Caring for a newborn baby in the first days of life. Daily and weekly care for a child from birth to a year
Before I start talking about caring for a newborn, I want you to understand a simple but very important thing: our world is significantly different from the world that surrounded the child before his birth. To make it easier to understand, imagine yourself as a baby that is in the mother's stomach. Imagine him directly, when he is already large, and the uterus is no longer so large in comparison with him. After thinking a little, you will probably come to the conclusion that it is cramped there, relatively dark and quiet. In addition, with the blood flow, the baby constantly receives oxygen and nutrients, most of the time he moves in the water (although it is already difficult for him to do this in the last stages), the mother wears the child, who often gets up, sits down, walks, perhaps she even floats or.
And now the child is born ... He is met by a bright light, loud sounds that used to be so well muffled by his mother's body, the rattling of instruments. And if a newborn is immediately taken away, for example, for treatment, he also loses his usual sounds: mother's breathing, heartbeat, rumbling in the stomach. Modern practice newborn baby care convinces mothers to take the child in her arms not as often as he wants, so as not to accustom him to this. And the baby turns out to be tightly tied with diapers and completely immobilized.
In addition, the baby is waiting for another change. In his mother's stomach, he never experienced a feeling of hunger or lack of oxygen, he received all this without any interruptions with the blood stream. And some time after birth, when the umbilical cord is cut, the cerebral cortex of the newborn suddenly notices a decrease in glucose levels, and the baby experiences the first hunger in his life.
Why talk about birth stress? Because our world is categorically different from the world in which the child grew up. And stress can be exacerbated if adults care for a newborn and forget about their basic needs.
In the first days of a baby's life, it is very important to remember about such a phenomenon as adaptation. Adaptation is the process of getting used to new circumstances of life. When a small child comes into our world, he encounters sensations, feelings, images that are completely unusual for him. How he survives this depends not only on his innate adaptive abilities, but also on the people who are close to him.
Imagine that you are suddenly in a foreign country. Without knowing the language, customs, what will you do? How wonderful in such a situation to find a person who will accompany you, tell and show everything. For a child, such a universal "guide" is, of course, the mother. She is next to the newborn 24 hours a day, talking to him, caring for him.
When a person needs to adapt to a new place, things that connect him with the familiar world help. Once a woman from Germany worked in my group. She knew Russian well, because by the nature of her work she taught German to Russian students. I asked her what helped her to get along in our country, not to feel like a stranger and unhappy. She replied: “It helped me that at home I could read German books, watch my favorite films, cuddle a teddy bear that I brought with me.”
When you think about caring for a newborn baby, remember: it is important to help him adapt to a world that is still alien, you need to create conditions that would resemble his intrauterine life. Immersion in the new should take place gradually, dosed. It is necessary to give the baby the opportunity to rest, returning to the usual sensations, and then take the next step forward.
If you accepted my position, if you believed that this is necessary, then it will be much easier for you to properly care for a baby.
Please note that we will be talking specifically about the early neonatal period, although some children take a little longer to adapt. Let's take a step-by-step look at what needs to be done so that it does not scare you, and the baby accepts this world and himself in it as easily and quickly as possible.
Part 1. What role does lighting play in newborn care.
The first thing that traumatizes a child at birth is the bright light with which the outside world greets him. Many obstetricians claim that babies do not look, they have swollen eyes, they do not even open them. This can be easily explained. Imagine walking out of your basement into bright sunlight. Most likely, you immediately cover your eyes to avoid pain. The same thing happens with a child. If you take and extinguish the lamps in the birth room, your baby will open his eyes and begin, maybe with a cloudy look, but look at everything around him.
It is important to remember that swaddling helps the baby feel its own boundaries and, thereby, smoothly overcome the difference between the closed, cramped space of the uterus and the huge world in which he found himself after birth.
