Bathing a newborn: simple but important rules

The first bathing of a newborn usually turns into a whole event for the family. Conduct it after the umbilical wound in the baby is already healing. This period can be very different for different children, so you need to orient yourself to what the pediatrician will say: if he allowed bathing, then it is already safe. Soaking up an uninhabited navel is fraught with infection. For hygienic care of the skin during this period, you can use baby wipes or wipe the baby with a wet towel, and the newborn's bathing will have to be postponed for the time being.

Many recommend the first time to drop a newborn into the water in a diaper, but this advice can hardly be considered reasonable. It starts in the time when wooden troughs and tubs were used for bathing kids : the diaper protected the tender body from scratches and splinters. Modern baths are completely safe, so wrap the baby before the first bathing should not be. Diaper can be put under the head, but it is better to use a special plastic insert, which can be bought at any children's store. Thanks to its anatomical shape, it reliably protects the baby from slipping and falling in the bath, greatly simplifying the bathing of the newborn (you can also use special bathing circles). Many begin to bathe the child immediately in a large bath. This business, rather, personal preferences: if your baby likes a large space, then the idea makes sense. However, sometimes it happens that the baby feels uncomfortable in a large bath and begins to cry. In this case, it makes sense still try the baby bath. It should also be understood that bathing a newborn in a large bath is fraught with certain inconveniences, since keeping it less convenient. In addition, a common bath before each bath will have to be thoroughly disinfected.

Long-standing disputes are being held around the temperature of the water that is optimal for the newborn. Traditionally it was believed that it should be +37 degrees, but many pediatricians believe that the upper limit is + 36 degrees, that is, just below body temperature. It is in such water that the child, according to them, does not initially feel uncomfortable. Since bathing a newborn baby is not only a hygienic, but also a hardening procedure, it is advisable to fully use this time to promote the health of the baby. Experts advise: every two to three days lower the temperature of the water in the tub by one degree. In this way you will be able to determine the minimum allowable temperature for the baby, that is, one at which he feels comfortable and, at the same time, actively moves - on it and should stop. Duration of bathing should also be gradually increased: from 10 minutes to half an hour.

The rule here is one: bathing should be fun for the baby. All children differ from each other and the temperature of the water, which for one child will be quite comfortable, for another may be completely unacceptable. Bathing an infant should not be a source of unpleasant sensations for him - this should be remembered, intending to once again lower the temperature of the water. Be sure to consult a pediatrician and remember: you can only harden a healthy child. For the duration of the illness and for two to three weeks after it, the hardening procedures should be canceled.

As for bath accessories, then for bathing you need a soft cloth sponge and baby soap. It is not advisable to bathe a healthy child in herbal decoctions, it is worth doing only according to the indications (for example, when problems with the skin in the bath add a decoction of a string or oak bark, with falling asleep - mint or lemon balm). Especially do not bathe the baby in a solution of potassium permanganate, which dries the skin. Baby soap is washed two or three times a week.

After bathing, gently dry and wipe the delicate skin of the baby without rubbing it. The towel should be individual.