It's a fair assumption that you already know some things about babies. You've been told that babies take time to recognize people. You know that they understand, instinctually, who their mothers are within moments of being born. Most people understand that each baby will develop at his or her own pace. There is no set schedule for walking or talking or eating solid foods or sitting up or any other "first" in a baby's life. The fact is that most people do not quite grasp just how intricate a baby's development really is. Human development is fascinating but infancy is mesmerizing. Even within the first few years of a person's life there are millions of fascinating changes. It doesn't look like babies do all that much in their first years of life but beneath that calm (and sometimes fussy) exterior is a factory that is working like mad to grow, change and develop!

Babies can sense light changes even in the womb. Millions of fibers and nerve endings connect together to create your eyes. The coordination needed for the eyes to function properly is extraordinary. Babies have functioning eyes by just a few months after they are conceived. By the time your baby has spent six months growing in your womb, he or she will already be sensitive to light. Here's something else about your baby's eyes: if he is Caucasian he will be born with blue eyes but they might not stay that color! Caucasian babies do not usually keep their "original" eye color (blue). Try not to get too attached to those bright blue eyes! They might not stay that way! Knowing how to hold his breath and how to swim are two things that your baby is born with. This is also something that your baby will rapidly forget as well. It is this instinct that makes some doctors believe water births are best.
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Swimming from the womb into life is supposed to make the transition of being born less traumatic for the infant. "Traditional" birthing in a hospital room is believed to be one of the reasons that babies have such a hard time adjusting to life outside of mom: the harsh transition is too traumatic.

While most doctors recommend against consuming mercury while a woman is pregnant, eating non mercury forms of fish can be quite healthy. Many doctors recommend eating salmon regularly because it does not contain mercury the way other fish do and because it contains all sorts of healthy things that a mother needs for her growing fetus. There are those who say that a woman who eats fish regularly during her pregnancy will give birth to babies with better developed brains and a better capacity for communication than babies carried by women who did not eat fish regularly during their pregnancies. This has not yet been proven beyond a doubt so if you do not eat fish, there is no need to panic.

There are all sorts of great baby facts that are not part of most people's common knowledge. Early childhood development is amazing. Watching your kids develop and grow is more fun when you know what is happening!