As soon as my daughter and I were discharged from the hospital, my mother and mother-in-law came to us and began vying with each other to give advice on how to properly care for the child, including how to properly bathe: “Be sure to boil the water until the navel has healed! Add potassium permanganate to the water! Wrap the baby in a diaper and immerse it in water, otherwise the baby may get scared and scream! "
I want to say right away that all these recommendations will not harm the child, but it is quite possible to do without them. There is enough trouble with the newborn, why unnecessary body movements? I will name the rules that I adhered to and which I would recommend to young mothers.
Basic rules for bathing a baby
- Always measure the temperature of the water, it should be around 37 °, the same as the baby's body temperature. Do not try to bathe your baby in hotter water: his delicate skin can get burned, and the blood vessels can burst.
- Be sure to get a water thermometer, try hot or cold water with your elbow - the last century! The room where you are bathing should be warm so that the baby does not freeze when they are taken out of the bath.
- Watch your baby's head - it should not be completely submerged in water. It is convenient to use an inflatable pillow, but if it is not there, you can simply hold the head with one hand.
- It is undesirable for the water to enter the child's ears. But if this happens, you do not need to panic and shake the baby's head, after a while the water will flow out by itself.
- You can not take the newborn out of the bath by the head. Support its head with one hand and put the other under the back.
- A child under 3-4 months should not be washed with gels and shampoos (even special ones intended for children). Brew herbs (succession and chamomile are very good), they have a relaxing and anti-allergenic effect.
- It is foolish to immerse a child in water in a diaper - if the water temperature is comfortable for him, he will not be afraid, but will gladly begin to actively move his arms and legs.
- You need to bathe your child every day. In the first week, the duration of the procedure should not exceed 10 minutes. In the future, the bathing time can be increased. Do not add hot water to the tub.
- Do not bathe your baby in a shared bath, you need to get a special baby bath before his birth. If the mother will be bathing the child alone, then it is very convenient to use a special slide stand.
- After pulling the child out of the bath, wrap him in a soft towel (there are special models with a hood), get wet, just don't rub his delicate skin - it is unpleasant for the baby.
- You need to feed the baby after bathing, he will eat well and blissfully fall asleep. If you feed it before bathing, the child will feel uncomfortable and may spit up.
- Have fun with your child. Bathing is a very pleasant procedure in which dad can also take part: install a bath, pour water of the required temperature, take the baby out of mom's hands and wrap him in a towel, take him to the room, and then, while mom is feeding, clean up everything in the bathroom.
Act confidently and intelligently, without relying on outdated advice from grandmothers. And remember that all responsibility for the health of the baby lies with you.
