feeling unwell -- or when they are in need of comfort.
Sleeping
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Newborns spend most of their time sleeping and tend to be a bit grumpy if they're woken up. According to information provided by The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, newborns sleep for up to 20 hours a day in periods lasting from 20 minutes to 4 hours. Newborn babies very rarely sleep through the night, as they need to be fed so often. Many newborns remain on "womb time" for the first few days or weeks, where they sleep when their mother is active and stay awake when she's trying to rest.
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Reflexes
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Babies are born with many natural reflexes. She will lift her legs in an imitation of stepping, if you touch her feet to a surface, and she will grip an object placed in her palm. She will suck anything that goes into her mouth, and she will extend and flex her toes, if you run a fingernail gently down the sole of her feet. If she turns her head to one side, she will hold out the arm on that side and tuck the other into her body, and she will also turn toward a source of food and get ready to suck, if you stroke her cheek.
Breathing
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The breathing rate of a newborn varies widely. A newborn tends to breathe more quickly than normal when she is excited or upset, and her breathing will slow down considerably when she is asleep; to a point where she might stop breathing completely for a period of 5 to 10 seconds. This is normal for newborns and is referred to as "periodic breathing;" parents should not worry, unless the periods of non-breathing last longer than 10 seconds, says advice provided on KidsHealth.org.
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