Bathing the baby for the first time. The main stages of the procedure. Age features of bathing

10.08.2019

Bathing for a newborn child and his parents is a whole event (especially if it is the first after the hospital). Like any very responsible business, this process raises many questions: how and when to bathe, boil water or not, whether it is possible to add decoctions of herbs and how often to do it, is it dangerous for water to enter the ears, and so on. The well-known pediatrician Yevgeny Komarovsky in his books and articles has repeatedly talked about the basic rules and principles of organizing water procedures for an infant.

It is worth considering the most important points that you need to know so that bathing brings pleasure and benefits to both the child and his parents.

Peculiarities

Water procedures are useful for absolutely all babies from the very first days of life. In the womb, the crumbs are in the aquatic environment, and therefore it is familiar and dear to them. The toddler feels at home in the water. Bathing is not only a hygienic procedure aimed at keeping the skin and hair of the child clean. Bathing promotes physical development, carries an element of play, and therefore has a positive effect on the mental and emotional development of the baby.

A few decades ago, pediatricians categorically forbade bathing a child with an unhealed umbilical wound, opposed raw, unboiled water, and set quite a few rather stringent requirements and restrictions for parents.

Modern doctors look at bathing in a more democratic way.

Parents with experience, as a rule, have much less difficulties when bathing a newborn at home for the first time than for newly-made mothers and fathers, who received their first-born in their arms just a few hours ago. Komarovsky advises keeping Spartan calm. It is this that is the guarantee of success in the difficult matter of bathing crumbs.

Preparation

Should I bathe with an unhealed umbilical wound?

This question comes up quite often. Some pediatricians allow bathing even with a clothespin on the navel, others recommend refraining from taking water procedures until the umbilical cord dries up. Yevgeny Komarovsky says that the choice is definitely up to the parents. However, if the child is kept in acceptable living conditions, does not sweat, does not overheat, does not get dirty, then nothing bad will happen to him if the baby does not bathe for a week or two. It doesn't bother him in any way. If anyone is worried, then only mom and dad, but in this case there are wet baby sanitary napkins, with which you can wipe problem areas and folds at any time.

However, if you still decide to bathe, then before the umbilical wound heals, the doctor advises to do this exclusively with boiled water.

For a long time, doctors advised bathing in water with a solution of potassium permanganate. However, you need to be extremely careful here, undissolved grains of potassium permanganate can cause serious burns on the delicate skin and mucous membranes of the baby. The solution should be pale pink and should be added to the water just before bathing. Komarovsky does not recommend potassium permanganate at all, since in small doses it is useless, and in large doses it is dangerous. It is better to replace it with the infusion of the series.

Massage

A massage before an evening swim is a very useful and important procedure, says Evgeny Komarovsky. During stroking and patting, the blood supply to the muscles and skin improves, and the benefits will be even more noticeable if the baby is bathed immediately after the manipulations. All parents, without exception, can master a simple massage. You do not need to sign up for special courses for this.

Komarovsky recommends a light and soothing massage before the bath. At first, with baby cream, mom can easily massage her hands (with stroking and circular movements, this should be done with thumbs). Then the legs are massaged in the same way. Stroke the tummy with the palm or fingertips clockwise. Then the crumbs are laid out on the tummy and the back is gently massaged - first with circular and arcuate movements, and then with light pats.

The movements of the mother should not cause pain to the baby, he should not go to the bath too overexcited and screaming from the heart.

Water temperature

Doctors recommend keeping the temperature at 37 degrees. It should be adhered to for at least the first 10-14 days. Then you can experiment - slightly raising or lowering the temperature (maximum - by 1 degree).

Some parents try to warm up the bathroom in advance, bring heaters into it (especially in those cases when the first bathing at home occurs in winter). Komarovsky advises against doing this. The temperature in the bathroom should be about the same as in the rest of the apartment (optimal values are 18-20 degrees), and it is harmful to overheat the air in the bathing room.

Komarovsky for a sound sleep at night advises to practice bathing in cool water, the temperature of which is not higher than 32 degrees.

Such procedures will not cause any harm, but the general strengthening effect will be evident, besides, in a cool bath it is more difficult for a child to fall asleep while bathing. However, you should not immediately rush to implement this recommendation. This should be started gradually. The initial water temperature for a newborn is 34 degrees. In a month, the child can lower it by 2 degrees - up to 32 degrees, and increase the bathing time from 15 minutes to half an hour. In two months the temperature of cool water can be lowered to 28-30 degrees, bathing time - half an hour.

