First baby bath: tips and tricks

One of the most important and exciting events in the life of young parents is the first bathing of the baby.

If an adult perceives bathing as a relaxing procedure, then with a small child, the situation is completely different. It is very important that the baby receives exclusively positive emotions from the adoption of the first water procedures, as this is the foundation for further perception of the bathing procedure.

When to start bathing

In the hospital, where mom and baby were several days, the child can not be bathed. Upon returning home, you should definitely begin water procedures. Parents themselves choose the best time to start the first water procedures. However, it is worth listening to the recommendations of specialists in the field of child health.

Bathing a baby is a daily body cleansing procedure that allows the skin to breathe cleanliness and freshness.

There is an opinion that a baby should be bathed for the first time on the 5-10th day after birth. To a greater extent, this depends on the healing process of the umbilical wound. In this matter, each mother makes a decision on her own, as the opinions of doctors and experienced mothers differ. But, of course, it will be good if mommy consults with a pediatrician on this issue.

Preparation for water procedures

Bathing a newborn baby will occur regularly, so you need to prepare in advance. The list of items that are required:

1. Bath for the baby. You should not bathe the baby, who was recently born, in an ordinary bathtub in which the whole family bathes, even if you clean it well before each water treatment. The immunity of a small child is not yet formed, so hygiene should be in the first place. There are many bathtubs in children's goods stores: with sides, a slide, classic and others. Finding a suitable one in all respects is not difficult.
2. Thermometer for water. The skin of the baby is very sensitive, and before starting the bathing process, parents must necessarily check the temperature of the water. You should not rely on your feelings, they will be completely different with a newborn who has not yet "set up" a thermoregulation mode.
3. Antislip stand on the bottom of the bathtub, which allows the baby to be safe and feel confident. As such a surface, you can use a dense diaper made of natural fabric, it will reliably protect not only from the slippery bottom, but also protect the delicate skin of the baby from rubbing.
4. A medium-sized jug is best chosen from light and safe materials. It will be needed in order to rinse the baby or rinse off the foam.
5. When choosing a bathing product for babies, give preference to products with the most natural and hypoallergenic composition.
6. Soft towel and washcloth.
7. Cotton buds and discs are needed to clean the ears, nose and face of the child.

Buying a bath is a decision of parents only. But how many advantages are in such an inexpensive purchase!

Bathing according to Komarovsky’s technique

One cannot but pay special attention to the bathing system according to the methodology of the famous pediatrician Komarovsky. He shares the procedure for adopting water procedures in two directions: you need to bathe the baby after natural emptying, and also constantly arrange tiny hygiene procedures. Bathing a baby Komarovsky considers it optional to be carried out in boiled water, if the crumbs have clean and healthy skin.

It is recommended to take a shared bath only after complete healing of the umbilical wound. Healing depends on the proper care of the baby. Those parents who do not overheat the child and constantly ventilate the room will see the healing result much earlier. On average, the wound heals 2 weeks after the birth of the baby.

Accordingly, in the first 2 weeks of life, the pediatrician does not advise using soap. But if there is a need for this, then the remains of the foam must be thoroughly washed off the tender skin of the newborn.

After the end of water procedures, you can not wipe the baby with a towel, but you just need to gently wet your delicate body.

Water temperature

Parents themselves must decide in which water to bathe the child. Someone prefers early hardening of the body, some are afraid that the baby will freeze. Water for bathing the baby should be at 36.6 degrees. You can check whether the baby is hot, with the back of your hand, there is very delicate skin, and the assessment will be relatively correct.

It is better if parents purchase a thermometer in advance and do not guess. And at first, many children bathe their baby in boiled water until the umbilical wound heals, and sometimes you have to wait until the water in the bath cools down. In this case, the thermometer will be very helpful.

When bathing, pay attention to the baby’s skin, if it is hot and reddened, it may be a high temperature for your baby. If the blue triangle near the nose, the baby froze. After a couple of weeks, you will easily navigate and choose the optimal bathing temperature for the baby.