If we take the Russian tradition, we will see that a small child was swaddled for quite a long time, but they did this only during sleep. When he woke up, his mother unwrapped the baby, stroked his legs, arms, head, accompanying each touch with special sentences. So she introduced the newborn to its boundaries, told why this or that part of the body would be useful to him. Moreover, for each of them in the Russian tradition there was a sentence. This centuries-old practice was very important and completely forgotten in our day. If desired, modern parents can successfully use it in caring for a baby.
But back to swaddling. The most important thing I think, of course, is swaddling at bedtime. How long you need to resort to his help, I can’t say for sure. Because some children adapt quickly, they do not need diapers after two or three weeks. There are babies who have to be swaddled at bedtime and up to eight, and up to ten, and up to twelve months.
You ask why it is so important to protect the child in a dream? Everything is simple. If an adult closes his eyes, he can easily imagine the world that surrounds him, he freely reproduces the images of furniture, things, people. The child cannot do this. When a baby closes his eyes, the world disappears for him. That is why, while falling asleep, you need to swing it in your arms, sing to him and thereby, as it were, say: “Calm down, fall asleep, I am with you. And tomorrow you'll wake up and I'll be there." It is very important for a child that someone accompany him at the time of falling asleep, and diapers replace the very boundaries that the uterus used to give.
However, in order to be as faithful as possible during sleep, in addition to swaddling, one more thing needs to be considered. It is necessary to properly organize the place where the child sleeps. If we take into account that the baby left the cramped space not so long ago, then a small cradle will be more comfortable for him, and not a bed. If you still prefer a crib to a cradle, then do not forget to place the child in it with pillows and rollers. Figuratively speaking, “make a nest for him”, so that his body feels some other boundaries besides diapers. So the baby will sleep more calmly and soundly.
Part 4. Newborn care and temperature regime. Adaptation to the “cold” of our life.
The next important factor that you need to remember when thinking about caring for a baby is a sharp change in temperature during the birth process.
In the womb, the child was warm, the temperature almost always was +36.6 ºС. In maternity rooms, even the best ones, the temperature usually does not exceed +23 ºС. The first childbirth that I saw as a student took place in the delivery room, where the temperature was only +12 ºС. Of course, the baby, who was born in such a birth, had a strong temperature stress. In any case, compared with the temperature of the mother's body, the temperature difference for the baby will be noticeable, and he will have to get used to it.
It is in view of this fact that I do not welcome at the time of adaptation either hardening or a temperature regime that does not exceed +18 ºС (there is an opinion that this is the best temperature for healing a child). Children of the first month of life are very fond of warmth, it was not for nothing that grandmothers used to put a small child to sleep on a large pillow, like on a feather bed. There he was warm, comfortable and calm, as he also felt the boundaries.
I do not suggest warming up the air to +36 ºС. Just pay more attention to your baby. Do not neglect, for example, bonnets at home. You can also, before swaddling the baby, put socks on his legs. Fortunately now they are sold in the tiniest sizes. Remember how sometimes it is difficult to fall asleep with cold feet. Sometimes mothers complain about their baby's restless sleep, and the reason for this, perhaps, lies in the fact that he is cool. It is worth warming the child with a cap, putting on socks, covering it with a shawl, and he will sleep much calmer.
It also happens like this: the mother fed the child, he fell asleep in her arms, his whole body is relaxed, it seems that he fell asleep deeply, but as soon as he was put into the crib and moved away, the baby immediately woke up and began to cry. What happened? Probably the bed was very cold, and when the child was in it after warm mother's hands, he woke up from a sharp change in temperature. In such cases, warm the crib. Ask your family to iron the top sheet or place a heating pad in the crib beforehand, and then remove and put the baby there.
There is another great way to solve this problem. It is especially useful if you need to do something while the baby is sleeping. You can lie with him (while he falls asleep) in your bed, and then slowly get out, leaving him wrapped in your bathrobe, which keeps the heat and the smell of your body, milk. In this case, the baby will sleep much longer and calmer.
Part 5. How to care for a newborn baby to help him adapt to the appearance of rhythm.