Komarovsky advises to take these figures rather conditionally. If a baby at 1 month old calmly perceives bathing in water, the temperature of which is 24 degrees, there is nothing wrong with that. He sleeps soundly, rests well, worries less himself and allows his parents to sleep well.

Time

The first bath should not be done very long. It is better to start with 3 minutes, the next day extend the procedure to 5 minutes, then add a little more time. Komarovsky considers the best bathing time to be 15-20 minutes. If a quarter of an hour has passed, and the baby is calm and determined to continue the procedure, nothing terrible will happen if the bathing is prolonged.

The newborn does not have time to get dirty enough to need to be bathed every day.

Although Komarovsky strongly advises to wash the baby every day. When the baby begins to crawl, get dirty, actively explore the world, water procedures before bedtime should become regular and obligatory - the baby will have to be bathed daily.

It seems to Komarovsky that evening swimming is not a dogma. Parents themselves have the right to choose the most convenient bathing time for the family. Some evening hygiene procedures are postponed to lunchtime. However, Komarovsky warns that evening bathing has its benefits - for example, it promotes relaxation for a sound and healthy night's sleep.

Herbs and decoctions

No matter what traditional healers say, any use of phytotherapeutic agents when bathing is better to coordinate with the attending pediatrician. Grandmothers, of course, will advise the granddaughter to bathe more often in a row or be sure to brew him nine-strength, but the common sense of the parents should be above all. If a child suffers from atopic dermatitis, diaper rash, a tendency (genetic) to allergies, be sure to consult a doctor.

For healthy children, bathing with the addition of decoctions of medicinal herbs is a rather useful procedure, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. However, in everything, a measure is good, you should not prepare herbal baths daily, and you should be more careful with the dosage of decoctions and infusions.

Naturally, treating something with the help of herbal decoctions added to water will not work, since this is impossible, says Dr. Komarovsky. But even a lot of harm with moderate dosage will not happen.

What if the child does not like to wash and screams?

Such situations occur, says Komarovsky. But the point here is not at all in the child, and not even in the fact that he is afraid of something. Most likely, according to the famous pediatrician, the bathing conditions should be corrected. Maybe the water temperature does not suit the baby - it is too high or too low for him. After experimenting for several days, parents will be able to understand which water is most comfortable for the child. Bathing should begin with it - and only then adjust the temperature in favor of cooling (adding a thin stream of cold water) or heating (adding hot water in the same way).

Another reason for the child's cry in the bathroom, according to Komarovsky, lies in the rejection of the bathing process by the baby, since it goes against his internal biological clock.

For example, a mother tries to bathe the baby only at night, and it is at this time that the child wants to sleep, and not swim. Therefore, Komarovsky gives several tips to help parents whose children are scandalous in the water:

Change the time of day.

Change the order of eating and bathing. If the baby screams when bathing half an hour after eating, then try bathing him half an hour before eating (or vice versa).

Practice bathing with your baby.

Large bath

This can be done in 2-3 months, says Evgeny Komarovsky... At first, the child can settle in a large body of water with a circle around his neck. This is a special inflatable device with a notch for the chin and Velcro on the back of the neck. The kid is fixed in such a circle, his head is always above the water, and he can practice swimming on his back, stomach, turning over in the water on his own. Usually this picture leads the parents of the crumbs into indescribable delight.

You can swim without a circle. For this, Evgeny Komarovsky advises three poses:

The baby is immersed in water entirely, only the face remains on the surface. At the same time, it is supported by the index fingers under the neck. There is nothing dangerous in getting water into the ears and eyes, the doctor says. The main thing is that water does not get into the nose and mouth. Even if the baby sips it a little, nothing terrible will happen either.

A baby appeared in your family and life turned upside down. New chores, new responsibilities and new concerns. A huge layer of emotions is caused by the bathing procedure (yes, I know from my own experience. Scary, exciting, tense.) The head is torn from a lot of questions: how to bathe a newborn baby for the first time at home, how to keep the baby, what means to use, what grass to bathe in and much more ...

However, in reality, everything is not so complicated. Now I will tell you the features and rules of bathing a newborn at home.

Time for water treatments

So, the first question is when you need to bathe your baby. The first bathing of the newborn is started on the very first day of returning home from the hospital.

The only exception may be when you are vaccinating and you were vaccinated against tuberculosis just before you were discharged. In this case, put off bathing for a day.

You can choose the time of day for water procedures individually. It all depends on the behavior and well-being of the baby.

Most often, a newborn is bathed in the evening. Nevertheless, if the child is vigorous after bathing and behaves quite actively, it is better to bathe him in the morning or try using special herbs for this procedure.

