When and how often do you bathe your baby?
Bathing not only ensures cleanliness of the child's skin, but also promotes hardening. It is recommended to start swimming immediately after discharge from the maternity hospital. This should be done daily.
Attention! If the umbilical wound has not yet healed, it is necessary to use boiled water.
Babies under the age of six months are bathed once a day in winter and autumn, and twice a day in summer (morning and evening). It is recommended to bathe children after 6 months of age every other day in autumn and winter. In spring and summer, this procedure is carried out for such children every day, in hot weather - 2 times a day. Babies need to be washed at approximately the same time so that they develop a routine.
How often should you bathe your newborn and at what time of day?
Modern pediatricians are convinced that a baby should be bathed every other day. Ideally, hours for water procedures are selected according to the individual characteristics of the baby. If bathing calms the baby, and after it the newborn quickly falls asleep, it is better to wash him in the evening. Try to reschedule water procedures with a baby who is overstimulated by playing with water until the morning.
If bathing calms the baby, and after it the newborn quickly falls asleep, it is better to wash him in the evening
Preparing a newborn for bathing
Pediatricians do not recommend boiling water for bathing a baby whose umbilical wound has healed. Place a diaper at the bottom of the baby bath to make washing more convenient. Diapers are convenient because they do not leave marks on the baby's skin. You need to prepare:
- towel with hood;
- soft sponge or towel for washing;
- cotton balls;
- baby soap or any other hypoallergenic product;
- baby comb or brush.
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Then warm water is poured into the container until it just covers the shoulders (the baby should be in a half-sitting position).
Note! It is necessary to measure the water temperature with a thermometer. It should be at 36-37 degrees. Some mothers determine the temperature with their elbow. The sensations during measurement should be neutral.
How to hold your baby while bathing
To make it convenient to swaddle your baby, you should lay out all the necessary items in a row in advance. To treat the wound, you should prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Absolutely not necessary:
- turn on the electric fireplace in the bathroom;
- close the door tightly;
- Constantly add hot water during bathing.
Preparing for a swim
Before you start swimming, you need to prepare all the necessary attributes.
- The bathing area must meet several requirements. Firstly, the temperature in the room should be about 22–24 degrees, without drafts. Secondly, it should be possible to approach the bath with the baby from all sides.
- Bath. As a rule, babies buy a special baby bath for bathing. But if you wish, you can bathe your child in a regular bath, but before use it must be washed with a special product and doused with boiling water to disinfect. For preventative purposes, you should also treat the baby’s bath before each bath.
- The next important point is water. Previously, it was believed that bathing a newborn could only be done in boiled water. Experts are now confident that using regular running water will not harm the baby. The issue of using a solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect the umbilical wound during bathing is being actively discussed. One group of pediatricians is confident that you can bathe your baby on the first day after leaving the hospital, but it is necessary to add potassium permanganate. Another group is sure that bathing is possible only after the wound has completely healed, on days 18–22. In this case, the decision remains with the parents. But in order to make the most correct choice, it is worth consulting with your local pediatrician.
- As for the water temperature, it should not exceed 37 degrees; ideally, its range should be from 34 to 37 degrees. You should measure the temperature with a special thermometer in a plastic case without removing it from the water. After a few days, you can lower the starting temperature, gradually bringing it to 32 degrees.
- Special soap or shampoo. It is recommended to use baby soap, as it does not contain fragrances and, as a rule, does not cause allergic reactions in babies. You should use soap no more than once a week in winter, and 2-3 times in summer.
- Baby washcloth. To bathe your baby, you can use a piece of soft cloth, special soft baby washcloths as a washcloth, or simply wash your baby by hand. Since a newborn's skin is very delicate, do not press too hard on the washcloth. It is necessary to run your hand over the baby's skin with neat, gentle movements, creating a massage effect.
- Herbal infusions. Herbal infusions have anti-inflammatory, soothing, antiallergic properties. Have a beneficial effect on the skin of a newborn.
Before using herbal infusions, you should consult your pediatrician about their need. If the doctor gives his consent, then it is worth clarifying the rules for preparing the infusion so that the excessive concentration of herbs does not have an unnecessary effect.
- It is also worth preparing a ladle of clean water to rinse the baby. It is worth unwrapping clean diapers in advance (usually one thin, the other thicker) or a soft towel with which you will dry the baby. You can also prepare clothes for the baby, which he will wear immediately after bathing and skin care procedures. Usually this is a vest, a hat and a diaper or rompers.
