Ideal temperature for bathing newborns. What should be the temperature of the bathing water for newborns

13.09.2019

Bathing a baby is not only and not just a hygienic procedure. It gives the child pleasure and psychological comfort, a small but useful physical activity, helps to establish contact with the mother and the world around him, and also strengthens his health and hardens. But this is if the water temperature suits the baby perfectly. What should be the optimal water temperature for bathing a newborn baby, let's figure it out.

Hot or cold?

Water that is too cold is not much better. If the child is cold, there will be no pleasure from bathing. And it is also a risk for the urinary system: if it hardens, urination will be painful.

Ideal water temperature

What should be the optimal temperature for bathing the smallest. Both pediatricians and mothers agree in one opinion: not higher than 37 degrees, but not lower than 34. For adults, such water may seem coldish, but the fact is that a child is accustomed to such water even before birth: amniotic fluid has a temperature of 37 degrees, and it was under these conditions that the child developed before birth. Water temperatures over 38 can lead to rapid heart rate and overheating of the baby. Too cold water, out of habit, can scare the baby and discourage him from swimming for a long time and the child may start to be afraid of the bathroom. Important: .

Water of this temperature will prevent the penetration of infections and is good for baby's skin. In addition, the umbilical wound in a child heals faster with water at 37 degrees.

It's important to know. Until the umbilical wound has healed, the child should be bathed in boiled water. You can swim in the running water from 10-14 days of life. By this time .

Do not be afraid that the water will cool down quickly and the baby will freeze, because the first bathing lasts no more than 10-15 minutes. Even if the water cools down by one or two degrees during this time, it will not be critical.

It is also important to keep an eye on the air temperature while swimming. The child will definitely not like the big difference between the temperature of water and air, so the bathing room should not be overheated and it is better not to close the door to it.

So, we start swimming at a temperature of 34-37 and every 3-4 days we reduce the water temperature by 1-2 degrees. In general, the lower the water temperature, the better. But, no violence against the child, you need to see the measure.

Some children prefer warmer water, others colder. How to tell if a child is cold in the bath or hot? - If the baby is cold, he shrinks into a lump, his nasolabial triangle turns blue, after a while the child begins to tremble. If it's hot, the skin turns red and the child becomes lethargic. In either case, the child will notify you with crying.

How do I check the temperature? Thermometer or "elbow"

The easiest way is to buy a special bath with a built-in thermometer (). If you don't have one, you can use a special water thermometer, which is sold in pharmacies. Finally, you can use the "grandmother's method" - to measure the temperature with your own elbow. The skin on this part of the hand is especially delicate and sensitive to temperature changes. So, if you put your hand in water at the temperature in which we are used to swimming, it will seem normal. If you put your elbow in it, the water will seem very hot. This is how it will seem to a child. If, however, the water seems normal when the elbow is lowered, this temperature will be ideal for the baby.

We organize the optimal temperature

Making your bathing water ideal is a simple matter. It is enough to arm yourself with a water thermometer, and then everything is simple.

Pour cold water into the bath. If the child is not two weeks old, it is pre-boiled and cooled for several hours.
We put a thermometer in it.
Add hot water little by little until the thermometer reads 36-37. It is in the cold one that you need to top up the hot one!
In order for the thermometer to tell the truth, the water must be stirred all the time.

To temper or not?

Who will be the kup-kup here,
Squish-squish for some water?
Quickly jump-jump into the bath, jump,
in the bath with a leg jerk-jerk, jerk!
The soap will foam
And the dirt will disappear somewhere.

We swim, we splash
And we have fun with you in some water!
Leg up, leg down!

Stick up, stick down!
Let's twirl our legs
And we float like uti!
Splash splash! Boo-boo!
Let's wipe out!

Lather your baby gently and gently with a soft bathing mitten or sponge, humming a song or saying a nursery rhyme:
We'll go swimming
And splash in the water
Splatter, frolic,
The baby will wash.
We will wash your feet
To our dear baby
Wash your hands
To a dear boy
Back and tummy
Face and mouth -
Clean that's what
My dear son!