There are also no clear rules on how to combine bathing with feeding. It is recommended to buy the child first, and then give him a meal. However, if the hungry baby is very nervous and screams, this order can be changed. When breastfeeding, there is no need to do any 40 minutes between eating and bathing.

Important! If you started bathing at a certain time, but you see that it does not suit your baby, change it.

We prepare everything you need

Before you bathe your newborn for the first time, you should prepare everything you need in advance. The bath, as a rule, is acquired even before the birth of the baby. It must be washed with soda and rinsed with boiling water.

In the future, do such rinsing constantly, otherwise plaque will form on the walls (especially after using herbal decoctions).

The bath must be installed on a dais: a bath, a table or a special stand. Otherwise, you will have to bathe your baby in a tilted position, which can make your back and arms ache.

When bathing a newborn baby for the first time, special attention should be paid to water preparation. Until the baby's umbilical wound heals, the water must be boiled, or, in extreme cases, disinfected with 2-4 drops of tea tree oil.

This should be done in advance so that it has time to cool down to the desired temperature, which should be in the range from 37.5 to 39 °. You can touch the water with your elbow or use a thermometer to check the temperature.

It is imperative to prepare hot water to add during bathing. Also, in a separate bowl, you need to collect water for rinsing. A decoction of the herb for bathing is prepared in advance and added to the bath just before the procedure itself.

All items for bathing should be located near the bath:

baby soap or shampoo;
diapers or foam base;
baby sponge or cotton pads.

Prepare a towel and clothing before bathing your baby for the first time. Spread an oilcloth and a diaper on which you can then put your baby to dress. Nearby, you need to place products for caring for the baby after water procedures:

Oil for lubricating wrinkles on the body;
Herbal infusion (if there is inflammation on the skin);
Talcum powder or powder (read more about powder for newborns >>>);
Zelenka or potassium permanganate solution;
Cotton buds, cotton pads.

Separately, you should think about the room where the adaptation bathing will take place. The main thing is that there are no drafts in it.

It's good if someone from your family is nearby while swimming. He will serve the necessary items, throw a towel over the baby.

Bathing rules

The most important question is how to properly carry out the procedure itself for the first bathing of a newborn baby.

After everything you need is ready, the baby should be undressed and left for a few minutes on the changing table for taking air baths. You can give your child a massage or do some gymnastics exercises with him.

At this time, you need to put a diaper roller under your head, a foam rubber base or a special slide in the bath and pour water or a diluted decoction of herbs. Immediately before lowering the baby into the water, it is necessary to check its temperature again.

Let's start swimming

It is necessary to immerse the child gradually. Support the baby's head with your left hand.
Just wash your baby first. To do this, you need to draw water with your right hand and water the child. Then wash it off.

Now let's look at how to wash a newborn baby for the first time.

Lather your hand or a cotton pad and gently run through the hair on the head, behind the ears and under the chin.
Then we move on to lathering the body. All wrinkles should be thoroughly rinsed, especially the armpits, groin and under the knees. Do not forget to open the baby's fists and wash the palms and interdigital spaces.
After soaping, wash off the foam.
When bathing a baby in a decoction of herbs, soap products are not used.

If necessary, add hot water, directing it in a thin stream along the far wall of the bath (from the side of the legs). After adding the water in the bath, mix well.

Finally, rinse the baby. To do this, take it out and hold it over the bath. It is most convenient to put the baby on his left hand with his tummy. Rinse with prepared clean water.
Holding the baby in the same position, you need to throw a towel over him and wrap him well.

After finishing the first bathing of the newborn after the hospital, it is necessary to wipe the baby dry and lay on a diaper. Then treat the navel area, grease the folds with oil or sprinkle with talcum powder. Now you can dress the baby - bathing is complete.

Watch a helpful video tutorial on bathing your newborn:

Special moments

Separately, it is worth talking about some of the intricacies of the procedure for the first bathing of a newborn after the hospital.

Use of potassium permanganate

In the first month of the baby, you can periodically bathe in water with the addition of a solution of potassium permanganate. This will disinfect the umbilical wound and prevent its inflammation. You need to dilute potassium permanganate in a separate bowl, and add to the water only by filtering the resulting solution through cheesecloth. The liquid should turn a light pink color.

Bathing products

For bathing a child, you can use special baby products:

soap;
shampoo;
foam.

You can also wash your baby in herbal decoctions:

turns;
calendula;
St. John's wort;
motherwort;
hops;
nettles.

