How to bathe a newborn baby: tips for young parents

The first bathing of the baby usually does not occur on the day of discharge from the hospital. Do not rush to dip it into the bathroom until the umbilical wound heals. The child’s immunity is not yet ready to meet with the “inhabitants” of tap (even boiled) water, and an open umbilical wound will become a gateway to infection. For baby hygiene, use wet wipes or cotton swabs moistened with water for the first two weeks.

Useful tips for bathing a newborn baby

To make the first acquaintance with water procedures successful, prepare for it in advance.

• Use a special baby bath. It has compact dimensions, which allows you to always keep it clean. And do with a little water for swimming.
• Boil water. During the first month of the baby's life, it is advisable to bathe him in boiled water. Most microorganisms that live in the water supply system (it can be salmonella, E. coli, Legionella, and even the deadly Pseudomonas aeruginosa) die when water is heated to 80-100 ° C. So, water procedures will be safe.
• The most comfortable temperature for bathing newborns is 37 ° С. In the future, you can slightly reduce it (to 36.6 ° C) if you notice that the child is uncomfortable in it. In any case, to determine at what temperature to bathe a newborn, a thermometer should help you, and not a palm or elbow.
• Use a slide or a hammock. Previously, mothers and fathers were forced to stand over the bath with the baby in a bent state for 20-30 minutes. And then - with difficulty unbent. The slide for bathing the newborn ensures its correct position in the water, while your hands remain free.
• Limit the use of detergents. Despite the fact that bathing your baby is recommended daily, bath procedures with soap and shampoo are advisable only once every 7-10 days. Under the ban antibacterial agents that have an aggressive effect on the skin, and soap with sharp perfumes. Choose a special shampoo, gel and soap for children.
• Be careful with supplements. It is generally believed that newborns should be bathed in water with the addition of manganese or a decoction of chamomile. However, today pediatricians do not recommend this, as both remedies dry the delicate skin of the child too actively. If the baby has diaper rash, add a decoction of the string to the water or elecampane. And if everything is in order, bathe in plain water.

How to bathe a newborn baby - algorithm of actions

1. Fill the bath with water.
2. Gently immerse the child in it. In order not to frighten the baby, first wrap it in a diaper. She will get wet gradually, as well as the baby's body, adapting it to an unfamiliar environment.
3. If you are not using a slide or hammock, hold the crumbs on your left hand. Grasp his shoulder farthest from you and lock your palm in the armpit. In this case, the nape of the child should be above your wrist. Hold the ass with your other hand. So you prevent possible slippage of the crumbs in the bathroom.
4. Gently soap the child, moving from the neck to the legs, rinse off the foam. Wash your hair last.
5. After bathing, rinse the baby with water, the temperature of which is 1 ° C lower than in the bath.
6. Wrap the baby in a towel and only slightly dry the body with it. Do not rub the baby, it is better to attach a dry diaper that absorbs moisture. Before putting on the diaper, make sure that all the folds are well dried out.

Bathing and hardening

Do you know how to bathe a newborn baby in order to safely temper it, normalize appetite and sleep? To do this, you will need:

• Big bath. The water temperature of the first procedure should be 37 ° C, with each subsequent you can lower it to 26 ° C. Please note that this is only possible if the baby will actively move, and not lie in the hands of dad.
• Inflatable ring for the neck. You can buy one in a children's store. He puts on the neck of the baby and supports his head above the water. In such a circle, the child can freely move his arms and legs, swim without the risk of drowning.

Bathing time can be from 5 to 40 minutes. What do you think, how much newborn sleeps after such water procedures? At least 6 hours, which will allow all family members to also have a good rest and sleep!

In any case, listen to the opinion of your crumbs. He will definitely tell you if he likes water procedures with his scream or cheerful smile!