And, finally, get rid of the creepy complexes of obese people. I hope you find this information useful!

New parents very often have a number of questions related to bathing their baby. Namely: what should be the temperature of the water for bathing a newborn and how long should the water procedures last? The emergence of these questions is highly conditioned, because the child's skin is delicate, not yet adapted to the environment, vulnerable and susceptible to any mechanical stress. Therefore, the bathing process should soothe the baby, and not annoy. And in order for the new family member to like water procedures, you should know a little more about them.

It is necessary to carefully consider the temperature of the water for bathing the child (it is better to use a water thermometer), since his skin is still very sensitive to high and low temperatures

In newborn babies, the body is imperfect. Their thermoregulation has not yet been formed, which is the main reason that they are easily exposed to cooling and overheating. That is why it is very important to monitor the temperature of the water while swimming. It shouldn't be hot or cold. The water temperature should be slightly above room temperature. For an adult, such water may even seem cool, and this is understandable. After all, we are all used to taking long, relaxing hot baths.

However, such procedures can harm the baby. After all, even an adult with a long stay in hot water can feel bad, but what about a baby? Firstly, hot water will bring him discomfort, and secondly, the child may simply feel bad, which, unfortunately, he will not be able to tell you about.

Newborn babies are more sensitive to temperature extremes than adults. Therefore, the use of cold water can also entail some unpleasant moments during bathing - firstly, the baby will be cold, and he will start crying a lot, notifying the parents about the discomfort, and secondly, bathing in cold water is fraught with freezing of the urinary system, which can lead to painful sensations in the baby during urination.

During bathing, the child should not experience discomfort, so the water temperature should not be higher than 38 degrees

A newborn baby has spent almost its entire life in the womb. He was calm and comfortable there. What do you think was the temperature of the amniotic fluid? That's right, not higher than 38 ° C. Therefore, during bathing, it is necessary to provide the baby with a familiar environment for him, and therefore, the water temperature during should not be higher than 38 ° C. Doctors recommend heating the water to 36.6 C ° - 37 C °.

You should not be afraid that during bathing the water will cool down and the baby will catch a cold, since in the first months of the baby's life, water procedures should be carried out every day, and in time they should not exceed 7-10 minutes. During this time, the water will cool down by a maximum of 2 C °, which is not critical in this situation.

Warm water contributes to:

creating a favorable environment for the healing of the umbilical wound;
establishing the protection of the baby's skin from the penetration of various infections.

While bathing in hot water, the skin is steamed, the pores open, and all the "doors" are opened for infection. But if an adult has developed immunity to various infections, then the body of a newborn child has not yet managed to establish a barrier to protect against them.

An old tried and tested way to check the temperature of the water in a baby bath is to lower your elbow there.

To understand that the temperature of the bathing water for a newborn has reached the desired level, you must:

preheat the water (preferably boil and then cool), you can in a kettle or in a large saucepan;
pour cooled boiled water into the bath;
place a water thermometer in the bath;
slowly start pouring in hot water, while it is necessary to constantly stir the water in the bath;
as soon as the thermometer shows 37C ° - 38C °, it means that the water temperature has become optimal for bathing the baby.

Many experienced moms use a different method of determining the temperature of the water - instead of a water thermometer, they use their elbow. Yes, yes, it is in this way that you can understand whether this water will be comfortable for the baby. The skin on the elbows is more susceptible to temperature changes. Therefore, if the water seems normal, then you can safely start bathing the baby.

You can even conduct a small experiment, pour water into any container of the temperature in which you are used to swimming, and for you it seems optimal. Dip your hand into it, the water will seem to you only slightly hot, and then lower your elbow into it - it will seem to you that the water is very hot. That's about the same thing your baby will feel when bathing in what you think is normal water.

If you decide to temper your baby, start gradually so that the baby does not experience any unpleasant sensations.