Bathing with herbal decoctions can be carried out 1 - 2 times a week, and with the use of foaming agents - only once a week.

Folk ways

They wrapped the baby in a thin diaper and lowered him into the water. Then they unrolled the right leg, washed it and covered it again with a diaper. This was done in turn with all parts of the baby's body. When bathing in a diaper, the baby will not freeze while in the water.

Time for procedure

A child under 1.5 months is bathed for the longest time: from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. When I tell mothers how to bathe a newborn, I always explain that bathing is a powerful rehabilitative procedure.

The longest bathing time is after 6 months, when the child learns to sit and can play in the bathroom with a stream of water or toys.

Folk omens

Many folk signs are associated with the first bathing of a newborn.

If you put silver coins at the bottom of the tub, then in the future the child will be rich;
In order for the baby to be loved by everyone, it is necessary to add a decoction of lovage herb to the water;
So that the mother can breastfeed the baby for a long time, it is advised to whiten the water in the bath with breast milk;
If a girl is dressed in white clothes for the first bath, then her skin will always be snow-white;
The first time a child should be bathed only by his parents without the help of grandmothers;
After the procedure, water should be immediately poured down the drain.

Every day, bathing your baby, you will feel more confident. Gradually, bathing will become a favorite ritual for both you and the child, giving both of them real pleasure.

How to take care of your baby, how many times to feed, what to wear, how to bathe properly? - These questions begin to worry many mothers long before the birth and discharge of the child from the hospital. To make the first days after the hospital easy and joyful, it is important to tune in positively and prepare for the appearance of the baby. Parents will find it easier and easier to care for their newborn if they know in advance what the care should be like.

Actions immediately after exiting

For the happy day when the baby is at home for the first time, it is better to prepare in advance.

install a baby cot (do not forget about the waterproof mattress topper),
equip a place for hygienic care of the baby,
prepare everything you need for swimming,
iron the clothes and diapers of the newborn,
carry out wet cleaning,
thoroughly ventilate the apartment.

Particular attention should be paid to the preparation of the mother's "workplace". A good option in choosing a “platform” for carrying out daily manipulations of childcare would be to use a changing board. Currently, such boards are built into the chests of drawers and represent a removable hinged top shelf above the drawers for linen. The changing table saves the mother's back from excessive stress when bending, helps to maintain the correct posture after childbirth. For a thorough examination of the baby's body after an evening swim, you can install an additional lamp above the diaper. It is important, without leaving the baby lying on the diaper, to take everything that may be needed for daily procedures. Therefore, it is better to place hygiene products for baby care directly on the changing board itself or next to it. To do this, you can use a bedside table or shelf. The top drawer of the chest of drawers is convenient for storing diapers, nappies, clothes for a newborn.

When the newborn is at home, you need to undress him, feed him and put him to bed. It is important not to forget to feed your baby, even if he is sound asleep. The sucking reflex is already sufficiently developed, and the baby can eat even while sleeping. In the first days after birth, babies sleep for more than three hours in a row, sometimes sleep can last 6-8 hours during the day. The pediatrician's recommended feeding interval for newborns is a maximum of 4 hours.

If during feeding or sleeping the baby gets dirty on the diaper, diaper, do not be afraid to replace them with clean ones. Newborns are fast asleep and will not mind. You can use wet wipes, and when the baby wakes up, wash him in the bathroom. Sleeping in a dirty diaper can lead to diaper rash and dermatitis.

Immediately after discharge, the child's nails should be cut, if this was not done in the hospital. You can purchase specialized children's scissors with rounded edges, they cannot accidentally cut or prick the fingers of a small crumbs. It is best to trim the nails of a sleeping baby.

We wash boys and girls

Many parents are worried and do not know how to properly hold the baby while washing and are afraid to drop it. Even in the maternity hospital, nurses teach mothers to properly hold the baby, but it also happens that children are not in the same ward with their mother, and they meet only at feeding and discharge. Then mothers have to choose a convenient way to wash their children at home. This is easy to do, you just need to put the baby in your hand correctly and not worry. The mother's excitement is quickly transmitted to the child, and he may start crying. In most cases, children are soothed by the water, and they are happy to wash.

You need to wash the newborn under running water, checking the temperature with your hand so as not to burn the baby's delicate skin. Do not expose the baby's ass under a strong stream of water, regulate the water supply by hand. Washing girls is different from washing boys. The boy can be placed with his stomach on his hand. In girls, you should avoid getting fecal particles into the genitals, you need to wash them by putting your back on your hand, fix the baby's leg with your fingers and wipe the genitals with the palm of your other hand from top to bottom towards the anus. In no case should you do this: rub the girl's organs from the bottom up, so as not to bring in bacteria.

