It's not unusual for parents to feel strong surges of emotion when giving birth is finally ended, and the baby has arrived. You may weep for joy, or simply feel overcome from having gone through such a powerful experience.

Almost every parent has the same reaction to their newly born baby. You'll try to get your baby to look at you. There's something so magical about linking eyes for the first time. You'll check to see that all your baby's parts are all there "tiny fingers, tiny toes, miniature genitals". You may caress your baby's head, and, most likely, you'll find yourself talking softly and sweetly to this little being you've been waiting to meet for so long.

Don't be disappointed, though, if your newborn doesn't bear any resemblance to those adorable babies you've been oogling over in magazines or in the grocery store. Most baby used for ads are at least six months old. It takes months to develop that fuzzy head of hair, wide eyes and pudgy, precious cheeks. If your baby comes early, you may joke that she resembles a little monkey more than a real baby. Not to worry. Your baby is guaranteed to turn out to be equally as appealing as those front-page baby models. Later.

Note: Your baby won't have eyebrows or the ability to shed tears for several months.

New Parent Feelings

Don't be rebuffed if your baby doesn't respond very well to your entreaties. Some new babies are wide awake and peering around as though they're curious about everything, especially your face. But it's not unusual for a newborn to be downright cranky, or so sluggish you can't rouse him and get him to look at you. Birth is hard on a baby, and he may simply need time to adjust to how cold and harsh it feels out in the world before he's willing to be sociable.

Much has been written about parent-baby bonding over the years. It's the concept that there's a period of sensitivity right after birth when attachment is most likely to be formed between parents and babies. But don't feel guilty if at first you don't feel a strong surge of love and powerful, protective feelings toward your baby.

Baby eyes

You won't know for sure whether your new baby's eyes will be brown or blue for a few weeks. A newborn's eyes could be described as dark and a nondescript in color. They're not bright and shiny like in the ads, and baby's expression may seem somewhat hazy and distant. (Some parents even say their babies eyes make them appear to belong to a deeply wise old man). Your baby's eyes may seem crossed at times, or one eye may wander in a different direction than the other. That's normal.

Your newborn can only focus at about twelve inches from his face "the distance from your breast to your eyes". Anything beyond that is blurry. After mandatory medication is put in the eyes, the eyelids may become red and swollen. Some newborns' eyes have blood spots from the pressure of delivery.