Most parents are confident that hardening is the key to health, and the sooner you start hardening, the better. Perhaps this is so, but still, you should not start tempering a newborn baby from the first days of his life.

But if you are a supporter of hardening and consider it necessary to start carrying out procedures from birth, then this should be done gradually. That is, initially, bathe the baby in water whose temperature is 38 ° C, then gradually reduce the water temperature by 1 ° C every week, otherwise you will simply discourage the child from bathing.

The room temperature after bathing should not be lower than 27 ° C, otherwise the child may freeze!

We wish you good luck in bathing your baby!

Young parents have many questions related to caring for a baby. One of these is what should be the optimal water temperature when bathing a newborn baby... It is extremely important to have an idea of what temperature the water should be in the bath when bathing and how long the necessary procedures will last. Such questions are not in vain raised, because the skin of a newborn is a delicate skin that is not adapted to the harmful effects of the environment, which is sensitive to mechanical and temperature damage. The bathing process itself should calm the young child. And the water procedure did not scare him, on the contrary, he liked it, for this, family members need to know more and read this article to the end.

First you need to purchase all the necessary accessories for bathing a newborn: a bath, soap for children, baby shampoo, powder and a special cream. It is also important, when starting a baby's bath, to suggest clothes, a diaper and soft nappies for the baby.

What you need to know about the temperature of the bathing water for babies?

In newborns, the body has not yet developed the necessary protective reactions, so to speak, is not yet perfect. The heat regulation of infants has not yet been fully formed, so they can easily overheat or catch cold. That is why it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the water when bathing your child. The water temperature should be and be somewhat cool. Of course, after all, adults are already accustomed to long water procedures in hot water, but baby bathing - a responsible business.

But a hot bath can be harmful to a baby. After all, even an adult will become ill with a long stay in a hot bath, and what to say about a newborn. So a hot bath can make the little one feel uncomfortable or feel bad, but you will not know about it, because he cannot tell.

Newly born babies are more sensitive to temperature fluctuations than adults. When a baby is bathed, it can be corny, and he will be capricious, notifying in this way about discomfort. Also, bathing in cold water can cause hypothermia and colds, as well as freezing of urination, which gives unpleasant sensations during the emission of urine.

Optimal water temperature for bathing a newborn

Your child, if I may say so, has been in the mother's womb almost all his life. It was comfortable and serene there. And what is the temperature of the amniotic fluid? The temperature of such a physiological fluid is up to 38 C. That is why it is important when bathing a baby to provide him with a familiar habitat and to make sure that the water temperature does not cause discomfort, it is not more than 38 C. But the recommendations of doctors say that bathing a baby begins with 37 degrees .

Do not worry that the temperature of the water when bathing a newborn baby will be cold or it will cool down and the baby will catch a cold. Indeed, for the first month of a toddler's life, water procedures should not be daily, and the maximum stay of a child in input should be up to ten minutes. If during this time the water temperature does not cool down by 1-2 degrees, then it's okay.

When you bathe your child in warm water, a very favorable environment is created for. Also, the baby's skin quickly develops protection against the penetration of infections. When you bathe, the skin is steamed and the body becomes vulnerable to infections. And what about the baby, when his body has not yet learned to establish at least some kind of protection. Here the water temperature should be optimal.

What temperature is the water? Boil or not?

In order not to guess when the water temperature when bathing a newborn baby has reached the desired degree, it is necessary to initially perform a series of actions. First you need to heat the water, preferably boil in a saucepan or in a teapot. This is done in order to kill most of the bacteria in the water, because the baby's skin does not yet have protective functions. Also umbilical wound heals on average 2 weeks after birth. Bathing in running water of the very birth, it is easy for a child to infect an infection. Water can be do not boil after three weeks of life .

At what temperature to bathe a newborn baby - Dr. Komarovsky (video):

Basic steps in preparation for bathing:

Allow the liquid to cool, and then pour it into the bath;
put a water thermometer in the baby bath itself;
then you need to slowly pour boiling water and constantly stirring the water in the bath;
when a temperature of 37-38 C appears on the thermometer, then you can already bathe a newborn baby.