Excessive use of soap, foams for washing, wet wipes can lead to dry skin, mucous membranes, allergic reactions and redness, the appearance of synechia in girls - such care is harmful. It is not necessary to wash the newborn after he pee. It is worth navigating 3-4 changes of diapers or pants. After that, you can rinse your baby's bottom without using soap. After having a bowel movement, you should also avoid using soap and wet wipes. The best way to wash the delicate skin of newborns is clean water. The soap should be used once a week. After the child is washed, you need to gently blot the groin folds with a towel, in no case rub. If there are particles of feces in the folds, it is recommended to wipe them with a wet cotton pad or damp cloth. After that, if the child is wearing a diaper, you need to smear a thin layer of a special cream (drying the skin) on the anus and groin folds. The best remedy for the prevention of diaper rash and prickly heat is air baths. The more time a child spends naked or in pants without a diaper, the less problems with his skin will be.

Diaper or undershirt

Many experts and mothers argue about whether a baby needs to be swaddled after discharge from the hospital. There is no consensus on this matter. Neurologists recommend in the first days after birth so that he does not wake himself up with his hands, which he has not yet learned to use. There is an opinion that it is necessary to swaddle the baby's legs so that they do not become crooked. Modern medicine does not find confirmation of this. There are several ways to swaddle a baby:

free swaddling,
swaddling feet,
tight swaddling,
swaddling hands while feeding.

Daily hygiene rules

Newborn care should be done every day. The first aid kit of a newborn should contain:

sterile cotton wool,
cotton buds with a stopper,
cosmetic scissors,
greenery,
hydrogen peroxide,
baby cream,
diaper cream containing zinc and dexpanthenol,
powder,
alcohol-free wet wipes,
thermometer for water.

In what sequence to change clothes, wash, wash, feed, mothers decide for themselves, focusing on the crumb. Some babies are capricious and ask for food immediately after waking up, while others can wait and wash first.

To wash a newborn, you need to pour boiled water into a glass and prepare 2 pieces of cotton wool. Soak one piece in boiled water, squeeze and gently rub one of the baby's eyes from the outer corner to the inner corner. Then take the second piece of cotton wool and do the same with the second eye. After that, wipe your face, neck folds, palms.

After washing. Make flagella (turundas) from cotton wool by scrolling small pieces between thumb and forefinger. Wet them in boiled water and gently brush the baby's nose with twisting movements. There is a separate flagellum for each nostril. If you can't make turundochka on your own, you can use high-quality cotton swabs, make sure that there are no cotton fibers left in your nose.

Once a week, after an evening swim, clean the ears of children, behind the ear folds with cotton buds with a stopper. Do not try to clean the wax out of your ear canals, it will come out on its own. And excessive cleaning with cotton swabs can drive the sulfur further into the ear canal.

The umbilical wound should be cleaned daily after an evening swim. To do this, the navel is slightly pushed apart, rubbed with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide, and then pointwise burned with greenery. It is important to monitor the condition of the umbilical wound and inform the doctor at the slightest change in it.

Bathing is the most important ritual in the first year of a baby's life

Even more excitement than washing a baby is caused by the first bathing in a baby bath for parents. There are many questions about bathing. Here are the most popular ones:

Is it possible on the day of discharge?
Why boil water?
What is a separate baby bath for?
How to disinfect the bath before bathing?
Why are herbal infusions added to the water?

The answers to these questions are presented below.

You can bathe a newborn upon arrival from the hospital, if the vaccinations were made the day before. When the vaccine is given on the day of discharge, the child is bathed only a day later.

Until the navel is completely healed, boiled water and a baby bath are used to protect the navel from infection, staphylococcus and other bacteria. A small tub is easier to clean and requires less boiled water and herbal infusions. It can be placed directly in the room on chairs or special stands. It is convenient for the mother not to bend low into the large bathtub, so that the newborn does not experience temperature differences between the room and the bathroom. Also, this method is convenient for owners of small bathrooms.

Before bathing a newborn, the bath must be rinsed with soda, baby soap or baby shampoo, rinsed thoroughly with running water. It is not recommended to use chlorine-containing detergents and washing powders, they can provoke the appearance of allergic reactions in a child.

Before lowering the child into the bath, you need to add an infusion of chamomile or string herbs to the water. For the first bath, you should use a weak infusion of chamomile, since the sequence greatly dries the skin. It is added mainly for prickly heat or diaper rash.