There is one more point in overcoming which we must help the child. The newborn must accept the fact that the world after his birth has become rhythmic.
The intrauterine world was devoid of rhythm, food and oxygen were supplied constantly, there was always a feeling of satiety. When the baby was born, he reflexively took his first breath, began to breathe, his umbilical cord was cut, and after a while he felt the first hunger or simply a decrease in the feeling of satiety. Everything that happens has deprived the child of the usual comfort, and this also needs to be adapted.
If we talk about how to help a child adapt to a completely new rhythm of nutrition after cutting the umbilical cord, this means starting a separate detailed conversation. In the meantime, literally in a nutshell, I will say the following. I do not categorically advocate breastfeeding at all costs, as some breastfeeding counselors do. But, in my opinion, today it is clearly more convenient, cheaper, more harmonious to breastfeed a child. In addition, adaptation after the loss of umbilical cord nutrition occurs much easier with breastfeeding.
As for the rhythmization of breathing ... It is difficult to offer any adaptation measures in this matter. We can only, perhaps, mention the joint dream. The fact is that a newborn child does not breathe as rhythmically as an adult, and generally has some difficulties in this area. There are American studies that indicate that a baby who sleeps face to face with his mother is less likely to have a breathing problem. Mom's breathing in this case acts as a metronome, sets a certain rhythm, thereby accompanying the baby in a dream.
Part 6. Caring for a newborn. Immobilization stress.
After birth, the child also experiences the stress of immobilization. He, of course, moves, but he does it in a very specific way. Previously, he was surrounded by water, now he is surrounded by air, his muscles are in hypertonicity. This is the normal state of a newborn child, and society just at this time calls on the mother less often, so as not to accustom. However, even from the point of view of ordinary logic, this is not true.
When mothers are scared that they will accustom the child to hands, it sounds at least strange. How can you accustom a child to what was for nine months, in fact, his home. I believe that in this case, the task of the mother is to wean the child from herself gradually. And this is not a matter of one or two months, and not even two or three years!
It is believed that a child can and should completely separate from the mother only at the age of 21 years. But for the first six months of his life, a woman may not worry at all that she is accustoming a baby to her hands, because at this time he is not even ready to begin to realize his separateness, he perceives himself and his mother as a whole. When she takes him in her arms, the newborn seems to find his soul mate and calms down, feeling again protected, calm, loved.
Do not be afraid, carry the child in your arms! After six months, you will see how, after sitting, he himself will slowly begin to separate, crawl away for some distance. And this distance will gradually increase month after month.
Part 7. Baby care: the role of smells.
In conclusion, I would like to talk about one more thing - about the smells with which the world meets the newborn and thereby also stresses them.
Above, I have already talked about how you can calm your baby by leaving him wrapped in his bathrobe, which keeps the smell of your milk and body. This technique actually works very well, since the baby's sense of smell begins to develop even in the prenatal period, somewhere around the 20th week, he already smells the amniotic fluid. After birth, the baby recognizes the mother just by the smell: on the areola of her nipples there are glands that secrete a special lubricant that prevents cracking and is identical in smell to the environment in which he was nine months old. Having recognized the familiar native smell, the baby strives for it and finds the breast. Mom's smells are very important, so I advise you not to interrupt them with perfumes.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that in general newborn baby care comes down to the simplest things. If you imagine how our world differs from the world in which he grew up inside the womb, if you understand what a baby faces at birth, then it will be very easy to care for him, and you can become a good guide for your baby in a new, as yet unknown peace to him.
The skin of newborns is very delicate and sensitive, and therefore you need to take care of it very carefully to prevent irritation and inflammation. Let's discuss the main procedures that new parents have to deal with every day. They cause difficulties only at the very beginning, until all actions become habitual. There is nothing complicated in them, but you need to take into account some features of caring for a little man. And now about everything in order ...