Of course, in addition to a thermometer, there is also a popular way to determine the temperature of the water, just put it in the bath elbow... It is this unusual method that well determines whether the temperature is comfortable for the child. After all, the skin on the elbows is more sensitive to temperature changes. You can conduct an experiment, if you put your hand in the bath, then the water will seem normal to you, but lowering your elbow, you will feel that the water is slightly hot. Actually, this is how the child will feel when you hold him in the bath.

In addition to the water temperature, it is important not to miss such a moment as the air temperature. It is necessary to ensure that the temperature and air changes do not differ much, therefore, when you bathe the child, it is better not to close the door, but you do not need to "freeze" the child either. Otherwise, you risk catching a cold to your baby.

Of course, every child is different, even from birth. Some like the warmer water, others - colder. There may be deviations from the assigned 37-38 degrees, depending on the baby's sensations. How to understand that a child likes or dislikes the temperature of the water? If he is cold, he will instinctively begin to shrink into a lump, the nasolabial fold may turn blue, when it is hot, on the contrary, he will turn red and breathe frequently.

For a greater healing effect, you can add decoctions of a series or chamomile.

Do I need to temper the baby?

There is a widespread belief that tempering is beneficial and the earlier you start, the better for the child and his immunity. Doctors agree with this method and similar recommendations are often full of on the Internet. Opinions about whether or not to temper a child from the first days of his life were divided approximately equally.

But if you nevertheless decided to take this step, then you need to temper the child gradually. First you need to monitor the temperature in the room where the child is. It cannot exceed more than 22 degrees. Next, you should start cold water sessions. To begin with, you need to gradually lower the temperature of the water by 1 C. Otherwise, you will simply discourage the child from taking water procedures and draw him to simply catch a cold. Already after the first month, you can apply wiping or washing your face with cold water. To douche should be done slowly and gradually. After all, the main task of stabbing is to increase immunity.

As you can see, bathing a newborn baby is not that difficult. With such a procedure, it is important to be careful, carefully carry out the procedure and monitor the baby's reaction.

With the appearance of a newborn baby in the house, loving and caring parents add a lot of trouble, because the baby needs careful care. And most of all the questions that worry the new mother concern bathing and water procedures for the baby. What should be the water for the first baths of a newborn, how to bathe him correctly, and what is the most comfortable water temperature for the baby?

If it was only about the basic rules of hygiene for the baby, then it would be enough to arrange water procedures for him once a week.

Indeed, in order to cleanse the child's body, it is not necessary to dip it into the bath, you can simply wash it with water or wipe it with special wet wipes. But bathing a newborn is a special ritual that gives a lot of pleasure not only to the baby, but also to his dad and mom, so it is advisable to bathe the child everyday.

It is advisable to bathe the newborn every day.

What are the benefits of daily bathing

Bathing gives the baby a sense of comfort and security.

The memory of the newborn still retains the moment when he was in his mother's tummy, surrounded by amniotic fluid, and bathing gives him feeling of comfort and security .
Water procedures increase muscle tone , promote the development of physical activity and strengthen the immune system.
After a warm bath in babies increased appetite .
Taking a bath every day helps your baby fall asleep faster and promotes sound and restful sleep .
It is also important that regular bathing hardens the baby and is excellent prevention of colds .

Daily water procedures bring only benefits to the child, as it promotes his physical development and helps the baby grow up strong and healthy.

Preparing to take a bath

In order for the baby to perceive water procedures as a pleasant and fun process, you should carefully prepare for bathing.

You should prepare for swimming.