Diaper

Not every parent immediately understands what a diaper is for when bathing a baby. Natural fabric is used to protect the baby from the slippery bottom of the bath. The baby immersed in the bath feels much more comfortable on a warm and soft diaper.

We act on the following principle:

1. You can put a diaper folded in several layers on the bottom of the bath. Or wrap the baby and immerse in water.
2. You need to bathe the baby together. One of the parents holds the baby and washes it, again covering it with a diaper. And another watered from a bucket.
3. First of all, you should wash the handles, and then the legs.
4. Next is the tummy and back.
5. After the baby’s bathing is finished, he is taken out of the bath and wrapped in a soft and terry towel.
6. Then they dress in warm clothes.

Bathing the baby step by step: instructions for young mothers

Many girls who have become mothers for the first time are very afraid of the baby’s first bath. This is due to a lack of experience, a fear of harming defenseless crumbs. If you fall into this category, use the following procedure:

1. Draw water into the baby bath. Each mother decides for herself how to bathe her baby for the first time - in running or boiled water. Check water temperature.
2. Undress the baby, then grab onto the arms. If the baby is naughty or shows discontent, try to calm him and relax.
3. Very slowly lower the baby into the bath, he should gradually get used to the new sensations. The kid should not experience fear or excessive excitement. Otherwise, it will negatively affect the attitude towards water procedures in the future.
4. During bathing, pay special attention to the head of the baby, he still does not know how to keep it on his own, and your help will be needed throughout the process of taking a bath.
5. Lather the baby gently from neck to toe. The baby bath should be gentle and cleansing. Rinse off the foam with warm water from a jug.
6. Complete your bath by gently washing your newborn’s head. If you do not plan to wash your hair, then you can use an object such as a hat for bathing babies.
7. Take the crumbs in your hands and wrap them in a soft towel. Gently pat off excess moisture on the skin. Simultaneously with this action, you can hum a song in a crumb or tell a fairy tale.

This basic instruction will help young parents cope with the fear of the first bath.

How to bathe a baby

The modern market for children's products offers a huge variety of products for bathing babies. However, you should not rely on promoted brands or high cost, which does not always live up to expectations.

The most important thing in children's cosmetics for carrying out hygiene procedures is:

• security;
• hypoallergenicity;
• optimal ph level;
• cosmetics should be suitable for sensitive baby skin;
• abandonment of soap in favor of liquid products intended for the hygiene of newborns.

Try to bathe your baby using baby gels or soap no more than 1-2 times a week. On other days, carry out the procedure with running water. This will protect the baby's skin from overdrying and irritation.

Swimming in the grass

An excellent solution for bathing your baby are pharmacy herbal preparations. If the child is restless and falls asleep poorly, a coniferous solution should be used, which is added to the bath during water procedures.

If the baby is prone to rashes or allergic manifestations on the skin, then you need to opt for a succession or elecampane. Children whose umbilical wound does not heal for a long time can be bathed in chamomile. But keep in mind that a pharmacy flower dries the skin very much and it is better to use it in combination with other components, and not in its pure form.

Despite the fact that herbs are natural and herbal components, before using them in relation to a small child, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Not all pharmacy fees are safe for a particular person. Some herbs can provoke an allergic reaction.

A specialist in the field of children's health will easily select the optimal composition that is required for your baby.

How long does bathing last and what to do next

Modern pediatricians advise bathing the baby for no more than 10 minutes. But if your little one is capricious, and songs or rhymes do not calm him down, then the crumb should be taken out of the bath much earlier. If your child loves water procedures and does not always want to leave the bath, then the duration of the bath can be slightly increased. The main thing is to monitor the water temperature all the time so that the crumbs do not freeze. In addition, you can prepare a saucepan with hot water and pour it in a timely manner to maintain the optimum temperature.

After the baby finishes the water procedures, wrap it in a dirt cloth or terry towel. Do not rub the baby's body! Then you can proceed to hygiene procedures. Treat the creases of the crumbs with a moistened cotton pad in baby oil. If the child has diaper rash, then use a powder or special cream for diapers. Pay special attention to the intimate organs of babies. In a girl, gently wipe the sexual gap with a cotton swab dipped in warm boiled water, in a boy, grease a fold under the scrotum with oil. During hygiene procedures in girls, note that movements should be strictly from front to back.

