While expecting a child, many mothers try to learn as much as possible about pregnancy and childbirth, believing that the most difficult thing is giving life to a new person. In movies, everything ends with a wedding, but in life, everything just begins with a wedding. It’s the same with motherhood: with the birth of a child, the fun begins. A young mother needs to accomplish so much in a day! And here it is important to properly distribute your time and energy. We will tell you about how to properly organize care for a newborn girl, what to pay attention to, in which cases to seek qualified help, and in which cases not to panic and just wait for time. This information will be useful not only to mothers of first-borns, but also to those who have their first baby in the family.
In the first days
During the first time after birth, a light gray or creamy coating - remnants of smegma, the original lubricant.
If there is not a lot of plaque, it will gradually be absorbed into the skin. However, if the plaque is abundant, it is recommended to remove it, since after a day or two the fats it contains oxidize, causing the proliferation of microorganisms and, ultimately, inflammation. This plaque is quite dense, so it needs to be removed delicately, in several steps. It is best to use cotton swabs and warm boiled water for this. The plaque will be removed in pellets and will completely disappear in 2-3 days.
When can I bathe for the first time?
It is recommended to bathe a newborn for the first time after the umbilical wound has completely healed. As a rule, this occurs 8-14 days after the birth of the child.
Until the navel heals, it is recommended to avoid any wetness around the area, keep it as dry and open to air as possible (tuck up the diaper, choose T-shirts that reveal the tummy).
Baths are undesirable, as they cause the wound to become wet and prolong its healing time. In addition, the umbilical wound can become infected if the raw water in which the baby is bathed is of questionable quality.
For those who cannot wait, Komarovsky and other doctors allow a baby with an unhealed umbilical wound to be bathed in boiled water for up to a month.
However, the first bath can be postponed for a week or two until the baby is ready for it. Until this time, it is enough to wash the soiled areas under running water or wipe with wet wipes and cotton pads soaked in water.
How to properly wash a newborn baby girl
The girl needs to be washed every time she changes her diaper, and simple wiping with wet wipes is unacceptable here. You can remove feces with napkins, after which you should definitely rinse the perineum under running water. Mom, of course, needs to wash her hands with soap before doing this. In the first months of life, it is advisable to rinse a girl’s genitals in the direction of the anus, so that feces particles do not enter the vagina and cause inflammation. For the same reasons, it is impossible to wash the girl in the basin after defecation. Older girls are washed as follows: first, they soap and rinse the anal area (from the bottom up, towards the tailbone; a stream of water is directed into the palm), then they wash their hands again and wash the external genitalia without soap (from the perineum to the pubis, without touching the anus ).
| This is important to know! Your excessive attachment to cleanliness may come back to haunt your daughter with synechiae - partial fusion of the labia minora, which most often occurs due to the fact that soap injures the thin mucous membrane of the girl’s genitals and causes an inflammatory process. |
Caring for a newborn girl after washing is performed in the following sequence: first, blot the genital area dry with a clean towel, then the labia and the skin around them, the inguinal folds, and only then the anus area. At this age, the skin and mucous membranes are dry and easily wounded, so they must be moisturized with baby cream or sterilized vegetable oil. Never wipe the inside of the labia, as this can disrupt the vaginal microflora and lead to genitourinary infections.
| This is important to know! On days 4–7 of life, a newborn daughter may experience mucous-bloody discharge from the vagina. This is how the hormones she received from you make themselves known. This phenomenon is called neonatal hormonal crisis , does not require treatment and goes away on its own within a few days. However, if the genitals are red, and the vaginal discharge is purulent and has an unpleasant odor, contact your pediatrician immediately! With the exception of a hormonal crisis, girls of this age should not normally have vaginal discharge. If any discharge appears, contact your pediatrician (pediatrician or pediatric gynecologist) without delay. |
What you need to know about bathing a newborn: rules and advice from Komarovsky
Bathing a newborn becomes a real nightmare for many new parents. We experience thousands of fears: the child twists out of his arms, how not to injure him during washing (but also not to wash him), what temperature should the water be so that the baby does not freeze and does not get burned. Not every young mother can involve her parents or grandmothers in the procedure of washing the baby, and some do not trust the older generation at all, believing that their skills are a relic of the past, and now everything is completely different. Today we will tell you about how to properly bathe a newborn, what equipment will be needed, what you should be wary of and what not. And finally, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the recommendations of the beloved Dr. Komarovsky.
More interesting things on the website mommysjoy.ru
Bathing
- You can bathe a newborn girl as soon as the umbilical wound dries. Up to six months, baths should be daily, then you can bathe the baby every other day, and when she reaches a year, even less often, replacing bath procedures with showers.
- You should carefully wash all the folds and spaces between your fingers and toes.