What you need for swimming

The first month of the child is undesirable to bathe in a large shared bath. For a baby, it is advisable to purchase special baby bath , in which the adoption of water procedures will be safe and comfortable.
Thermometer, by means of which the water temperature is measured and regulated.
Do not use hard sponges and washcloths for bathing a baby. For this purpose it is necessary to purchase special baby sponge , which gently and gently cleanses the baby's body.
Bucket or a small jug, which you will need for rinsing after taking water treatments.
Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). It is needed in order to disinfect the water and promote the fastest healing of the umbilical wound.
After taking a bath, wrap the baby in a clean soft towel.

For a baby, you need to purchase a baby bath.

In order to interest the baby and instill in him a love for water procedures, some parents place bright multi-colored toys in the bath. This is undesirable, since not all toys are made from environmentally friendly materials and can release harmful chemicals into the water.

What should be the water for bathing

Newborns who are under a month old are bathed in boiled water.

The water from the tap can hardly be called suitable for bathing a newborn, since it is used for disinfection add chlorine ... How, then, to properly prepare the water for the baby's bath, so as not to harm him?

Some parents buy in stores bottled water, which goes through the process of purification and distillation, rightly believing that it is sterile and safe for the baby. But, to fill even a small baby bath with water, you will need a lot of liquid, and not everyone can afford to buy distilled water.

Most mothers solve this problem much easier and cheaper - by boiling tap water... The required amount of liquid is poured into a saucepan, brought to a boil and boiled for five to seven minutes ... After that, the water is cooled and used for bathing and rinsing the baby.

Newborns are bathed in boiled water, who are under a month old, and whose umbilical wound has not yet healed. In the future, there is no need to boil water and ordinary tap water can be used for water procedures.

Can you use detergents when bathing a newborn

Many parents are interested in the question of whether it is possible to add detergents or herbs to the bathing water.

Baby gels and foams have a strong odor and contain chemicals, so it is undesirable to use them for bathing newborns.

Medicinal herbs popular among young mothers, for example, succession, chamomile or coniferous tincture can cause allergies in babies, so consult a pediatrician before adding them to water.

Best dissolved in water a few crystals of sea salt or potassium permanganate ... They have not only disinfectant, but also healing properties and will promote the healing of the umbilical wound in a newborn.

Potassium permanganate has disinfecting and healing properties.

It is also advisable to disinfect the baby bath before bathing the newborn. using regular baking soda , then rinse the container with boiling water.

Optimal temperature for bathing a newborn

In order for the baby to get only pleasure and positive emotions from bathing, it should be correctly installed temperature regime of water.

The temperature of the water in the bath should be comfortable for the child.

First of all, it must be remembered that newborn babies perceive the temperature of air and water in a completely different way than adults. Too hot water can cause a baby overheat, and there is a risk from cold water hypothermia of the urinary system ... Therefore, the temperature of the water in the bath should be comfortable for the child, even if the mother thinks that the water is too cool.

So to how many degrees should the water be heated so that the bathing process will bring the baby the maximum benefit?

Children's doctors are unanimous in this regard - the water temperature should be from 34 to 37 degrees.

The first water procedures for a newborn should take place at 36-37 degrees. Gradually, the water temperature can be lowered by 1 degree every three to four days.

Many mothers fear that the baby may freeze in such cool water. But you should not be afraid of this, because bath time for a baby should not exceed three to five minutes and during this time the water will not have time to cool down.

Preparation for bathing

It is very important to properly prepare your baby for bathing.... Before the bath, it should be completely undressed, put on a towel and held in this position for several minutes. This is necessary so that the baby does not feel a sharp temperature drop when dipping into the water.

If the bathtub is in the bathroom, it is not advisable to close the door to it... Water vapor makes the air in the bathroom humid, and when a child enters a room with normal humidity after bathing, he may catch a cold.

You cannot bathe your baby if he is sick.

In no case should you bathe your baby if he is sick. Water procedures will only aggravate the disease, therefore, bathing should be postponed until the child is fully recovered.

How and how to measure water temperature

To correctly set the temperature regime of water, you should purchase it at the pharmacy. special electronic or oil thermometer ... Thermometers for this purpose are made of safe materials and can be kept in the bath during the bathing process.

