When your baby is born and placed on your chest, before you check the gender or find the similarities between baby and parent, you’ll notice the white creamy substance, vernix, covering her skin. Before you rush to wash it away, take a read of this!
Its main and most important benefit is its anti-microbial properties. While baby is in the womb, this thick cheese-like layer protects your baby’s delicate skin from the acidic levels of your amniotic fluid.
Once baby is born, it can help to protect against a variety of infections.
Shielding the babies skin from the drying effects of amniotic fluid, this amazing substance acts as a strong moisturiser, ensuring your baby is not born looking like a wrinkled prune!
A beauty product that the cosmetic industry has spent years researching.
An aide in birthing your baby, this coating doubles as a lubricant. Helping your baby slide through the birth canal.
4. Muffles sound
Our babies begin to hear our voices around the 22 week mark. However, through your tummy, the amnio fluid and this layer of vernix, sound is extremely muffled.
5. Only human
Humans are the only species who are blessed with a coating of vernix.
6. Can be missing
If your child is born over-due it is not uncommon for the appearance of vernix to be missing. This is because the vernix has been absorbed by the amniotic fluid.
7. Different colours
Although white is the most common colour of vernix, it can actually be a yellow brown or tinted green. This is an indication that baby has already passed its first poo, meconium. If this is the case, wipe this vernix away.
8. Leave it be
Studies show that leaving the cheese-like coating on babies skin allows its benefits to be fully absorbed by baby. So don’t rush to give your baby its first bath. The World Health Organisation recommends leaving the vernix be for at least 24 hours.
9. Rub it in
Rather than wiping or washing your babies vernix away, try to rub it in as best you can before that first bath. This allows the skin to absorb as much as possible, taking good use of all benefits.
10. It can linger
After you do bath your baby, don’t be too surprised if you find vernix lingering in any skin folds. It can be found hiding within the nooks and crannies of your Childs nappy region for weeks. Either leave it be, or gently wipe it away.
Our Healthy Mummy Smoothies are breastfeeding-friendly!
The Healthy Mummy Smoothie offers an excellent source of essential vitamins, minerals, nutrients and important antioxidants. It does not contain caffeine, gluten and is also dairy free. It is also a non Genetically Modified product!
They have been created by leading nutritionists to be the perfect companion to a busy mum’s life when trying to lose weight safely – and assists with a healthy breast milk supply.
If you would like to learn MORE about our smoothie range download our smoothie information fact sheet here OR you can download the smoothie label and ingredient list here.
You can also check out our delicious flavours HERE.