Your due date is calculated by adding 280 days (40 weeks) to the first day of your last menstrual period (assuming a 28 day cycle).
Note that your menstrual period and ovulation are counted as the first two weeks of pregnancy. If you deliver on your due date, your baby is actually only 38 weeks old, not 40.
Please remember that your due date is only an estimate. Every pregnancy is unique and your baby will come when it's ready. Be sure to talk to your health care provider about your due date.
On average only 5% of births take place exactly on the estimated due date. Most are born within a week either side of the estimated due date. A normal pregnancy can last anywhere between 38 and 42 weeks.
It is okay if baby does not burp. The burp may come up later, often with some milk as well. A little spit-up is normal – it just means more laundry! Notify your healthcare provider if your baby’s spit-up is forceful and “shoots across the room”, particularly if this happens more than once.
Most parents burp their babies at the end of a feed. If your baby is particularly bothered by gas, you may want to burp part way through the feed as well.
Newborns sneeze often. It does not mean that they have a cold or allergies. Sneezing is simply baby’s way of clearing his nose.
Their nasal passages are tiny and can easily be clogged by mucous. C-section babies tend to have a bit more mucous as it was not “squeezed out” as baby came through the birth canal.
See your healthcare provider if sneezing is accompanied by wheezing or other signs of illness, such as a fever.
A newborn’s skull is made up of several bones that have not yet joined together. This allowed baby’s head to pass through the birth canal. The openings between these bones, on top of baby’s head, are called “soft spots” or “fontanelles”. There are two soft spots, a larger one toward the front of the head and a smaller one in the back.
Don’t be afraid to gently touch baby’s soft spots as a thick membrane covers them. Over the next 18 months, the bones in baby’s skull will grow together and the soft spot will disappear.
A newborn’s skull is made up of several bones that have not yet joined together. This allowed baby’s head to pass through the birth canal. The openings between these bones, on top of baby’s head, are called “soft spots” or “fontanelles”. There are two soft spots, a larger one toward the front of the head and a smaller one in the back.
Don’t be afraid to gently touch baby’s soft spots as a thick membrane covers them. Over the next 18 months, the bones in baby’s skull will grow together and the soft spot will disappear.
In the early days, baby’s fingernails are often adhered to the fingertip. Examine baby’s finger from the side. If you cannot see separation between the fingernail and the skin of the baby’s finger, it is too early to trim them. If the fingernail is separated from the finger, you can go ahead and trim.
Gently press the fingertip away from baby’s fingernail. Trim the nail using baby clippers or small blunt scissors.
It is easiest to trim nails while the baby is sleeping. You could use an emery board to carefully smooth any rough edges. It is not recommended to bite off baby’s nails as the germs from your mouth could cause an infection.