Electronic thermometer for measuring water temperature.

Some baths are already equipped with temperature measuring devices, which makes them very convenient to use.

If, for any reason, you do not have the necessary equipment at hand, you can use the grandmother's method of measuring the temperature of the water. using the elbow. After the water is poured into the bath, the elbow should be lowered into it. If the water is too hot, then it is not suitable for bathing the baby, and if it seems to the mother that the water is normal and even a little cool, then you can safely dip the baby in it.

In order for the thermometer to show the temperature correctly, after filling the bath with cold and hot water, it should be thoroughly mixed.

Conclusion

Over time, parents get used to the process of water procedures.

In the early days, bathing a baby may seem frightening and exciting to parents, because newborn babies are so fragile and defenseless. But over time, they will get used to this responsible process and water procedures will give only positive emotions and good mood to both the child and mom and dad.

Video on what should be the temperature of the bathing water

Not all parents understand that babies need to be bathed not only to keep them clean. Moreover, in the first year of a baby's life, washing and bathing have fundamentally different meanings for him. How to properly bathe a newborn and an older baby, and why do this in principle? Let's tell you!

Bathing a baby is a special procedure that, in addition to some minor troubles, gives parents and baby a lot of joy and benefits. Of course, if parents approach this "warm" event with a "cold" head ...

Bathing and hygiene: what's the connection?

No! Bathing a baby has nothing to do with baby hygiene. Is that - water is involved in both rituals, but that's all. You wash the baby (or, wash the little one, wash it whole from time to time, etc.) with one single purpose - to make it cleaner.

This usually requires: running water or special wet wipes, delicate baby soap (preferably in liquid form) and about 5 minutes of time.

But bathing is a longer, more creative and rewarding process. You bathe both a newborn and an older baby so that:

give him a feeling of pleasure and psychological comfort (after all, he still remembers how he swam in the womb of his mother);
provide him with some necessary physical activity;
develop the infant's communication, tactile and emotional skills;
awaken his appetite;
finally - bathing is an excellent procedure for hardening and preventing colds.

How to bathe a newborn in the first two weeks of life

Let's define the concepts: you can wash your baby for hygienic purposes from the very first day of his birth. But swimming in a large bathtub and ordinary tap water as long as it is contraindicated for him.

The umbilical wound heals completely in about 10-15 days after the birth of the baby. Therefore, for the next two weeks after discharge from the hospital, parents have 2 adequate options for a hygienic procedure for a newborn baby:

1 A newborn baby can be bathed in a small baby bath using only boiled water. In the Western tradition, it is customary to bathe a newborn baby with a tiny soft towel - this way he has a more believable association with the mother's womb. But from a medical point of view, there are no arguments for this either "for" or "against" - if you want, bathe with a towel, if you want - without.

Bathing a newborn in a diaper or a small towel gives him a feeling of "intrauterine comfort" - as child psychologists and neonatologists say.

2 For the first two weeks, a newborn baby does not need to be bathed in water, but simply wiped with special wet wipes.

How to bathe a newborn in tap water for the first time

Finally, the baby's umbilical wound has completely healed, which means that a newborn baby can now be bathed in ordinary tap water. Let's repeat: not just wash, but bathe! How to do this so that both the child and the parents get the maximum pleasure and benefit from the bathing process? So, you need to bathe your child:

In a large bath. A large bathtub for a baby is practically an ocean-sea: he can happily jerk his legs and arms, follow the toys or grab them. The water in a large bath cools down more slowly and the bathing can be "stretched" up to 20-30 minutes. And it is by bathing in a large bath that the baby spends a large amount of energy, which allows him to sleep soundly until the morning, gaining strength. This physical energy exchange is extremely important: it normalizes metabolism, stimulates the work of muscles and internal organs.