How to change a diaper
First of all, parents learn how to change their baby's diaper. For this procedure, any hard and even surface is suitable - a changing table, a bed or a table covered with oilcloth and a diaper. I put the crumbs on the back. We unfasten the Velcro of the diaper and carefully roll it off the baby's tummy, tucking it inward. Then we raise the baby, clasping both ankles with a hand, and with gentle movements remove the diaper, fold it into a roller and fasten it with Velcro.How to wash a child
Now the child needs to be washed, after “big things” - with soap, after urination, just water is enough. For babies, it is better to choose a special baby detergent, with a neutral pH level, odorless and dyes. Prepare everything for washing in advance so as not to be distracted. In addition to soap, you will need a warm diaper or soft towel to dry your skin after the procedure.Washing is carried out under running water in a sink, bath or over a basin. If the umbilical wound has not yet healed, water should not fall on it so as not to cause infection.
Girls and boys need to be washed differently.
Girls need to be held in their arms with their tummy up so that water flows down to the ass and microbes with particles of feces do not fall on the area of the labia and the entrance to the vagina. Usually, the baby's head is placed on the elbow bend, and her body is on the forearm, and they are pressed tightly to themselves with one hand. With the second hand, they thoroughly wash the area of the buttocks and labia, washing away all the dirt with soap, but without penetrating into the genital organs. It is necessary to thoroughly wash the inguinal folds and the thigh area. Then the child is wrapped in a diaper or soft towel and taken to the changing table or other prepared surface. Already there, with gentle soaking movements, the genital area, ass, legs and all folds are drained.
Boys can be held on the arm in any position, but tummy down is usually more comfortable. The head of the crumbs is placed in the area of the elbow bend, the body is on the forearm, the tummy is laid on the palm of your hand and the baby is firmly pressed to your body with one hand. With the other hand, the thighs, penis, scrotum and perineum are thoroughly washed under running water. At the same time, the head of the penis is not opened, washing the foreskin only from the outside. Further actions are the same as for girls.
How to avoid diaper rash in a newborn?
Before putting on a diaper, you can treat the baby's skin with a special diaper cream. It protects against contact with moisture, relieves irritation and gives a feeling of comfort. The cream is not absorbed and forms a thin film on the skin, protecting the sensitive skin of the child from the irritating effect of urine and feces. It is applied to the area of the inguinal folds, around the anus and to the junction of the buttocks. Girls should not apply the cream on the labia, and boys - on the penis, only near the scrotum, where there are folds.The powder is applied in this way: first you need to evenly distribute it on your palm, and then “powder” the skin of the child with patting movements.
Next, the diaper is straightened, the baby is placed on the back, his legs are lifted with one hand and the diaper is placed under the buttocks. Then straighten the diaper in the groin area, fasten the Velcro and adjust the belt. If it is not possible to wash the child with running water, you can use special baby wipes.
Change the diaper for the first 2-3 months every 2-3 hours, then as it fills up, usually every 3-5 hours.
How to wash a child
The child is washed in the morning, after sleep, before or after feeding. For washing, prepare:- warm boiled water;
- sterile cotton balls or discs;
- clean soft cloth.
How to clean a child's nose
The baby's nose must be kept clean, this is important for his full breathing and nutrition (after all, it is difficult for a baby to eat with a stuffy nose). Cleaning the nose is quite simple, although initially this procedure sometimes causes difficulties for parents. Usually the nose is cleaned in the morning and before going to bed.You will need:
- saline solution (ready product can be bought at a pharmacy) only in the form of drops, sprays can cause a spasm of the larynx, so their use is not recommended;
- a pipette with a rounded end;
- cotton flagella (twisted from a piece of cotton wool);
- container with warm boiled water.
