Ever wonder, while gazing in adoration and wonder at the precious bundle in your arms, how they see the world around them?
Adults, especially the sleep deprived ones (ahem, so every mother walking the earth), tend to see the world through a very fixed lens. We pinpoint our target and we zero in. Whether it’s a packet of half price nappies or large glass of wine at the end of the day, us grown ups have the ability to filter out stimulus and focus on the end game.
Not so your tiny, gurgling poop monster. The world outside the womb is brand spanking new. And to quote teenagers and 20 somethings everywhere, it’s #weirdAF. After nine months snuggled up with their best pals Ms Placenta and Sir Umbilical Cord, their sudden eviction into a technicolour existence can come as a bit of a shock.
A sight for new eyes
Your average newborn can see colour, but struggles to discern different shades, especially ones that are similar. It’s one of the reasons why nipples often change colour and become darker during pregnancy; to give baby a bullseye to focus on and try and alleviate the ‘where is that damn nipple?’ conundrum.
A couple of months in and things become clearer, literally. Eyes become more focused. Colours clearer. Toys may suddenly become far more fascinating and some signs of personality, above and beyond ‘being a newborn’ start to emerge.
Ever wondered why peek-a-boo  is such a popular past time with the 4-6 month crowd? They still have no clue that people can exist out of their line of sight. Hence the hilarity that ensues during a game. This will slowly begin to change as people and places start to make more sense.
As time goes on, vision improves, as does all forms of coordination and cognitive understanding. The world becomes less intimidating and much, much more fun.
How babies see the world
And the best bit? Us parents get to go along for the ride and experience a very familiar world through the eyes of those for who everything is excitingly new. Take a look for yourself at this video that shows the world through your baby’s eyes.
And check out this GIF! It shows exactly how a newborn starts to focus on the world around them and the way their vision develops over time. Super cool (and explains why they keep missing their mouth with Sophie Le Giraffe)
Now that you know how babies see, take a look at what happens when a newborn mistakes their sibling’s nose for a boob. So much cute!