Another important argument in favor of bathing in a large bath: when the baby's chest is completely immersed in water (that is, the baby bathes entirely and only his head sticks out), then the very mechanism of the breathing process becomes fundamentally different. In the water, the baby spends just as much energy on inhaling and exhaling, as always, but his lungs open up much more. This means that they contain more oxygen than "on land". And accordingly, more oxygen will flow from the lungs to all corners of the body, which will ensure faster and more successful development and growth.

In clear water. There is no need to boil bathing water after the umbilical wound has healed - now this is already unreasonable, inconvenient and meaningless. However, the water in which you plan to bathe your baby should be as clean as possible. If you don't trust the water treatment system in your city, put a special purification filter on your tap.

In a pleasant and interesting environment. If you find it difficult to constantly support your baby in the water with your hands, then you can easily switch him to the "free swimming" mode. To do this, today there are a lot of devices, such as special swimming circles for babies and hats with foam inserts. These useful inventions securely keep the baby's head "afloat", but at the same time allow his body to completely submerge in the water without any support. Hang a mobile with music and toys on the edge of the bathtub - so that gradually the baby learns to reach for them, and every night bathing will become for the baby a real symbiosis of a kind of "Disneyland" and a spa - both exciting and useful!

Special inflatable rings and caps with foam inserts are real "lifeguards" for the parents' lower backs. Agree - even in the name of an ideal and long-lasting children's bathing, it is very difficult and risky to stand for half an hour or more ...

At what temperature to bathe a newborn and an older baby

The temperature of the bathing water varies slightly depending on the length of the bathing period. At the very beginning - as soon as the baby's navel has healed and you have already prepared for him the usual "adult" bath, the optimal water temperature for the beginning of the procedure is 33-34 ° C.

Let's pay special attention - this temperature regime is suitable for a large volume of water and space - when the child has the opportunity to actively move in the water, move the arms and legs, "swim" in the arms of the parents.

If the toddler was put in a small baby bath, where there is no way to move a finger, then the temperature of the bathing water should be about 36 ° C. However, no more than 37 ° C is the temperature "ceiling" for the water in which you bathe the baby.

Now again about those lucky ones, whom the parents allow to swim in the "adult" bath. You can start bathing with a temperature of 33-34 ° C, but gradually it makes sense to lower it a little. Namely - every week you can reduce the water temperature by 1 degree. It is absolutely safe for a child, but the prevention of respiratory diseases is the most reliable.

Gradually, the temperature of the bathing water can be brought to 28-30 ° C, and in such conditions the baby will be able to spend 30-40 minutes completely comfortably and with health benefits by six months. After a long swim in cool water, tired and well-fed, the baby is almost guaranteed to sleep soundly until the morning.

When is the best time to bathe your baby

If we are talking specifically about the bathing procedure, and not washing - that is, about a more or less prolonged (15-30 minutes or more) stay of the baby in the water, then it is best to carry out this event exactly before evening feeding and bedtime.

The fact is that bathing, as a rather active kind of "sport" available to a little baby, takes a lot of his energy - about the same as a 40-minute aerobic session in a fitness room takes you. And just like you, after such a load, the baby, as a rule, has only two needs - to eat "from the belly" and sleep.

Correctly and reasonably organized bathing of the baby is able to ensure a sound healthy sleep for the whole night not only for the baby himself, but also for his loved ones.

Already at the age of 4-5 months, with the regimen of daily long-term bathing (we repeat: 20-30 minutes) and having a good meal before bedtime, the child is able to sleep soundly all night without waking up for night feeding. Which inevitably makes all parents without exception twice as happy.

Can my baby dive in the bathroom?

Newborn children have such a wonderful reflex - when water enters the respiratory tract, a spasm immediately occurs in them, they overlap and the child practically cannot drown in water. Of course, if it is immersed in water for a long time, it may die from a lack of oxygen - that is, in fact, the little one threatens to suffocate from lack of air, but not choke on the abundance of water.

