The birth of a child is a great joy for young people and a great responsibility at the same time. Caring for a baby requires attention and affection from new parents. And if all relatives can give love to a baby, then with experience in terms of care, the situation is much worse. The process of bathing seems very difficult, especially for the first time.
Call your husband or mother, let them help you. For a child in the first months of his life, hygiene is very important. After all, his delicate skin is very prone to diaper rash and irritation. That is why the first 3 months it is necessary to wash the baby daily. Remember, gradually you will learn all these tricks, and bathing will become a great pleasure for you and the crumbs. In the meantime, I'll show you how to do it right.
When can I start bathing a newborn baby after discharge from the hospital?
Usually children are discharged from the maternity hospital for 3-4 days. If BCG was vaccinated on the day of discharge, it is not recommended to immediately bathe the newborn.
You immediately need to take note that any vaccination is a contraindication to water procedures. And here the next day, you can safely proceed to bathing the baby.
Water procedures are designed to wash away dirt, discomfort and fatigue, so that the child is hardened, grows strong and healthy.
What will we need?
For the first and subsequent bathing, we need a few things.
- Baby bath.
- Stand (you can hold the child with your hand).
- Baby soap, shampoo, thermometer, washcloth or sponge.
- Potassium permanganate and herb succession and chamomile.
- Terry towel for a child.
Nine months of pregnancy passed very quickly, the pangs of childbirth were left behind. In front of the mother lies a small tender lump. Of course, in the maternity hospital they will help to cope with the newborn. But, having arrived home, you will be left without doctors and without their professional support. How not to get confused and feel confident with the baby alone? I will try to tell you in detail about this and about how, where, at what time and with what it is better to bathe a baby. So let's get started.
Water temperature
I advise you to bathe the baby in a room with an air temperature of at least 26-28 degrees to prevent hypothermia. The body of the baby does not retain heat well, so it can quickly get sick. The water temperature should be at least 36-37 degrees.
Before putting a newborn in the bath, I advise you to check the water with your elbow or a special thermometer. She must be warm.
What baths are best for bathing a child?
After that, you can bathe the newborn in unboiled water, but always with the addition of manganese (the water should be light pink). Bathe in a weak solution 2 times a week.
The baby can be washed with soap twice a week, and the rest of the time - in solutions of chamomile, string and oak bark. Steam the herb according to the recipe and add it to the bath, following the correct proportions.
Chamomile and string have relaxing and disinfecting properties.
For the baby, these herbs are very pleasant, because, among other things, they relax her muscles well.
Duration of the procedure
The duration of bathing time varies depending on age. The very first bathing can take from 2 to 10-15 minutes.
In order to atone for a child, 5 minutes will be enough. But it’s better to hold the newborn in some water, give him the opportunity to get used to it or just shake his legs. True, this can only be done if the baby is not naughty. And remember that the water should not cool even one degree!
When the baby is 1.5-2 months old, the bathing time will increase to 25-35 minutes.
What time?
I advise you to choose the time for swimming yourself, when it is more convenient for you - in the morning or in the evening. And in the future, I recommend not to change these hours.
It is best to do this shortly before feeding. After all, if the baby is full, she can start spitting up food while bathing, and if she is hungry, she will simply become capricious.
What is the best way to wash a baby?
Wash your baby with liquid hypoallergenic soap that does not dry the skin. To do this, it is better to take "Eared Nanny" or "Johnson Baby". I advise you to choose a shampoo carefully, paying special attention to an important point: these products should not pinch your eyes when they hit.
To wash your head and body, buy 2in1 products, it's much easier. I also advise you to use a bathing foam, it will moisturize the skin of the crumbs well. It is better to buy it when the baby is already 5-7 months old.
How often should a newborn be bathed?
If there are no contraindications, then I advise you to bathe the newborn every day. It stimulates blood circulation and is good for the skin. After bathing, the baby has a good one.
I started bathing the child on the 3rd day of being at home, when he was already used to the new environment.
To begin with, I undress the baby, take out the handles from the sleeves, holding the elbows. I boldly turn the baby from side to side, while commenting on all my actions. I pronounce the name of the sides and parts of the body of the newborn - it also turns out a speech lesson.
Before bathing, I always treat the bath with cleaning products suitable for children in the first days of life. I rinse it a few times after that.
Daily bathing turns into a swimming lesson and wonderful gymnastics for a child during the first 3-5 months of life.
I bathe in ordinary unboiled water with a weak solution of manganese. The water temperature should be 37 degrees, and the air - 26-28 degrees, about 4 degrees higher than in the room where the baby sleeps. The tub is 2/3 full of water.
Gently, starting from the legs, lower the baby into the water - to the middle of the chest. I wash with my hand each fold of the newborn, starting from the neck, then the muscle, elbow, carpal and inguinal folds. My baby without a washcloth or any sponges.
Once a week I wash with Johnson's Baby or Mustela soap and in a solution of chamomile.
Then I rinse with clean water, which is a degree lower than the one in which I bathed. I water from top to bottom. After I take the baby out of the bath and get wet with a warm diaper. I process and dress him in pants and a blouse so that the child feels relaxed. And I always put anti-scratches on my hands so that I don’t get scratched. And here we are, clean and contented, we begin to eat.
How and what is the best way to handle a child after bathing?
After bathing a newborn, do not forget to treat with baby cream or oil. If possible, give him a soothing massage before bed.
Pay special attention to the buttocks and inguinal folds. Here you need to use a special cream or powder.
Then we process the baby's eyes, ears, nose, navel.
We simply wipe the eyes with boiled water - one cotton pad per eye, process from the corners to the spout. We clean the ears with cotton swabs. My nose with twisted cotton flagella. We process the navel with greenery.
And you can dress the baby.
