How to wash a girl up to a year - wash it right under the tap

Intimate hygiene is a very crucial moment in caring for newborns. This is especially true for girls. Improper or inadequate hygiene can lead to serious illnesses. This article will tell you how to properly wash a newborn girl in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Baby sleeping

The importance of newborn hygiene

It is necessary to organize proper care for intimate areas from the first days of life. After birth, the baby's skin adapts to the external environment and is especially sensitive to any influences, especially contact with its own secretions. Therefore, it is very important, while still in the hospital, to learn to wash the baby with warm running water immediately after emptying.

A girl's reproductive health needs to be taken care of immediately after birth. Prolonged exposure to urine and feces can cause not only irritation of the newborn's skin, but also inflammation of the genitourinary system, the development of synechia, etc.

Important! A girl's health depends on the correct organization of intimate hygiene from the first days of life.

How many times a day to wash a newborn

Hygiene procedures under clean running water must be performed every time after a girl has wet herself, if she is not in a disposable diaper. A high-quality, highly absorbent diaper protects the skin from excess moisture, so washing can only be done when changing it. However, the child should not be in one diaper for more than 2-3 hours. If the baby pooped, change the diaper and wash it right away, otherwise pathogenic bacteria will enter the inside of the vagina and cause inflammation.

Baby lies

Problems in the intimate area do not always occur due to insufficient hygiene. Some mothers, fearing infection, on the contrary, are overly zealous in caring for the baby, trying to thoroughly wash every fold of skin with soap. In this case, the soap solution gets on the vaginal mucosa, causing dryness and irritation. In the process of regeneration of the resulting microcracks, the labia minora and labia majora begin to grow together. This is how synechiae are formed - sticking of the labia. This is also due to the insufficient amount of the hormone estrogen, which does not increase immediately, but with the age of the girl. With minor adhesions and the absence of other symptoms, synechiae pass by themselves with age. In more serious cases, treatment with hormonal creams is prescribed. Very rarely, surgical dissection of the fused tissue may be indicated.

It is believed that synechiae do not occur during the neonatal period, since the mother's hormones are still present in the girl's body after birth. In any case, you do not need to be zealous with the use of cosmetics, so as not to cause irritation of the mucous membrane and its inflammation.

Important! Too frequent use of soap in the intimate area can lead to the development of synechia in girls.

Therefore, many doctors advise against using soap more than once a day when washing. Dr. Komarovsky advises to do this no more than 2-3 times a week.

As for washing with clean running water, the opinion is unanimous: it is advisable to do this after each urination and always after a bowel movement.

How to properly wash a baby up to a year

Washing under the tap

Features of washing girls

Intimate area care differs depending on the gender of the child. Even experienced mothers of boys have the question of how to properly wash a girl when her daughter is born. If for boys it does not matter which side to start the procedure, then for babies it is very important.

The main rule for washing girls is to pour water from the tummy to the back. That is, from front to back, so that dirt and bacteria from the stool do not enter the vaginal area.

Water requirements

Washing after bowel movement must be carried out under running water, because using the water from the basin, you can also bring in fecal bacteria. If there is no running hot water at home, you can use a jug. Before bathing in the bathtub, it is also imperative to wash the child in advance, if he went "in big".

Before starting the procedure, you need to make sure that the water has a comfortable temperature of 35-37 degrees. To determine this, it is not necessary to use a thermometer, it is enough to check the temperature by placing your elbow under the stream. Mom should not rely only on her palm, since adults have reduced sensitivity in this area. The water may appear to be at a comfortable temperature, but it will be hot for a baby.

Some doctors recommend rinsing the newborn with only boiled water until the umbilical wound heals. For daily disinfecting treatments, unboiled tap water is also used, provided that the navel does not get wet and heals well.

Cosmetics for hygiene

Washing gel

Many pediatricians and pediatric dermatologists agree that in the first six months of life, a newborn does not need any cosmetics for bathing. The best helpers here are clean water and air baths. As a last resort, you can use ph-neutral soap without fragrances and dyes, allowed from birth. In this case, it is better to take a liquid product, since its contents do not come into contact with the environment in the same way as ordinary bar soap.

Use a hygiene product for baby girls very carefully. You should only lather the soiled ass, without going into the genital area. Rinse from front to back.