Simply put - do not be afraid if the baby accidentally turned over and "dived" under the water, there is nothing fundamentally dangerous in this. If you quickly raise his head above the water and he can, clearing his throat (if there is a need for this), breathe freely, then such a "dive" is considered quite physiological and commonplace. Moreover, many progressive schools and courses for young mums and dads specifically teach parents how to dip their babies upside down so that the child does not lose this valuable reflex - automatically holding the breath when water enters the respiratory tract. As a rule, children who are thus "taught" to float freely in the water and behave under water without panic learn to swim very quickly and rarely get respiratory diseases.

Whether the baby dives from time to time while swimming or not is up to the parents themselves. If it is pleasant and useful (with proper supervision by adults!) For the child, but every time it causes a heart attack in the mother, then it is better not to dive at all. Not a single pediatrician will undertake to prohibit one thing or to promote another. The style of bathing at home is entirely at the discretion of the family. The main thing is that both the baby and the parent during the procedure feel comfortable and enjoy bathing the child.

If the baby never dives while swimming, then the breath holding reflex dies out completely in about 2-2.5 months after the birth of the baby.

What to add to the bathing water

By and large, you don't need to add anything. It is quite possible to bathe a child of infancy in ordinary tap water, provided that it is more or less clean. But if you still really want to somehow “flavor” the water for bathing, then it is best to use the decoction of the train. Why not potassium permanganate and supposedly soothing collection?

Potassium permanganate. Favorite substance of every grandmother. But if it can also be useful for bathing newborn babies, then potassium permanganate is ineffective for bathing a baby in a large bathtub: if it is diluted to a pale pink color, then its anti-inflammatory properties are extremely small, and if diluted in a concentrated form, there is a risk of "burning »Delicate mucous membrane of the eye.

Herbal sedative preparations. As Dr. Komarovsky often jokes, pediatric neurologists are very fond of prescribing such fees for young mothers. They tell them that these herbs soothe babies before bed, but actually give them a reason for complacency ... for the mothers themselves! E.O. Komarovsky: “If a child has problems in the neurological part, then no herbs, alas, will help him, even if he is“ rinsed ”in them around the clock. And if there are no problems as such, then even more so the fees are useless. " One way or another, there is not yet a single serious study that has confirmed that a certain herb, added to water for soothing, would bring really tangible results.

The sequence. Perhaps this is the most useful "seasoning" for baby bathing. It has a certain antibacterial and healing effect, but at the same time it is completely safe for the delicate mucous membranes of the baby. And if it makes sense to add something to the water before bathing the baby, then it is the broth of the train.

How to brew a bathing line:

1 In the morning, pour a glass of dry grass (sold in packs at any pharmacy) into a liter container for hot, the easiest way is to put it in a glass jar.
2 Pour boiling water to the top (that is, to make 1 liter of liquid). And put it aside - let it brew until the evening.
3 Before bathing, through cheesecloth, pour the broth into a bath of water. And now you can "run" the baby into such water. It is not necessary to rinse the baby after bathing in the broth of the train, but it is not forbidden either. It makes sense to practice baths with a series approximately in the first 2-3 months after birth.

How to treat baby's skin after bathing

There is an opinion that daily bathing in tap water greatly dries out the skin of a child. In fact, this is not the case. The most insidious enemy of the skin is a dry and hot climate, because it is precisely the increased work of the sweat glands that is the main cause of dry skin. But bathing every night not only does not harm, but vice versa - it is good for the health of the baby in general, and for his skin in particular.

After bathing, the baby needs to be blotted with a towel (do not wipe and rub, namely, gently and gently blot), then put on the changing table and inspect. If there are no visible problems on the skin, the baby can be supplied with a diaper, dressed and finally allowed to feed.

And if problem areas are observed on the skin, then the principle of caring for them boils down to the following:

If there are dry areas on the skin- they need to be moistened. For this, a special cream, baby oil or boiled vegetable oil is often used. It is best to consult a leading pediatrician about these remedies.

If, on the contrary, the skin "gets wet"- these areas must be dried. Likewise, with the help of special products for children's cosmetics, powders, etc., before buying which it makes sense to talk to a doctor.