Often, children scream loudly when they first bathe, frightening their parents and making them hurry and get nervous. In order for bathing to bring joy to all family members, it is worth remembering a few rules:

prepare in advance boiled water, a jug, herbal infusion,
feed the baby a little before bathing,
swaddle in a thin diaper so that the child does not immediately feel the change of environment,
use warm water 36-37 degrees,
watering your head with water as a last resort, often this process causes crying in children,
hold the child in a towel for 1-2 minutes to give him the opportunity to warm up.

Every day, the baby will grow faster and faster and get used to the daily repetitive rituals. He will learn to wait for an evening swim, stop being afraid of water, and begin to calmly react to washing and changing clothes. Its further development and mood will depend on the correct organization of the day. Good luck!

Basic rules for carrying out water procedures

The fall of the baby is an extremely important aspect that worries both parents of first-borns and experienced moms and dads. It is necessary to distinguish between bathing and washing - in the first case, we are talking about a process that helps to temper and strengthen the body, and in the second - about a hygienic procedure.

Bathing conditions

One of the key aspects of bathing is creating the right conditions. If a number of requirements are not observed, hygiene procedures can cause a weakening of the immune system and cause stress in the baby, and not pleasant emotions.

Bathing in a tub

Having a special baby bath has its advantages:

hygienic process - the absence of any third-party contaminants;
convenience - when the hot water is turned off, it is easier to fill such a volume than a large bath;
profitability - water consumption is less than when bathing in a large bath;
practicality - the bath can be placed in any room, not just in the bathroom.

When bathing in the tub, the baby has less room for movement, and therefore uses less energy. It is much easier to bathe a newborn for the first time in a bathtub than in a large bathtub, since it is smaller in size and therefore easier to hold.

Water treatments in a large bath, according to many pediatricians, are more child-friendly. There are several reasons for this:

water in a large bath cools more slowly, and therefore you do not need to constantly check the temperature;
more room for the child to move;
it is easier to teach your baby to swim and stay on the water;
children who are bathed in a large bathtub have less fear of water and bathing;
it is easier to place interesting toys for bathing in a large bath;
with the help of special devices, the baby can swim independently, developing the musculoskeletal system and the respiratory system;
when bathing in a large bathtub, it is easier to temper a child - a smoother decrease in temperature is easier for the baby to tolerate.

Water preparation

Until the umbilical wound has healed, bathing the baby after the hospital should be carried out in boiled water (later there is no need for boiling, which greatly facilitates the task for parents).

Water needs to be boiled for 3-4 hours so that it has time to cool down before the start of hygiene procedures. The optimal water temperature for bathing a child is considered. 35-37 degrees... If you don't have a thermometer, you can try the water with your elbow - it shouldn't be hot. You can gradually reduce the temperature of the water, bringing it to 28-30 degrees by the age of two months.

If your tap water is very hard or excessively chlorinated, it is worth using a special filter for additional purification.

Air temperature

The temperature in the room where hygiene procedures are carried out should be medium - about 22-24 degrees... At the same time, there should not be a sharp contrast between the air of the bathroom and the bedroom, therefore pediatricians recommend bathing the baby in a room with an open door. Also, in the room where hygiene procedures are carried out, there should be no drafts.

Bathing frequency

It is recommended to wash a child using baby soap or a special gel no more than once a week in the cold season and 2 times a week in summer. Special detergents wash off the protective layer from the baby's delicate skin, and therefore their use can provoke dermatitis and create favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria.

If, however, the question of the frequency of bathing is understood as ordinary water procedures, then the procedure can be carried out daily.

What time is better to swim

The optimal time is before evening feeding. The child will spend some of the energy on active movements in the bathroom, after which he will eat well and fall asleep soundly. But if the water is too hot, it can, on the contrary, relax the baby - he will rest while bathing and then will be full of strength and energy throughout the evening.

If the baby becomes more active after the bath, it is worth moving the bathing time to the afternoon. Bathing after feeding is not recommended, as this can provoke irritability in the baby.

Duration

The duration of taking water procedures is a purely individual concept. It depends on the baby's reaction to water, his condition. Normally, it is recommended to bathe newborns from 10 to 15 minutes, children under 3 months - from 15 to 25 minutes, and children over 3 months - up to 30 minutes. For convenience, a clock can be placed in the bathroom to make it easier to keep track of the time.

So that you do not have to stand bent over the bathroom for a long time, you can put a highchair for the parent that will hold the baby.

