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During his first few weeks of life, your baby will often take up the same position he did in your belly. We call this the fetal position.

Babies born from 37 to 42 weeks of pregnancy are said to be full-term. They usually measure 45 to 55 centimetres (18 to 21 inches) and weigh 2,500 to 4,300 grams (5.5 to 9.5 lb.).

A newborn’s skin colour varies from child to child. His hands and feet are sometimes paler and may stay blueish for up to 48 hours. The skin may also be mottled. This is due to cold – your baby is still learning to control his own temperature. In most cases, the mottling disappears once your baby is in a warm place.

The eyes of white-skinned newborns are blue-grey or slate blue. Darker-skinned babies often have dark eyes at birth. The eyes usually adopt their permanent colour at about 3 months old but may change up to 1 year. Newborns usually cry without tears, which appear at 1 or 2 months.

Your baby has a delicate neck, but should be able to turn it sideways easily. If he has trouble moving it and it seems to hurt, he may have a stiff neck. If the stiffness persists, get advice from a health professional.

In girls the labia minora are swollen for 2 or 3 days after birth. There may be a whitish deposit between the lips of the vulva. Don’t clean it off – it is excellent protection against bacteria. In full-term boys, the testicles have usually descended into the scrotum, which is purplish red. If they haven’t, tell the doctor.

Both boy and girl babies may have swollen breasts, which may even produce a little milk. Do not try to release any milk. Everything will take care of itself in a few days.

The newborn may have small red spots between the eyes, on the eyelids or along the back edge of the scalp. They turn white when touched under slight pressure, and become more visible when your baby cries. They will disappear during the first year. Babies sometimes have bluish spots on the buttocks or back, which should be gone by the age of 3. Other marks are permanent.

It’s normal for your baby to sneeze often. Because the hair inside his nose hasn’t grown enough, he may sneeze up to 12 times a day to eliminate secretions that interfere with his breathing. It’s not because he has a cold.

Your baby may also get the hiccups, especially after feeding. This isn’t serious. It won’t hurt him and the hiccups stop by themselves in a few minutes. Putting him back on the breast may also end his hiccups.