.jpg)
How to take care of your hair
The baby's head and caring for it often raise questions from mothers. The presence of a fontanel is especially frightening for young parents (this is the area of \u200b\u200bconvergence of the sutures of the skull, the connective tissue under which the brain is located). But the head and hair do not require particularly complex care, they are washed with baby shampoo about once a week, and after the bath they blot with a towel and comb the hairs with a soft bristle brush. The baby needs to be brushed every day. If milk crusts form on the head, they are not removed. Once upon a time there was a recommendation to smear the head with oil and put on a cap for 2-3 hours, after which comb out the crusts with a comb. Today, this method is abandoned, since a special combing of the crusts injures the delicate scalp of the baby, stimulating even more crust formation.Treatment of the umbilical wound
Another difficult issue for parents is the care of the umbilical wound. After childbirth, the umbilical cord is cut off and a terminal or ligature is applied to the umbilical residue. Approximately on the 3-5th day, the umbilical cord residue disappears, and a wound forms under it, from which blood or ichor is released. In some maternity hospitals, the umbilical residue is surgically cut off on the second day. Until the umbilical wound heals, it is necessary to treat it twice a day (in the morning and after bathing).You will need:
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution;
- pipette;
- cotton swabs;
- alcohol or antiseptic (for example, brilliant green, potassium permanganate solution).
How to bathe a child
It is necessary to bathe babies only with special baby soap (liquid or lumpy), shampoo or foam, preferably without fragrances and dyes, without a strong odor, marked “hypoallergenic”. With a detergent, it is recommended to wash the child 1-2 times a week, the rest of the time water is enough.- On the label must be the inscription "allowed from the first days of life." It is desirable that this product can wash the crumbs from head to toe and it does not sting the eyes.
- In addition to soap, you will need a soft sponge or a terry mitten for the body.
- Also, have a water thermometer ready to monitor the temperature in the bath, although many parents are guided by their own feelings (the water is tested with an elbow or the back of a hand).
- The water temperature should be 36-37°C. You also need a bucket or jug for water to rinse the baby at the end of the bath, a large bath towel (handy if it comes with a corner) or a warm diaper in which you will take the baby out of the bath.
.jpg)
What do you need to know? You should not boil water for bathing, ordinary warm water from the tap is enough. Until the navel heals, a solution of potassium permanganate is added to the water, coloring it to a slightly pink color. This solution has a disinfectant effect. This is necessary so that microbes do not get into the umbilical wound. If a child's navel has healed, you should not bathe him in a solution of manganese or decoctions of herbs - they dry the skin greatly, which leads to its peeling and irritation, up to the formation of rashes.
Never, not for a second, leave a baby alone in the bath, even if, in your opinion, he lies securely in the slide - this is dangerous! If you need to move away, stop bathing and take your baby out of the tub. When bathing, you should try not to get water or soap on the baby's face. This is unpleasant for babies and can provoke a negative attitude towards water procedures and crying. Many children cry during bathing because of the reaction to the difference in water and air temperature. Try to keep the temperature in the bathroom at least 24°C. For bathing, choose a time when the baby is alert and not hungry, in a good mood. It is advisable to wash the baby always at the same time - this teaches him to the regime. If he is excited after the bath, it is better to bathe him in the morning, if he relaxes and calms down - before going to bed.
Lower the child into the water and let him flounder a little in it, move his legs and arms, guide him back and forth along the bath. Then lather the mitten and wash the baby, first the neck folds, then the breast, tummy, legs and arms, turn it over and wash the back. The head is always washed last, tilting it slightly back so that the soap does not get into the eyes. Lather the hairs and gently massage them, especially in the area of the crusts, then rinse, scooping up water from the bath and pouring over the head, towards the back of the head. At the end of the bath, fill the jug with tap water 1-2 ° C colder and pour over the baby with an energetic movement, after placing him with his tummy down. The first baths take 4-5 minutes. Gradually lengthen the procedure up to 15-30 minutes. Wrap the baby in a towel and take it to the changing table, dry the baby's skin well with blotting movements and then carry out the necessary hygiene procedures (treatment of the umbilical wound, inguinal folds, etc.).
If the house is cool, you can put on a cap or a light hat on the child until the hairs dry.
Bathing and hygiene procedures will gradually become an integral part of the baby's daily routine, you will learn how to perform them quickly and deftly, they will no longer cause any difficulties.
