The first bathing of a newborn child becomes a real ritual for the whole family. Young parents are very worried about how the baby reacts to water procedures, so often the first acquaintance with the water goes along with grandmothers, and sometimes even grandfathers. After all, from the first bath depends on how the child will later treat water procedures. Next, we'll look at when you can start bathing a newborn baby and the features of this procedure.
When is it better to bathe a newborn baby?
The question of the time of the first bathing for young parents is very important. Someone already in the maternity hospital is trying to wash the baby's body in the washbasin, and someone even arriving home tries to wait with a bath. The main obstacle to getting acquainted with water is the uninhabited navel. There is no consensus on this issue. Some pediatricians believe that one should wait for the navel to heal, while others say that if you bathe the baby in boiled water and decoction of herbs, you can do it in the first days after discharge from the hospital.
The time of day for swimming is chosen by parents. Most often, the bathing procedure is carried out in the evening before going to sleep, because relaxing warm water with herbal decoctions calms the nervous system of the child and promotes a good sleep.
How to start bathing a newborn?
- We think, it is not necessary to say that the bath should ideally be washed.
- The air temperature in the room where the procedure will be performed should not be below 24ºC.
- The bath is equipped with a special slide for swimming , on which the baby will be laid, so that his face does not fall under the water.
- It is very important that the first month of the baby should be bathed in boiled water and decoction of herbs. Since the second month, water can not be boiled, but broths should continue to cook. To prepare the decoction of herbs most often use chamomile, calendula, string, mint and plantain.
- Do not use soap and shampoos for up to 1 month, then you can choose children, but use them no more than 1 time per week.
Before bathing, you should always measure the water temperature and make sure it is 35-36º C. Before putting the baby in water it should be wrapped in a diaper so that it does not get scared. At first, the baby's legs are immersed in the child and monitored by his reaction, if he does not express discontent, then gradually he is laid on a hill.
During bathing with a baby, you need to talk, iron it, water your breasts with water. The kid should understand that water procedures bring joy and pleasure. The procedure for the first bath should not exceed 10 minutes, then the duration can be gradually increased, bringing up to 30 minutes.
After bathing the newborn baby should be wrapped in a warm terry towel or a special diaper with a hood. After bathing, children usually eat with great desire and sleep longer and calmer than usual.
When is it not recommended to bathe a newborn?
We know a lot about the positive aspects of water procedures for children. This is both a hardening and soothing effect, an increase in immunity. And now let's see when you can not bathe the newborn?
- Of course, it is strictly forbidden to bathe a baby if he has a cold, and even more so with a high fever, because it can aggravate his condition.
- Pustular skin diseases are also a contraindication for bathing.
- The presence of soaking wounds also does not allow the child to bathe.
Thus, if you approach the bathing of a newborn baby correctly, the baby will not be afraid of water in later life, and after bathing, a good appetite and sleep are provided. In addition, the hardening effect of water procedures will help it grow strong and healthy.