How exciting! Finally, you have your little adventurer in your arms! You've been waiting for this moment for so long that it may be hard to believe it's really here. A long pregnancy and a delivery that we hope went very well are now behind you. Now, it's time to enjoy each other and get to know one another. It's also a time to learn, because there are likely many things about your newborn that you don't know yet. In this article, we share 10 amazing things about babies that you might not know. Will you join us? Then let's go.

1. A baby can have acne. That's right. It's possible that during the first days or weeks, your newborn develops acne. You may see it appear on their cheeks, and sometimes on the forehead and chin. This happens due to the gradual decrease in maternal hormone levels in the blood. Don't worry—it will disappear on its own over time, once the hormones have regulated. You don't need to do anything special: simply clean your baby's face with water and soap, then rinse and dry. That's all.

2. Newborn babies are “hairy”: When your little adventurer is born, they may be covered with a soft hair called lanugo, which usually appears on the upper shoulders, back, cheeks, and forehead. This hair provided protection during pregnancy, and it will disappear within the first few months, sometimes blending into the baby's hair if it is abundant at birth. So remember: it's temporary, and there's nothing you need to do to make it go away.

3. The bones of the newborn are very flexible. At birth, babies need to pass through the cervix. To make this easier, nature has thought of everything: their bones are very flexible to help facilitate birth. Your newborn's skull is especially flexible, and it will remain that way for a while thanks to the so-called fontanelles—softer areas on the baby's head. There are two main ones: the anterior fontanel (diamond-shaped) and the posterior fontanel (small and triangular). These fontanelles allow the skull to flex during delivery. Depending on the baby, the anterior fontanel gradually closes between 8 months and 2 years, while the posterior fontanel usually closes within 8 weeks.

4. Babies can swallow and breathe at the same time . During the first three months of life, newborns can breathe while swallowing. In fact, at birth, the larynx is positioned higher than usual. This means your baby can continue breathing while being fed. After three months, your little adventurer loses this ability because the larynx descends. Surprised?

5. Each poop, a deposit: Your baby has their first bowel movement within the first 24 hours after birth, and it has a name: meconium. It is a black, very sticky substance made up of remnants from pregnancy (amniotic fluid, mucus, secretions from the digestive system, etc.). Afterward, with the first feedings, transitional stools will appear. These are greenish in color and are a necessary step toward the final stools, which are quite liquid, lumpy in appearance, and yellowish in color. During the first days and/or weeks, your newborn may have a bowel movement with almost every feeding. Don't worry—this is normal. This happens due to the so-called gastrocolic reflex, a physiological mechanism in which the baby's digestive system is activated when it comes into contact with food and automatically produces a bowel movement. Over time, as the digestive system develops, stools become less frequent until they reach one or two per day.

6. Newborns have a lot of strength. You may notice that when you place a finger on a newborn's open palm, their hand closes around it with surprising force—despite how small they are! The strength they use when they grip your finger is known as the grasp reflex. This reflex is also present in their feet, which is why scientists speculate that this ability may be related to our kinship with primates. Baby monkeys, for example, must grasp their mothers' fur from a very early age to travel through the jungle on their backs. Curious, isn't it?

7. For a newborn, there is no difference between day and night . For a baby, the concepts of day and night don't exist until at least three or four months. This is helpful to know, because then it won't surprise you if your little adventurer wakes up countless times at night because they're hungry, or spends a large part of the day sleeping. So remember: your baby needs attention and care 24 hours a day. ¿Podemos hacer algo para que vaya aprendiendo a distinguir entre el día y la noche? Mainly, you need to be patient. It can also help to keep the house bright during the day while you go about normal activities and, in contrast, keep it dark and quiet at night, creating an environment that invites rest.

8. Babies see everything in black and white . You have probably heard at some point that newborns see everything differently. It's true. A newborn's vision is not yet developed, and during the first few months, they can only see in black and white. It also happens that each eye works separately, so it's very common for your baby to cross their eyes. This is normal, and you don't need to worry.

9. The newborn cries without tears. A newborn baby cannot produce tears until at least the first month of life. This is because the tear ducts are not fully developed at birth; until they mature, babies cry without tears. This common occurrence in the first few weeks should not be confused with tearless crying when your baby is a few months old. In those cases, the absence of tears may be due to an obstruction or dehydration. Consult your pediatrician if in doubt.

10. They grow very quickly! : During the first year of life, babies grow at an incredible rate. You'll surely notice it in their clothes—have you seen how quickly they outgrow them? You might even notice it in just one week. A baby's growth is absolutely fascinating. One example: your little adventurer's brain doubles in size in just one year. This growth doesn't continue indefinitely, but gradually slows down; otherwise, we would become eight- or nine-meter giants by adulthood!

We hope you enjoyed this universe of newborn curiosities. We encourage you to keep discovering more about your baby and not to miss their little big milestones. Remember, time passes faster than it seems, and this stage won't come back!