- It is recommended to use soap (not toilet soap, but a special one for children, with a minimum amount of additives!) or baby foam no more than 1-2 times a week, and do not add it to water, but apply it to the skin and wash it off with a shower. Soapy water dries out the vaginal mucosa. There is an opinion that until the moment the child begins to crawl on the floor (i.e., until the moment when he can really get dirty) or until the moment when the baby begins to eat complementary foods (i.e., smearing porridge on his face with his hands or puree) - there is no point in washing it with soap, because the child does not get dirty with anything and is constantly either in the arms of his parents or in a clean crib. And once again disturbing his skin with soap products is not only pointless, but also harmful - the protective layer of the skin is washed off. But, firstly, daily bathing in clean water is still necessary, and secondly, this does not exclude washing the child with soap after he pooped.
- Adding various herbal infusions to the bath is at your discretion. However, it must be borne in mind that almost all of them dry out the already dry skin of babies. At the end of winter and spring in cities, an increased amount of chlorine is added to the central water supply, which greatly dries out the skin of children during daily bathing. In this case, it is recommended to add special softeners to the bathing water, for example, calendula bathing agent (Weleda has this). And after bathing, lubricate the baby’s skin with baby oil.
- A newborn girl should use her own, purely individual, bathing set: towel, washcloth and mitten. By the way, you can wash the baby with a piece of gauze instead of a washcloth, since it can be washed and boiled.
- After bathing, the newborn girl is blotted dry with a clean towel or warm sheet, and the skin folds, if necessary, are treated with baby hygienic oil.
Is it possible to bathe a newborn before the umbilical cord falls off?
In the first weeks of the baby's life, until the umbilical cord falls off, the baby can be wiped with a damp sponge or cloth. Wrap your baby in a towel and place him on a comfortable surface, such as a changing table. Then wipe it, exposing parts of the body one by one. The cord remnant usually falls off after a few weeks. If this does not happen, consult your doctor. The residue should dry out and fall off, so you shouldn’t get it wet and it’s better to wait a while before giving your newborn a full bath.
Ear care
Contrary to popular belief, sulfur is not dirt, but a means of protecting the body. It has bactericidal properties and protects the ear canal from drying out, dust, wind and water. Therefore, do not be zealous in removing it. The maximum that is allowed is to carefully remove with a cotton wool the wax that is in the visible zone, that is, it has come out of the ear canal into the auricle. Each ear has a separate flagellum. Do not use cotton swabs under any circumstances, do not penetrate the swab into the ear canal - this can lead to the pushing of sulfur deeper and the formation of cerumen plugs.
During bathing, the ears are carefully washed with water. If water gets into them, simply blot your ears with a towel. The main thing is to make sure that there are no drafts in the room.
The skin behind the ears requires special attention. Rinse it during bathing and lubricate it with baby oil, especially if there are crusts. Decoctions of skin-soothing herbs and creams with zinc oxide help with diaper rash.
| This is important to know! If erosion occurs at the site of diaper rash, be sure to consult your pediatrician. Incorrect treatment in this case can result in unpleasant consequences for the baby. |
When is the first bath allowed?
The first bath of a newborn is almost a sacrament. When can you bathe your child for the first time after the hospital? This depends on the general condition of the newborn and the condition of his umbilical remnant.
If the umbilical remnant lasts longer, the child’s body must be treated with wet wipes, or the baby must be bathed in a small amount of boiled water in agreement with the pediatrician. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to wet the stump.
Pediatricians have different opinions about whether to bathe a baby in boiled or raw water after the stump falls off. Many people recommend bathing the child in boiled water until the umbilical wound heals. Others believe that it is enough to treat the wound after bathing, and running water can be used, since if water is used to remove vernix in a newborn’s room, it is running water from a centralized water supply.
Nasal care
It is necessary to carefully ensure that snot and crusts do not accumulate in the girl’s nose and that she has the opportunity to breathe fully. Therefore, you need to clean your baby’s nose, if it is filled with crusts, every day. The crusts are pre-softened using sterile vegetable oil. To clean the nose, it is preferable not to use store-bought cotton swabs: those with a limiter will not be able to penetrate to the required depth, and without limiters you risk damaging the baby’s nasal mucosa. Prepare small flagella (“turundas”) from cotton pads and, carefully inserting them into the nostrils, clean out the contents of the nose with gentle rotational movements. It is better not to use children's nasal aspirators, because... with frequent use, you can damage the nasal mucosa and disrupt its microflora. In addition, there is an opinion among experts that the recently noted earlier appearance of adenoids in children, the proliferation of the nasal mucosa, is also a consequence of too zealous care of the nasal mucosa by parents (frequent use of aspirators, nasal sprays, etc.) .
How to bathe your baby for the first time?
There are different opinions about when you can bathe a newborn baby for the first time.
Some believe that bathing should be avoided during the first 10-14 days after birth. At this time, they suggest limiting yourself only to treatment after urination and defecation, as well as wiping skin folds with baby wipes or cotton pads moistened with boiled water. Others recommend bathing the baby for the first time immediately after arriving from the hospital.
In any case, the bathing procedure cannot be avoided, so it is important to try to ensure that the baby remembers the first acquaintance with water on the positive side.
