Having returned from the hospital with a baby, the newly-made parents are worried. They do not understand how to properly care for the baby. One of the reasons for excitement is swimming.
Mom bathes the newborn
Why is it important to bathe your newborn
The child usually receives the first ablution already in the hospital. There, the neonatologist rinses off the primary lubricant during examination. There are people who find it useful and do not bathe the baby for the first days. In maternity hospitals in Russia, this plaque is considered a field for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria, therefore, babies must be washed.
After the mother returns home with the baby, the responsibility to bathe the little person lies with the parents. They begin to do this on the 5-6th day after discharge from the hospital.
Interesting. Until 3 months of age, the child does not sweat. Sweat-producing glands begin to work only by this time. Their work will be fully adjusted only by the third anniversary.
Basically, a newborn baby doesn't get dirty. To maintain cleanliness, it is enough to wipe the face and wash. Still, the child needs to be bathed. They do this because:
- Your baby needs to be tired to sleep well. He still moves a little, and bathing is a feasible physical activity.
- The child needs to develop. Bathing strengthens the muscles of the small body.
- Children usually calm down in water. The sensations they experience are similar to those they had before birth, in the womb. Bathing helps to calm down a child who has gone too far, relieves his condition with colic.
Calm newborn in water
- When bathing, useful substances are added to the water. For example, bath salts or herbal teas. Now they sell special concentrates, the solution in one bottle is enough for 2-3 baths.
Bath preparation
The process of bathing an older child is quite simple. It can be washed in the shower, or you can fill the bath with water and give the child suitable toys. For a baby under one year old and a newborn, preparation takes longer. After all, the baby, depending on age, still either does not hold his head, or does not sit, or sits, but hesitantly. Special devices can facilitate bathing:
- Small bath. Surely, this household item is familiar to today's parents from their own childhood. Today it also does not lose its relevance. You can buy a regular plastic tub. They sell coasters to these so that mom does not have to bend over. More expensive baths are made with a drain, a built-in thermometer, made of special soft plastic. There are also folding ones that do not take up much space. Usually this item is relevant up to two or three months, then the baby is transferred to the "adult" bathroom.
- Slide chaise longue. This is a device that keeps the child in a semi-recumbent state. It is attached to the bottom of the bathtub (it doesn't matter whether it is metal or plastic), it has special grooves that prevent the crumbs from slipping. Previously, while there were no such slides, the hands of the parent had to support the baby. Today, sun loungers are used up to a maximum of 6-7 months, until the child sits down.
- Hammock. In fact, this is an advanced slide. This is a special piece of fabric that is stretched in a special way over the walls of a small tub. A child lies in it. His body is washed by liquid, and his head is above the water level. This is a recent invention, so far more difficult to find than a slide. It is important that the hammock can only be fixed on a small bathroom, therefore it can only be used before being transferred to a large one. That is, bathing a 2-month-old baby with him is still possible, but at six months it is no longer.
- Inflatable circle. An innovation of recent years, it is made to be worn on a child's neck. The baby's body moves freely in the water, and the head is kept above the water.
Baby in a swimming circle
Note! There is no consensus about the benefits and harms of this device. Someone thinks that the circle is useful, as it gives an adequate load on the body. Others believe it is bad for the neck. In any case, it is allowed to use it when the baby's neck is already a little stronger. That is, not earlier than a month of life.
It is important to note that the circles are different. Neck-worn ones should only be used in a large bathtub with sufficient water and always under the supervision of an adult. Others that wear a waistcoat (known as the SwimTrainer) are for deep water only.
- Seat. This is a chair that is attached to the bottom of the bathroom with suction cups. It is allowed for those babies who have already sat down (that is, at about the sixth month of life), but are not confident.
- Towel with a corner. It is put on the head, and the little body is wrapped in the canvas. This is more convenient than throwing on a square or rectangular towel.
When bathing, you will also need bath salt or special herbal infusions, a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water. Also, it will not be superfluous to prepare a douche ladle, several toys.
The bath itself is recommended to be washed with soap before bathing the baby, at least once every couple of days, especially if there are animals in the house that are cleaned there.
How often a newborn is bathed
The controversy about when to start bathing the baby does not subside. Some believe that until the navel heals, this should not be done. They believe that an infection can enter the child's body through the umbilical wound. Modern pediatricians call this opinion superstition. You can bathe a baby with an unhealed navel.
Bathing with an unhealed umbilical wound
Despite the fact that children up to a certain age do not get dirty, it is often necessary to bathe them from birth. Among other things, it also teaches them to keep their bodies clean. On average, babies are bathed with the following frequency:
- From birth to six months - every day;
- Six months to a year - every two days;
- Over a year - 2-3 times a week.
Each age has its own recommendations for how long to swim:
- 10 minutes is enough for a newborn;
- A two-month bath can be bathed for 15 minutes;
- A baby at 6 months is allowed to be kept in water for half an hour.
The mood of the baby and external conditions are also important here. If the baby does not like to swim, cries, is restless, then you do not need to insist, to force him. The time and frequency of procedures can be reduced. On the contrary, if a small person loves water, then it is worth giving him a longer swim.
If the house is cold or the child is sick, this is a reason to postpone bathing. Usually it is recommended to abstain from it after vaccinations, blood sampling. On the contrary, if it is hot, then you can refresh the baby more often, even several times a day.
It is imperative to choose the right time for bath procedures. Bathing of a 2 month old baby can be shifted from evening to morning if it stimulates the baby. Most often, children calm down from being in the water.
