The baby bath can be a pleasant time, but many parents do not feel safe practicing this practice, which is normal, especially in the early days for fear of hurting or not bathing it properly.
Some precautions are very important for bathing, including doing it in a place at the right temperature, using a bathtub according to the baby’s size, using baby-friendly products, not bathing immediately after feeding, among others. However, it is up to parents to decide how often to bathe the baby, but it doesn’t have to be every day, and every other day, enough because excess water and the products used can create skin problems. irritations and allergies.
- Before you start swimming.
- It is important to choose a place with a temperature between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius.
- To collect the products to be used.
- Leave the towel.
- Diaper and clothes prepared as well as the water in the bathtub.
- Which should be between 36 and 37oC.
- As the baby loses a lot of heat at that time.
- The bath should not last more than 10 minutes.
Find out what steps you can take to bathe your baby
With the baby still dressed, to prevent the loss of body heat, it is necessary to clean his face, as well as around the ears and folds of the neck, which can be done with a cotton or cloth soaked in warm water.
Swabs should never be used to clean the ears, as there is a risk of piercing the baby’s ear. In addition, a gauze moistened with a saline solution can be used to clean the baby’s nostrils, a very important action to avoid breathing problems. Finally, the eyes should also be cleaned with a damp cloth and the movements should always be nose to ear to prevent the accumulation of dirt and paddles. Learn about the main causes of adhesion in your baby’s eyes and how to clean it.
The baby’s head can also be washed while it is still dressed, and the baby’s forearm and armpit should be held by hand. First, you should wash your child’s head with clean water, then you can use products like soap or baby shampoo and massage the hair with your fingertips.
At this stage of the bath you have to be very careful because the baby’s head has soft areas, which are the fontanelles, which must be closed until 18 months and therefore do not tighten or apply pressure to the head so as not to hurt. However, you should wash it thoroughly with forward-back movements, taking care to prevent foam and water from entering your ears and eyes, and then dry it well with a towel.
After washing your baby’s face and head, you can undress it and remove the diaper, wipe the intimate area with a damp cloth before placing it in the bathtub so as not to soil the water.
When placing the baby in the water, you should not put the baby’s entire body in the water at the same time, but put it in parts, starting with the feet and placing the head on the forearm and with that hand holding the baby’s armpit.
With the baby already in the water, you should lather and rinse the baby’s body thoroughly, cleaning the folds of the thighs, neck and wrists and not forgetting to clean the hands and feet, because babies love to put these parts. Mouth.
The intimate area should be left for the end of the bath, and in girls it is important to always make sure to clean from front to back so as not to contaminate the vagina with faeces. In children, it is necessary to always keep the area around the testicles and under the penis clean.
Once you have finished rinsing the baby, you should remove it from the bathtub and place it on the dry towel, wrapping the baby so it does not get wet out of the water. Then use the towel to dry all parts of the baby’s body, not to mention the hands, feet and folds, as if the moisture is accumulating, sores may appear in these areas.
After drying the whole body, the intimate area should be dried and diaper rash, a common complication in infants, should be controlled. See how to identify and treat diaper rash in infants.
With the baby clean and dry, you have to put the diaper clean so that the towel does not fall out.
Since the baby’s skin is drier, especially in the first few weeks of life, it is essential to moisturize it with baby-friendly ointments, oils, creams and lotions, and the ideal time for application is after bathing.
To apply the moisturizer, you should start with your baby’s chest and arms and wear clothing from the outside area, then apply a moisturizer to your legs and wear the bottom of your baby’s clothing. It is important to pay attention to aspects of your baby’s skin and if there are changes in color or texture, as this can cause allergy problems. Learn a little more about your baby’s skin allergy and what to do in these cases.
Finally, you can comb your hair, check the need to cut your nails and put on your stockings and shoes, in case the baby can already walk.
The place and equipment should be prepared before bathing to prevent the baby from losing heat, and this also prevents the child from being left alone in the water during bathing. To prepare the bath, you must:
Keep the temperature between 22oC and 25oC and without air currents;
It brings together bath products, they are not necessary but, if you choose to use them, they must be suitable for babies with neutral pH, be soft and perfume-free and should only be used on the dirtiest parts of the baby. Before 6 months, the same product used to wash the body can be used to wash the hair, without the need for shampoo;
Prepare the towel, diaper and clothing in the order you will use them so that the baby does not cool down;
Place a maximum of 10 cm of water in the tub or bucket, first by adding cold water and then hot water until it reaches a temperature between 36 and 37 degrees Celsius. In the absence of a thermometer, you can use your elbow to verify that the water is beautiful.
You should use a plastic tub or Shantala bucket that can accommodate the size of your baby, as well as be in a comfortable place for parents. Another highlight is the products that will be used in the bathroom that suits the baby, since the baby is more sensitive, especially in the first weeks of life, and some products can cause eye and skin irritation.
In the first few weeks of life, before the baby’s umbilical cord falls, or even when you want to wash part of the baby without getting wet, the sponge bath can be a great alternative.
This practice should also be done in a heated area and before the bath starts all equipment, clothing, towels, diapers, baby soap and a container containing warm water, initially without soap, should be collected. On a flat surface, always in clothes or wrapped in a towel, it is ideal to clean the face, the outline of the ears, the chin, the folds of the neck and the eyes of the baby with a wet towel only with water so that not to irritate the skin.
When undressing your baby, it’s important to keep it warm and for this you can put a towel on it while you clean your body. Start above and lower, not to mention hands and feet, and clean very carefully around the umbilical stump to dry it. After that, you can put some soap in the water to wet the towel and clean the area of the genitals. Finally, dry the baby, put a clean diaper on it, and put on your clothes. Learn how to take care of your baby’s umbilical stump.
To ensure bathroom safety, the baby must be monitored at all times in the water and should never be alone in the bathtub, as he or she may drown in less than 30 seconds and with little water. For older babies, it is advisable not to fill the tub above the size of the seated child.
In addition, many parents like to bathe with their children or want to try this experience. However, you should be very careful as this practice may not be as safe as there are risks such as falling with the baby on your lap and the products the adult uses in the bathroom can irritate the baby’s skin or eyes. However, if parents wish to practice this practice, certain safety measures should be put in place, such as placing a stick mat in the bathroom and using a scarf to catch the baby in the adult, in addition to choosing to use their own products.