While expecting a baby, every woman studies information about the first days in the hospital. Although the process of childbirth and the entire time spent in the maternity hospital are frightening, nevertheless, during this period, the young mother will be under the supervision of the medical staff. Difficulties can arise after discharge, so it is worth knowing in advance how to care for a newborn baby.
Who will teach care?
The issues of caring for newborn peanuts are discussed in courses for expectant mothers, so if a pregnant woman attends such classes, she will be theoretically prepared for the upcoming care of the baby. Also, information about caring for a baby, a future mother can get from special magazines and books.
Before giving birth, get things that are needed when caring for the baby
To teach in practice how to care for a baby and explain its basic principles should also be in the maternity hospital. The pediatric nurse and pediatrician will tell and show the woman in labor all the actions that she will need to take care of the baby. The first toilet of the baby is carried out by a nurse, and then, having received step-by-step instructions, the young mother, under the supervision of a nurse, performs basic hygiene procedures on her own.
In addition, immediately after discharge, a mother with a newborn baby should be visited by a local pediatrician together with a nursing nurse. They can be asked any questions regarding the care of the baby and the health of the crumbs. In advance
Care in the maternity hospital
Immediately after birth, the baby's umbilical cord is bandaged with special sterile clamps placed on it. Having wrapped the baby in a diaper, the baby is transferred to a heated table for the first hygiene procedures. The midwife takes a sterile napkin, dips it in sterile oil, and then partially wipes the newborn from the original lubricant. Next, the peanut is weighed and measured.
When a mother with a baby is transferred to the ward, a nurse or pediatrician visits them, showing the woman how to handle the umbilical cord, as well as how to wash the baby under running water. Every morning, a newborn in the maternity hospital spends a morning toilet, including washing the face and eyes, as well as processing the remainder of the umbilical cord. The nose and ears are washed when necessary.
At the hospital, you should be shown how to take care of your baby.
Daily morning care
After discharge, every morning of a newborn baby should begin with washing. To do this, a cotton pad is dipped in boiled warm water and squeezed, after which it is wiped with a wet disk:
- Little face.
- Little eyes. Movement should be from the outer corners towards the spout. A separate cotton pad is used for each eye.
- Baby ears. You need to wipe the skin behind the ears and the curls of the shell.
- Baby's neck.
In addition, the mother should examine the entire skin of the baby daily and detect reddening of the folds in time. When diaper rash appears, the baby is shown air baths and special cosmetics.
The rules of the morning toilet are described in detail in the video of the "Caring Mom" channel on Youtube.
Navel treatment
A newborn's navel usually heals within the first two weeks of a baby's life. Treatment of the navel should be carried out until complete healing.
After bathing, the wound that remains after the umbilical cord falls off should be treated as follows:
- For processing, you need to prepare an antiseptic, cotton swabs and a peroxide solution.
- Mom needs to wash her hands.
- A cotton swab is moistened with peroxide, after which the wound is treated so that it is cleaned of discharge.
- Remove the remaining peroxide with a dry stick.
- Soak another cotton swab in an antiseptic and treat the navel. Zelenka is most often used, but it can also be chlorophyllipt, iodine solution or calendula tincture.
- Try not to touch the skin during processing.
Washing and diapers
After each stool, a newborn baby should be washed. If there was no stool, washing is carried out every 2-3 hours. This procedure is performed under running water, as washing in a bath or basin may cause a urinary tract infection. Remember to make sure that the water that flows from the tap is at a temperature that is comfortable for the baby. When washing a newborn girl, you should move from front to back.
How to bathe a newborn baby, see the following video.
When washing is complete, place the baby on a changing table or sofa, then blot water off the skin with a clean diaper. Next, treat the folds with a cotton ball lubricated with vegetable oil. You can also use baby cream to treat wrinkles.
