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The baby glossary
From Apgar to witching hour, the words new parents run into in the first year, explained in plain language.
A
- Apgar score
- A quick health check given at one and five minutes after birth, scoring skin colour, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone and breathing out of ten.
B
- Baby-led weaning
- Introducing solids by letting the baby feed themselves soft finger foods, rather than spoon-feeding purees.
- Babywearing
- Carrying your baby in a sling or carrier so they stay close while your hands stay free.
- Bassinet
- A small, cosy bed for a newborn, often kept beside the parents for the first few months.
- Braxton Hicks
- Practice contractions that tighten the belly during pregnancy but do not signal true labour.
C
- Cluster feeding
- Stretches where a baby wants to feed very frequently, often in the evening and usually during growth spurts.
- Colic
- Frequent, intense crying in an otherwise healthy baby, typically in the first few months, with no obvious cause.
- Colostrum
- The thick, golden first milk, rich in antibodies, that the body makes before regular breast milk comes in.
- Cradle cap
- Harmless flaky or crusty patches on a baby’s scalp, common in the early weeks.
E
- Engorgement
- When breasts become overly full and firm, common in the days after milk comes in.
F
- Fontanelle
- The soft spots on a baby’s head where the skull bones have not yet fused, leaving room for the brain to grow.
- Foremilk and hindmilk
- The thinner milk at the start of a feed and the richer, fattier milk that follows.
- Fourth trimester
- The first three months after birth, when the baby adjusts to the world and needs plenty of comfort and closeness.
G
- Growth spurt
- A short period when a baby feeds more and sleeps differently as they grow quickly.
L
- Lanugo
- The fine, soft hair that covers a baby in the womb and sometimes lingers on a newborn.
- Latch
- How a baby attaches to the breast to feed. A good latch makes feeding comfortable and effective.
- Let-down
- The reflex that releases milk during breastfeeding, sometimes felt as a tingling.
M
- Meconium
- A newborn’s first stools, dark and sticky, made of what they ingested in the womb.
- Milia
- Tiny white bumps, often on a newborn’s nose and cheeks, that clear up on their own.
- Moro reflex
- The startle reflex, where a baby flings out their arms in response to a sudden noise or movement.
N
- NICU
- The neonatal intensive care unit, where newborns who need extra medical care are looked after.
O
- Onesie
- A one-piece bodysuit that snaps at the bottom, a newborn wardrobe staple. Known as a bodysuit or vest in some countries.
P
- Pacifier
- A soothing dummy a baby sucks on for comfort.
- Percentile
- A way of comparing a baby’s growth to others of the same age, shown on growth charts.
- Postpartum
- The period after birth, especially the mother’s recovery and the weeks of adjustment.
- Purple crying
- A name for the normal phase of increased, hard-to-soothe crying in the early months. The letters are a reminder that it peaks and then passes.
R
- Reflux
- When milk comes back up after feeding. Common, usually harmless, and often outgrown.
- Rooting reflex
- A newborn’s instinct to turn toward a touch on the cheek and open their mouth to feed.
S
- Skin-to-skin
- Holding a baby bare against your chest to regulate their temperature, calm them and support bonding. Also called kangaroo care.
- Sleep regression
- A stretch when a baby who slept well suddenly wakes more, often tied to developmental leaps.
- Sleep sack
- A wearable blanket that keeps a baby warm without loose bedding in the cot.
- Swaddle
- Wrapping a baby snugly in a blanket to help them feel secure and settle.
T
- Teething
- The process of a baby’s first teeth pushing through, which can bring drooling, chewing and fussiness.
- Tummy time
- Supervised time spent on the belly while awake, which builds neck, shoulder and core strength.
U
- Umbilical stump
- The small remainder of the umbilical cord that dries and falls off in the first couple of weeks.
V
- Vernix
- The creamy white coating that protects a baby’s skin in the womb.
W
- Witching hour
- A fussy stretch, often in the early evening, when a baby is hard to settle.
- Wonder weeks
- Developmental leaps that can make a baby clingier or fussier as their brain changes.
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