Do not forget about the ears. Twist a small piece of fleece into the flagellum and insert the crumbs in the ears, as soon as the hairs on the head are dry, the flagella can be removed. This action will prevent water from entering the ears.

How often to bathe and useful items for water procedures

With the use of soap or baby gel, an infant should be bathed no more than 2 times a week. This is enough for a newborn baby.

When the baby begins to crawl, detergents can be used daily. It is not necessary to use a washcloth, you can do it with gentle manual soaping of the baby's skin.

Most often, a washcloth is required if the baby has crusts on the head. On it you need to pour a little baby shampoo and gently massage your head, then rinse the baby with clean water and wrap it in a terry towel.

The modern market for children's products offers a huge number of items for the development of the baby and relief for the mother in caring for the baby. A popular device, such as a baby bathing circle, can protect your baby from an accident in the water. Convenient design allows you to fix the baby's head, and the baby to stay on the water in a state of calm. For parents, such a circle is an excellent help in the process of washing the crumbs, you don’t have to worry that the child will slip away or hit the edges of the bathtub, as there is a reliable “inflatable protection”.

The baby bathing circle has several advantages:

• many models can be used when taking water procedures from the first days of life;
• the inlays for the neck are made of soft material without sharp edges, moreover, the seam is located inside the product, so the mother can be sure that the delicate skin of the neck of the crumbs will not be damaged;
• The circle has several chambers, therefore, by inflating it, you can independently adjust the degree of filling with air.

The most important thing when choosing such a product is to make sure that there is no marriage. It is not necessary to buy a pump, since the circle is quite easy to inflate on its own.

Another interesting assistant when taking water procedures is a pillow for bathing a baby. In fact, this is an analog of the aforementioned circle, but without additional clips in the form of Velcro and fasteners. But such a product does not replace the help of parents in the bathing process, since the pillow is not fixed, and the baby just lies on top of it. Accordingly, the risk of slipping out of the children's gadget remains substantial. Manufacturers assure potential buyers that this thing is just a find, since it can also be used on the road, as it supports the baby’s cervical vertebrae. But this is a very controversial statement, since the use of a pillow for a child up to a year is harmful.

Tips for bathing your newborn

To ensure that the baby's bathing is always easy and without problems, follow the tips and recommendations below:

1. Buy a baby bath, which will be used exclusively for bathing the baby. Hygiene for the newborn at the first stage of life plays a very large role.
2. Perform the first immersion in water slowly, the baby should gradually get used to new sensations and perceive the procedure as something safe.
3. It is not necessary to collect all relatives for the first bathing of the baby, this can seriously scare the peanut. Two parents or one of the grandmothers is enough to help.
4. Pay special attention to the folds of the baby when bathing, most often microbes accumulate in them.
5. So that the baby is not afraid, you can simultaneously entertain him: sing a song, recite a poem, play with a toy, etc.
6. There are children who do not like when water gets into their eyes. A cap for bathing babies with foam will protect the face of the crumbs due to large fields.

Mom’s attitude is very important. In families where young mothers were afraid of the first bathing of the baby, children do not particularly like water procedures. This happens for the reason that children feel anxiety from the adult during the first acquaintance with the water that accompanies bathing the baby in the bathtub, and in the future the mood for taking a bath is negative.

If you are worried about some of the nuances during the first bath of the baby, it is better to double-check everything several times. And only after that, with full confidence, start bathing the baby. If you can’t overcome the fear and worries, then entrust the occupation to someone from close relatives - the mother-in-law or your mother. They have vast life experience in raising and caring for children, so difficulties should not arise. If you do not plan to wash your hair a little bit, then a cap for bathing babies will help in the bathing process.

In the process of taking water procedures, use funny rhymes or nursery rhymes. They will relax you and the baby. And with this approach you will form a positive attitude towards the hygiene procedures and the care of your own body.