What is the temperature of water, air do you need
Recently, mothers have been striving to temper their children. Basically, bathing is part of hardening. Some parents go further and start collecting cool water for water treatments. This is the wrong approach.
The temperature of the bathing water for a newborn should be 37 degrees at the beginning. The air in the bathroom should be between 20-22 degrees Celsius. There must be no drafts.
Example of a thermometer for water
It is not necessary to boil water, as was customary in the last century. For bathing even a newborn baby, ordinary running warm water is suitable. Boiling still does not sterilize the water, but the nerves of adults who have to do this every day suffer. Considering that the calmer the mother, the calmer the child, it is worth saving her nerves.
Up to six months
For a newborn, water of 37 degrees is advised for a reason. The fact is that it is precisely this temperature in the amniotic fluid, in which the baby lived for 9 months. If you want to temper a little person, you should cool the liquid by 0.5 degrees every 3-4 days. The lowest allowed temperature at this age is 30 degrees Celsius. The room should not be stuffy or cold - 20 degrees is enough.
From 6 months to a year
Mom is interested in how to bathe a child at 6 months, if you want to temper him. For this:
- Reduce the air temperature to 18 degrees (gradually);
- Reduce the water temperature to 28 degrees (0.5 degrees per week);
- Allow the water to dry, do not wipe it off the body (soak the hair, protect the baby from drafts).
All this is allowed to be done only if the baby calmly tolerates hardening, does not be capricious. If he falls ill, one should refrain from bathing altogether. It would be okay if he lived for some time without taking a bath.
Joyful baby bathes
Baby bathing procedure
The general principle of bathing a baby under one year old is simple:
- Prepare a place for water treatments and subsequent care;
- To undress and bathe the child;
- Get it out, blot it with a towel, carry out the final procedures.
Each age has its own characteristics:
- A newborn or two month old toddler may be afraid of water. Direct skin contact can be intimidating. To make the baby easier to endure bathing, they bathe him easily wrapped in a thin diaper. Especially carefully you need to monitor the absence of drafts - at this age it is very easy to catch a cold baby.
Newborn bathes in a diaper
- In the third or fourth month, the child becomes more active, he needs close parental control. The kid will suddenly push off his feet from the bottom of the bathroom and slide down the slide, swallowing water. All of this can happen in a split second. Therefore, mother must constantly keep the child in sight. Using toys already makes sense. Their little person can catch with pens, watch them. It is also useful to drive him on the water on his hands, helping him to "swim". Such swimming sessions are good for strengthening the muscles of the body.
- Moms need to know how to properly bathe a baby at 6 months in a large tub. It is important to properly organize the space for water procedures. The kid is already actively exploring the world, which means he will try to grab everything that interests him. Therefore, it is imperative to remove small items, chemicals and cosmetics higher. At 6 months it's too late to use the circle on the neck - the baby's legs are already strong enough to push off from the bottom of the bath. The body is still weak and cannot support itself. As a result, the crumb can turn head down. This is dangerous because the circles should be removed from use as soon as the parent notices the baby pushing. If the child is already sitting, it's time to put him a special seat and give him toys. For example, play hide and seek with a toy or teach a baby to scoop up liquid with a ladle and pour it out.
Semi-year-old in the bathing seat
- When the toddler learns to walk, as a rule, he no longer wants to sit in the seat. Then you can try a fundamentally different way of bathing. For example, cover the bottom with a rubber Velcro mat, draw some water. Allow the child to stand up to his full height, allow him to move independently around the bathroom, insuring him from an unsuccessful fall. Mom and Dad should be careful - at this age (from 9 months to a year), children have already developed fine motor skills enough to turn on the tap with water. It is imperative to make sure that the little person does not burn himself or freeze.
Shampoo or bath product for babies under one year old is not used every day. It is enough to wash the head once a week. Apply gel or body foam no more than once every 4-5 days. It'll be enough. In any case, cosmetics should be for children.
What to do after swimming
Completion of bath procedures is an integral part of them. It includes drying and caring for the baby. When wrapping the baby in a towel, the parent must remember: in no case should they rub. Otherwise, baby's delicate skin will be damaged. It is only allowed to delicately blot it. They do not wipe the hairs - they simply put on a corner of a towel (or throw a straight edge) so that it absorbs excess moisture.
Baby in a towel with a corner
The rest of the procedures are more convenient to carry out on a flat surface - a changing table or board. It:
- Cleaning the ears of liquid residues and earwax. You cannot climb far with a stick or turunda. Only what gets into the outer shell is cleaned.
- Treatment of the umbilical wound, if any. Previously, brilliant green was used for this, now doctors recommend an alcoholic infusion of chlorophyllipt. It does not paint the skin in a poisonous green color, but it dries just as well.
- Trimming marigolds. For these purposes, it is better to use children's scissors. They are distinguished by rounded tips - even if the parental hand trembles, the child will not suffer.
- Combing out crusts if present. Babies sometimes develop a "milky" crust on the head. It is removed as follows: apply oil before bathing, while bathing, wash your hair with shampoo, and then comb it out with a baby brush. It is not necessary to take an adult comb - it is rough and injures the baby. Special brushes are very soft, just designed for baby fluff.
- Lubrication of the skin. There is no clear recommendation on what exactly this is done. Someone uses oil, someone - cream. Atopic children are shown special cosmetics. It is better to smear inflammation with Bepanten or zinc ointment. The little ones really need additional protection and moisture. This stage can be combined with a relaxing massage.
Mom smears her child with cream
Bathing a baby at home is not difficult, as inexperienced mothers are afraid. With the right approach, daily water routines can be transformed into an enjoyable pastime and even use bathing as part of your daily bedtime ritual.