Basic rules when swimming
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Parents should not only know how to properly hold their newborn when bathing in the bathtub, but also follow important rules. Necessary:
- gently lower the child into the bath;
- lather the body with a gentle washcloth;
- monitor the baby's reaction;
- For safety, use a sun lounger;
- interest him in toys;
- never leave a baby unattended.
To avoid burns, check the temperature before immersing your newborn in water. If you need to answer the phone or leave the bathroom, wrap your child in a towel and take it with you.
How to properly hold a newborn while bathing
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After making sure that the water is at a normal temperature, you can start washing. The child is lowered into the water smoothly and slowly.
Attention! In the first days after the maternity hospital, it is best to lower the newborn in a diaper. This makes it easier to hold a slippery body.
The baby should be immersed in water, holding the head and back of the head with his left hand, and his butt with his right hand. The newborn's head and neck should not be completely submerged in water. The baby should calm down a little.
Child immersion
Then they start washing. During this procedure, the head should lie on the left forearm, the back should be on the palm. The right hand is used for soaping. Particular care should be taken to wash the thigh folds, ears, armpits and groin. The face should be washed from a separate cup. Water from the tap should flow under medium pressure.
Another holding option is to place the head on your hand so that the part of it with the little finger supports the baby's neck. At the same time, a small folded diaper is placed underneath. It provides stability to the newborn.
Holding the baby's head
When washing, you can use a washcloth, but it is best to perform all actions using your hands. When bathing comes to an end, the child is turned over on his stomach and doused with clean water. It should be poured on the shoulders, not on the head.
After immersing the baby in the bath, you can support the head with your left hand. This way he will feel a little freedom in the bath. It will be pleasant and interesting for him to move his arms and legs in the water.
Bathing technique
Remove the baby's diaper and clothes, wrap him in a thin diaper and, supporting him under the head and bottom, slowly and carefully immerse him in the water. Talk to your baby and smile at him, so that only positive emotions remain from the first bath and he subsequently falls in love with this little sacred act. First, water it from a mug without opening the diaper.
When he gets used to the temperature of the water (at first it may seem quite hot to him), take a terry cloth and, supporting the newborn under the head, wash his face. Some parents prefer to use cotton pads for this and wipe the skin around the eyes with sterile cotton swabs. Rinse behind the ears and in the area of the neck folds, but the water should not get into the nose and ears.
Wet your baby's hair with water, lather it with a terry cloth and rinse gently with water. If you are bathing your child together, you can use the following technique. To prevent water from pouring into the eyes, you need to spread the thumb and index finger of your free hand and clasp the head above the eyebrows in a half ring. As soon as you feel that it may flow onto your face, drive it away with a movement of your hand up your forehead. By the way, it is not necessary to use a special hair wash (use it maximum once a week).
Gradually unrolling the diaper, wash the baby's torso, arms and legs. Particular attention should be paid to the inguinal folds and armpits (although retracting a newborn's arm is not the easiest task). Gently wipe the folds on the body, clean your palms and feet, as lint from diapers and clothes constantly accumulates between your toes.
Now, while supporting the baby, remove the diaper completely. Let him flounder if he wants. You can gently rock him back and forth in the bathtub, telling him that he is floating.
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Features of bathing in a bath
For bathing, it is recommended to choose a bath that would be comfortable for the baby and his parents. It should be light. The ideal solution for baby washing is a compact and lightweight plastic bathtub. Enameled and ceramic products are not so convenient.
Bathing a child in a bathtub
It is best to place the bath on a table or other stable furniture. This will make bathing the baby easier. Since it can be quite difficult for beginners to hold newborns while bathing, it is necessary to choose the appropriate shape of the bath. Modern models have an elevation at head level. This will make it convenient for parents to control the position of the newborn.
Some parents find it difficult to hold a soapy baby. To protect against slipping, a diaper is used. It is recommended to place it in the bath as a comfortable and non-slip headrest, which will minimize the risk of injury.
Important! The duration of washing newborn babies should not exceed 5 minutes.
What to do after swimming
After water procedures, put a cap on the child’s head and very gently blot all wet parts of the body with a towel. Particular attention is paid to folds on the skin. Do not rub the cloth over the skin. Next, comb your hair carefully.
Combing baby
For newborns, there is no need to use moisturizing cosmetics, because the epidermis should exfoliate naturally. It is not recommended to disrupt this process by exposure to artificial cosmetics. After the baby's skin is completely dry, he needs to be wrapped in a diaper, before putting on a clean diaper, rompers and a shirt.
Often young parents do not know how to properly hold their baby while bathing. Once you are familiar with simple washing techniques, you can safely carry out this procedure at home. The little one will always be clean, which means healthy. Any mother or father can quickly and happily learn simple techniques for bathing a baby.
