What should we pay attention to when bathing a newborn?
Aren't you also really looking forward to your first bath at home with your family? Usually, the first time gives a kind of initiation feeling to new parents, and they are happy to accept the help of experienced grandmothers who happily participate in the event.
Holding and moving a fragile and completely independent newborn can cause parents a little anxiety in the first few days, but a routine is quickly established.
There are a couple of things to pay attention to. Caring for your baby will quickly become a certainty based on instinctive maternal care and nurturing patterns and a few good tips.
What tools do we need to bathe a newborn baby?
- Baby bath
- For water thermometer
- Cotton textile for catcher
- For clean water
- For butt cream, diapers
- Soft hairbrush
- For clothes
- For baby bathing if necessary
The ideal environment for bathing your baby
The most important thing to consider is the temperature of the air and water. The ideal temperature for the water is 37 degrees Celsius and the room temperature is 24 degrees Celsius.
Check the water temperature before putting the baby in, as the surface of the tub may be cooler or it may be due to the preparation. The height of the bath water in the small tub should be 5-6 cm, so it will not cover the umbilical cord.
Source: Baby Doctor
How do we hold and place the baby in the bathtub?
We describe a specific holding technique that is both the simplest and safest.
Reach under the back of your child's head with your left arm and grab his left arm! This way, you can hold his upper body and his still-nodding head with one hand at the same time. Meanwhile, reach under his bottom with your other hand and you can put him in the tub.
Be sure to consciously lift the child with slow movements and place him in the tub. This is also important for any other change of position. You need to be conscious because humans basically use quick movements. For a baby, however, the sudden sensation of being “lifted up” and then quickly “falling” is frightening.
Your baby basically loves water, as he lived in such an environment for many months in his mother's womb. If he shows any displeasure at first, it may be mainly due to the unusual position, posture and activity. There is no need to worry about this, he will soon enjoy bathing, and in fact, when he already recognizes the evening routine , you will see that he is looking forward to it.
The correct way to bathe a newborn
In the first few weeks of your baby's life, bathing him doesn't need to be long; a few minutes is enough.
The newborn should never sit in the tub, but rather lie down. Hold him in the same hand position as described above throughout the bath. You will see that it gives both of you a very comfortable and secure feeling! Place his bottom in the tub, so you can comfortably wash him with your right arm. Make sure that his umbilical cord does not come under water, so basically it should not come into contact with the water, it should not be soaked in it, but if it accidentally gets wet, it will not cause a problem.
Start washing your baby's upper body first: his head and face. If you run your wet hand over his face, he will get used to this movement and it will become familiar to him. He will not be bothered by the water. Always clean the area behind his ears, because newborns' ears are still flat on their heads and cannot ventilate.
Like his ears, the area under his neck, just below his chin, is difficult to reach, so use a few gentle strokes here too. As you wash his limbs one by one, pay attention to the folds: his armpits, the area behind his knees, the creases of his thighs, between his toes, and those cute little thigh loops. Now, gently stroke his belly.
Newborns and babies have sparse and thin hair. In fact, we don't really clean their hair, but rather their scalp, which can sweat and get milky during the day. You don't need to use shampoo to wash them. Clean your baby's head every day with plain water. It's not necessary to pour water on their hair when they're newborns; just wash their head with simple, smoothing movements, just like you would the rest of their body.
Start using baby shampoo when your baby's hair is thicker or when they can get dirty. Even babies born with huge hair can use just water when they're newborns.
How to turn a baby onto their stomach in the bath?
When you want to wash her bottom and back, you can turn her onto her stomach. Hold the baby under both armpits with both hands so that she is facing you, while making sure to support her head slightly with the fingers of one hand so that she doesn't tip back.
Turn him onto his stomach, without putting him in the water – as his head would immediately go under the water – but instead, with your left hand, you hold him under his chest, lifting him out of the water. It's okay if his head hangs down a little. It can hang forward, but it shouldn't nod backwards.
Babies often feel more comfortable in this position than lying on their backs. Holding them with your left hand, you can use your right hand to wash their back, neck, bottom, and feet.
Source: Baby Doctor
What bath products should we use?
As much as possible, try to choose products made with natural ingredients, specifically for newborns and babies. In the initial period, clean water is the best way to clean your little one's skin, but if you want to wash his bottom with some kind of bath product, carefully read the ingredients of the products available in stores, pharmacies, and drugstores!
Things to do after bathing
Wiping, dressing
Place your baby on a cotton cloth or a very soft baby towel and gently wipe all over his skin. Be careful not to leave any creases wet.
Drying wet baby hair
After bathing, gently pat the water off your baby's head with a towel, being careful not to press on the sensitive hairline. When his hair is only slightly damp, it will dry quickly in the warm air provided for bathing.
The right way to keep your ears clean
Treat your baby's ears with care! Cotton swabs can push the wax produced in the outer part of the ear canal deeper into the eardrum. It can be removed from there with medical help, which is not painful for the child, but can be a very unpleasant procedure.
The end of the cotton swab can fall off, which is really difficult for the doctor to remove. The end of the swab can sometimes prick when the cotton slips off it. This can cause injuries.
What is the role of earwax?
The glands that produce earwax function to protect the skin. In principle, earwax does not need to be removed because the body expels the excess. Thanks to this self-cleaning, it cannot accumulate in large quantities. If it does, it may be a health problem.
How to use a cotton swab?
Since earwax should not be pushed inside the ear, only the parts that are visible on the outside, which can be said to be aesthetically or hygienically disturbing (the dowry of our time is sterility and cleanliness in all areas), should be wiped with it. In the case of infants, you can safely use a thin, twisted, moistened cotton cloth instead.
Source: Children's Room
How to care for the umbilical cord stump?
The protocol has changed very frequently in recent years because one method was found to be harmful. You should ask your midwife and pediatrician about the current recommendations.
The final steps in caring for your baby after bathing are diapering and dressing them.