To treat the skin after washing, use a baby cream or oil. It is important to remember that no cosmetic products should get inside the genital crevice. You need to process only superficially. You can also wash it off with a decoction of medicinal herbs such as chamomile, string, provided there are no allergic reactions.

In little girls, a white mass accumulates in the folds of the labia - smegma. There is debate about what to do with this. Some experts believe that it is necessary to carefully remove these secretions with a cotton pad moistened with water or sterile oil to prevent bacteria from growing. Others strongly advise against touching anything there, since this natural lubricant protects against synechia and inflammation. Reasonable hygiene without fanaticism will help resolve these contradictions and ensure a healthy future for the newborn girl.

Important! In the arsenal of intimate hygiene for a girl, there should be only a means for washing newborns, the rest will be provided by clean water and air.

Algorithm of actions, how to wash a newborn

The crumb is washed away

Below is a step-by-step diagram of how to wash a girl under the tap:

Before taking the child, mom washes her hands with soap and water.
Then you need to adjust the temperature of the water by measuring it with your elbow.
Mom gently takes the baby, placing her head on the elbow and clasping her hip with her palm. At the same time, the crumb lies on its back.
You don't need to put your child under running water right away. With the free hand, control the temperature of the water again and, after making sure that everything is in order, begin washing.
At first, you need to try so that the jet from the tap does not pour directly onto the stomach, the baby may be uncomfortable from this. It is better to collect some of the water in your palm and gently rinse the dirt, moving from the pubis to the butt.
When washing, do not use any sponges or sponges. If the stool is dry, cotton pads soaked in water are used to remove the impurities. If necessary, you can apply a small amount and lather the buttocks area. Then rinse with water.
After the procedure, the child is laid out on a changing table or other prepared place on a clean soft towel. At first, it is better to use a cotton diaper, changing it daily.
To dry the baby, it is enough to gently blot the crotch area with a cloth. Do not rub under any circumstances.

Wet wipes

Many mothers are interested in: how often can you use wet wipes, can you replace them with washing under the tap?

Most experts agree that napkins can be used, but if absolutely necessary. For example, on the road, hospital, shopping mall and other places, wet wipes are very helpful. It is strongly discouraged to use them all the time and at home.

In any, even the most adapted to the skin of a newborn, wipes contain substances that irritate the delicate integument, and can also cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, after using the napkin outside the home, it is necessary to wash the baby under clean running water as soon as possible. You need to clean the girl's groin area with a napkin in the same way as when washing: from front to back.

The choice of wet wipes for newborns should be taken very carefully. They should include the following characteristics:

suitable for use from the first days of life;
do not have a pronounced smell;
be soft and pleasant to the touch;
do not contain alcohol and other aggressive components;
clean with lotion or herbal extract, not soap.

Note! Any wet wipes can cause an allergic reaction, even those labeled "hypoallergenic".

Caring for a girl after washing

On the changing table

It is also important to know how to care for the skin of the intimate area after washing. When the crotch area has been washed and soaked with a clean diaper, the skin folds should be treated with a special baby diaper cream or sterile oil (vaseline, peach, apricot).

The cream is gently smeared with the buttocks, the inner thighs, the pubic area. In the area of the labia majora, it is better not to use the cream so that some of it does not get inside. To soften this area, it is oiled.

If there is a lot of original lubricant - smegma between the folds of the lips, it can be carefully removed with a damp cotton pad using peach oil.

Important! For the care of a newborn girl, it is not advised to use powder.

Sometimes in the first days after birth, a girl may experience slight spotting. If their number is small, there is no cause for concern - this way the excess of maternal sex hormones is released. It is enough to observe normal hygiene to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying.

After all procedures, it is useful to leave the baby to lie naked for 10-15 minutes, taking air baths. This is how diaper rash prevention and hardening occur.

Baby in bodysuit

The choice of clothes for a little princess should also be considered carefully. In the first months of life, the entire wardrobe should consist of natural breathable fabrics. This is especially true for clothing in contact with the skin.

Diapers should be chosen with good absorbency and breathability. Do not allow a long stay in a diaper, more often arrange air baths.

You can keep the baby just in romper or panties, especially in summer. At the same time, make sure to change the soaked laundry in time. The panties or trousers should not be too tight or rub the crotch with rough seams.

When the baby learns to sit down and crawl, and throughout later life, parents should teach their daughter not to sit on cold surfaces: stone, concrete, earth, cold floor. Her reproductive health depends on it.