The first bath requires care and caution
The first bath requires care and caution.
We prepare everything you need
Before bathing your newborn for the first time, you should prepare everything you need in advance. A bathtub, as a rule, is purchased before the baby is born. It must be washed with soda and rinsed with boiling water.
In the future, do such rinses constantly, otherwise plaque will form on the walls (especially after using herbal decoctions).
The bath must be installed on an elevated surface: a bathtub, a table or a special stand. Otherwise, you will have to bathe your baby in an inclined position, which may cause your back and arms to hurt.
When bathing a newborn baby for the first time, special attention should be paid to preparing the water. Until the baby’s umbilical wound heals, the water needs to be boiled, or at least disinfected with 2-4 drops of tea tree oil
This should be done in advance so that it has time to cool to the desired temperature, which should be in the range from 37.5 to 39 °. To check the temperature, you can touch the water with your elbow or use a special thermometer.
Be sure to prepare hot water to add during bathing. You also need to fill a separate container with water for rinsing. A decoction of herbs for bathing is prepared in advance and added to the bath just before the procedure.
All bathing items should be located near the bath:
- baby soap or shampoo;
- diapers or foam base;
- baby sponge or cotton pads.
Before bathing your baby for the first time, prepare a towel and clothes. Lay down an oilcloth and a diaper, on which you can then put the baby for dressing. It is necessary to place products nearby to care for the baby after water procedures:
- Oil for lubricating folds on the body;
- Herbal infusion (if there is inflammation on the skin);
- Talc or powder (more about powder for newborns>>>);
- Zelenka or solution of potassium permanganate;
- Cotton swabs, cotton pads.
Separately, you should think about the room where the adaptation bathing will take place. The main thing is that there are no drafts in it.
There is no need to heat the air in the room too much and close the doors, otherwise you will get a sharp temperature drop when leaving it. Read more about what the temperature should be in the room for a newborn>>>.
It’s good if someone from your family is nearby while swimming. He will provide the necessary items and throw a towel over the baby.
What to prepare for your first home bath?
- baby bath;
- thermometer for measuring water temperature;
- soft terry towel;
- a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate);
- water;
- small plastic ladle;
- cotton swabs (preferably having a special limiter);
- brilliant green (brilliant green);
- hydrogen peroxide.
For the first bath of a newborn, it is better to use a special baby bath, which must be thoroughly washed and disinfected before the procedure by scalding it with boiling water (we recommend reading: baths for bathing newborns). However, according to Dr. Komarovsky, the first bath may well take place in an “adult” bath. In his book “The Beginning of Life,” he writes that in a large bath nothing hinders the baby’s movements - he can move his arms and legs, and accordingly the body’s blood circulation and respiratory functions improve. Plus, in an “adult” bath, a newborn, actively moving, spends a lot of energy, which allows him to eat tastier after bathing and sleep sweetly.
What will be the water temperature for the first swim? To measure, you need a thermometer - it allows you to determine the optimal water temperature. Due to the immaturity of the thermoregulatory functions of a newborn’s body, temperature fluctuations that seem insignificant to an adult can lead to hypothermia or overheating of the baby.
Which towel to choose for your baby? Soft and gentle, plus it should be individual, clean and large enough to wrap the baby’s body. The baby's skin is still very delicate and can easily be injured.
It is strictly not recommended to use a washcloth, especially a hard one, for a newborn. In the future, you need to choose a soft washcloth or mitten in order to avoid damage to the skin of a baby up to a year old. During the first month of life, toys are absolutely not needed when bathing babies.
Modern pediatricians do not recommend using detergents, baby shampoos and even baby soap for several months of the baby’s life. Firstly, soap will dry out the skin, and secondly, it will wash away beneficial microflora. An exception is a situation in which the mother discovers poor-quality treatment of the baby’s skin in the newborn’s room: for example, the presence of vernix or traces of blood. This shouldn’t happen, but if it does, you should use baby soap, which is applied with a cotton swab and carefully washed off using a ladle.
Joy for soul and body
Bathing with healthy natural ingredients should bring more than just physical benefits to the baby. It is important for parents to turn bathing into fun for the baby, because the aquatic environment has been native to him throughout the entire period of intrauterine development. And, first of all, do not show anxiety before water procedures, passing it on to the child. Only in this case will the baby love swimming and behave actively in the water, and this is one of the components of its healthy development.
Before putting a child in the water for swimming, its temperature must be checked either with a special thermometer, or if it is not available, by placing the elbow in the water. Do not test with your hand, as the water that seems comfortable for it will turn out to be very hot for the baby.
Olesya Butuzova, pediatrician: “Any herb, even the most useful, can cause the development of allergies. That is why carefully observe your baby’s behavior in the bath, and then carefully examine his skin. If an allergic rash appears, herbal bathing should be stopped.”
Expert: Olesya Butuzova, pediatrician Author: Elena Nersesyan-Brytkova
The material uses photographs belonging to shutterstock.com