Detergents

According to advice from old books on child development and parenting, babies under one year old can be washed with baby soap. A large number of hypoallergenic gels for washing children are now produced. Such products do not contain aggressive surfactants, and therefore gently cleanse the skin. Therefore, when choosing, you can opt for any gel without fragrances and chemical dyes.

Special devices

There are a number of devices for carrying out water procedures:

Slide. Allows you to support the baby in a certain position in the water and has an anatomical shape.
Hammock. Ideal if the water treatment is performed by one person. Supports the baby at a certain height in the tub.
Inflatable circle around the neck. Allows the child to actively move in the water, helps to strengthen the muscles.
Seat. It is used for children over 6 months old, provides a comfortable position for the child in the water.
Anti-slip mat. It is used for children who sit confidently. The child can play calmly while bathing.
Protective visor. Used when shampooing so that the shampoo does not get on the face and eyes.

Herbs

Until the umbilical wound heals, it is recommended to bathe the baby in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that, you can use special decoctions of anti-inflammatory herbs: chamomile, string, lavender.

The train is especially often used for bathing children - it helps to prevent the development of dermatitis and protects the delicate baby skin.

Features of the first bathing after the hospital

Children who are born on time can be bathed after leaving the hospital. On what day you can bathe a newborn, only a pediatrician can say for sure.

It is allowed to carry out water procedures already on the day of discharge if the tuberculosis vaccination was given the day before. If the baby was vaccinated on the day of discharge, you can swim the next day.

When bathing for the first time, it is imperative to monitor the temperature of the water and the condition of the baby. Water procedures should not cause him discomfort. You can find recommendations to wash with a soft towel - this way newborns can more easily tolerate water procedures.

Bathing algorithm

Water procedures are a pleasant and interesting process for both parents and children. To carry them out, you need to adhere to a certain sequence of actions.

Before the procedure

Boil water and prepare a decoction of the string or chamomile.
Wash the tub with regular baking soda and rinse with plenty of water.
At this time, carry out a special massage and gymnastics with the baby - they will help to relax him and prepare him for taking a bath.
Prepare a diaper or special towel for drying your baby. It is better to use a bike diaper - it keeps the temperature better and the child will not freeze immediately after taking it out of the water.
Measure the temperature of the air in the room and the temperature of the water.

Process

The bathroom door must be open.
Gradually, you need to lower the baby into the water - first the legs and ass, and then completely immerse. Care must be taken to keep the face above the water.
You can hold the child both with his back down and up - you just need to make sure that he does not inhale or swallow water.
Move inside the bath, from one edge to the other, while holding the head.
The baby must be active in the water. If he is relaxed, the water is too hot.
A child can "swim" like this for 10-15 minutes. When diving, you need to try to keep the chest under water - so he will breathe deeper.

Washing a newborn

After such "swimming" you can go directly to washing.
Use a soft washcloth or hand to lather a small amount of bathing product.
Gently lather the baby, paying particular attention to the area of the folds of the body.
Raise the baby above the water so that the other parent rinses him with clean water. First you need to rinse the back, and then turn the child upside down and rinse like this again.

After procedures

Throw a diaper over the baby and take him to the bedroom.
Gently blot the remaining liquid and let the skin breathe for a while.
Treat the folds with baby oil or cream and put a diaper on the baby.
Put a hat on your head until your hair is completely dry.

The difference in bathing a boy and a girl

Bathing a boy does not require adherence to any special rules. It can be washed in any direction without any effort. In boys in the first years of life, physiological phimosis may be observed, so you should not try to pull off the foreskin if it does not move. If this issue worries the mother greatly, you need to seek advice from a pediatrician.

Bathing a girl requires special attention only in terms of washing - it is carried out in the direction from front to back: this way you can avoid bacteria entering the vagina. The use of soap when washing is required only after a bowel movement, in other cases, ordinary water is enough. When adhesions form in the genital area, you need to consult a doctor so that he carefully removes them.

Water treatments on special occasions

After illness

Bathing is allowed only if the baby's body temperature is not elevated. The water temperature must be at least 36 degrees. Swimming with chickenpox is carried out in the period after the temperature drops and always with the use of herbal decoctions.

After vaccinations

It is not recommended to bathe the child on the day of vaccinations. It is better to wait a day and after that, if the baby feels fine, wash him.

Carrying out water procedures is a very interesting and enjoyable process that helps the baby to get to know the world around him better.

With the right organization of bathing, both the baby and the parents get a lot of impressions.

The day has come when you are returning home from the maternity ward with the baby in your arms. Joyful feelings overwhelm you, but small, or maybe big, anxiety and worries about how to get along with this bundle of happiness cannot leave you in any way.

Self-doubt is especially strong in signs if this is the first child in the family. And this is normal, especially since every day you understand better and better how to properly care for the baby and the joy of the first successes only intensifies and fills with happiness communication with the child, sweeping away all difficulties in its path.

From the very first days, you will have to master more and more new horizons in matters of baby care. One of these new things is to bathe your baby. Here the question immediately arises - when can you bathe a newly arrived family member?

When to bathe your baby?

Baby's first bath can be assigned both on the day of his first entry into the house, and on the next day. It is important to remember two simple rules here:

It is preferable to bathe the child at the same time;
We bathe the baby before feeding.

How to conduct

We will talk about what things and objects need to be prepared in advance for bathing later, and now about the assistants who can be invited to make the first bathing procedure more successful. For this, the baby's grandmother or an experienced neighbor may come up. The first bath is also a great reason to start involving the baby's dad in caring for the baby. After all, the baby needs to feel the care, love and warmth of both parents and, moreover, from the first days. And for a father holding a tiny creature in his arms, this will make it possible to feel more responsible and courageous in front of his child. Moreover, taking care of the child from the earliest dates, the father is able to establish closer contact with him in the future.

Let's go back to getting ready for the baby's first bath.

Basically, point by point:

First

Water. The child is allowed to bathe only in boiled water until that time. Until the wound on the navel heals. This usually takes 18 to 22 days. So you will have to boil the water in advance, and leave it to cool to the desired temperature, which is 38 ° C.

Second

The room in which you plan to carry out the bathing procedure must meet several main points:

The air temperature in the room should be 22-24 ° С;
Lack of drafts - 100%;
Convenience - you must be able to approach the bath from either side. For this, the kitchen is best suited, although many for some reason put the bath on a stand in the bathroom. By placing the baby bath on the kitchen table, it will be more convenient for you to hold the baby, walk around from different sides, pulling the table out to the middle of the room. Moreover, the kitchen is usually much better lit.

Third

Washing accessories. Prepare a pouring jug with a volume of 1.5-2 liters, a soft towel, baby soap, cotton wool, boiled vegetable oil or vaseline oil, powder. Stock up on brilliant green and 3% hydrogen peroxide in order to treat the wound on the navel. And also prepare a strong concentration of potassium permanganate solution and place it in a small bottle. This solution must be dripped into a couple of drops of water until the umbilical cord wound heals completely. Take 2 pipettes with you.

Fourth

Baby clothes after bathing. Two diapers (thick and thin), two undershirts (thick and thin), a diaper and a hat should be laid out in advance on the changing table in the right order.

It is best to do it together, so one person can wash the baby, and the second can serve all the necessary things.

Prepare the room in which you will bathe the baby, install a baby bath, pour some water into it, drop a few drops of potassium permanganate solution there until a pale pink hue appears. Water must be poured to a depth of about 15 centimeters, so that the arms, shoulders, chest and head of the baby remain on land. Don't worry if the umbilical wound gets wet - we've taken precautions. Place a jug of clean water nearby, the temperature of which should be 36 ° C, this water will be needed for washing.

When everything you need is ready, you can undress your baby by picking him up. Lower it into the water carefully so that the head and shoulders are above the water, and all other parts of the body are in the water. Then, holding the head and back of the child with your left hand, lather the head, genitals, arms, shoulders, legs with your right. Then turn the crumb over onto the tummy and lather its back. After washing, rinse the child with water from a jug, first from the back and then from the front.

Immediately after the bathing procedure, wrap the child in a soft terry towel and take it to where all the necessary things for the baby are prepared. Wipe the baby with blotting movements, starting from the head, blot dry all the wrinkles on his body. Then, using cotton wool dipped in oil, wipe all folds in the armpits, on the neck, in the groin area. For some children, the oil may not work, in which case, use a powder or regular starch, remembering that the powder should be used only on dry skin.

After wiping and lubricating the folds with oil, disinfect the umbilical wound with hydrogen peroxide by dropping a few drops of peroxide on it. The rest of the liquid can be removed with a cotton swab. Then do the same procedure with brilliant green, dropping a drop in the right place. Wait for the brilliant green to dry.

Now you can start dressing the crumbs. First, a thin undershirt is put on (usually topsy-turvy), then a thick one. Then put a diaper (or diaper) under your feet and wrap the baby in diapers. You can put a cap on the baby's head until his hair is completely dry.

Talk to your baby in a soft and gentle voice while bathing. And after you bought and dressed the baby, you can start feeding.