Diapers for a newborn can be both disposable and reusable. The baby should not stay in a disposable diaper for more than 4 hours. Put a diaper on the newborn baby so that the navel remains open. This will help the wound heal faster. During the day, the child should spend some time without a diaper.
For the rules of daily care for a newborn, see the following video.
Weekly care
Such care includes procedures that are not carried out every day, but are performed as needed.
Nose care
Newborn babies have tiny nasal passages, so even with a slight blockage, the baby’s breathing becomes difficult. To clean the baby's nose, flagella are used, which are twisted from cotton wool. They are moistened in vegetable or vaseline oil, after which they are introduced with a rotational movement a maximum of 1 cm inside the spout. You can also wet a cotton flagellum with ordinary boiled water or breast milk.
A separate flagellum is used for each nasal passage. Never use cotton swabs to clean a newborn's nose.
How to do it right, see the video.
Ear Care
Earwax is excreted normally and to remove its excess, special sticks with cotton tips should be used. Since the ears of newborns are very small, such sticks must be with a stopper so that the stick does not penetrate too deep and cause irritation of the eardrum.
Instead of a stick, you can use a cotton flagellum, but you can’t insert it into the ear canal. Also, don't rub your ears too hard. To make the sulfur easier to remove, the cotton wool can be slightly moistened with boiled water, but the water should not drip from the cotton wool.
Nail care
In many newborns, the length of the nails immediately after birth is such that they need to be trimmed at the hospital. Baby nails grow very quickly, but they are very thin, so they often bend or break.
Weekly nails are trimmed with special tweezers or nail scissors, being careful not to cut too much so as not to hurt the skin on the fingers. On the handles of the baby, the edges of the nail should be slightly rounded, and on the legs, the nail should be cut evenly. It is convenient for newborns to cut their nails during sleep, then the procedure will not disturb the baby.
Scissors should be blunt-edged so that the chance of injuring the baby is reduced to zero.
For information on how to handle the nails of newborns, see the next video by Olga Vasilievna Parshikova.
Bathing
For the first time, it is allowed to bathe a newborn on the same day when the baby and mother were discharged from the hospital.
Features of the procedure should be explained by the patronage nurse:
- It is most convenient to bathe the baby before feeding, which will be the penultimate one.
- The newborn should be bathed in a separate bath until the navel is completely healed.
- The average duration of the procedure is three to seven minutes.
- Until the moment when the umbilical wound is completely healed, bathing the crumbs should be carried out in boiled water.
- The optimal parameters of the air temperature in the room where bathing is carried out are called + 24 + 26 ° С.
- During bathing, there should be no draft in the room.
- Before the procedure, the bath should be washed with soap and scalded with boiling water.
- Before you fill the bath with water, prepare everything you need for bathing. You need to put boiled water, baby soap, a soft flannel mitten, a water thermometer, a jug for dousing, a towel, oil or cream for treatment after bathing, clean clothes next to the bath.
- The hands of a person bathing an infant should be washed with soap and with cut nails. Rings and watches should be removed before the procedure.
- It is advised to put a diaper on the bottom of the bath, and then pour water, the temperature of which should be about + 37 ° C.
- Water is poured to a level of 10-15 cm, so that after immersion in it, the head and upper chest of the baby remain above the water.
- You need to lower the baby slowly, starting from the feet. The head is held on the elbow bend, and the crumbs are soaped with the other hand. At the same time, you should not rub the baby, so as not to damage the delicate skin.
- After washing off the soap, the baby is turned upside down to pour boiled clean water from a jug, the temperature of which should be one degree lower than the temperature of the bathing water.
- Wrapping the baby in a towel (it is not advised to rub the skin), the folds are treated with oil or cream, then the baby is dressed in clean clothes, given a little rest and fed.
- After the navel has healed, you can start bathing your baby in a regular bath using tap water. Bathing time begins to increase to 30-40 minutes.
Every day, the baby is washed with soap only the buttocks and genitals. It is recommended to wash the whole body with soap no more than once or twice a week.
Until the navel is healed, the baby is bathed in boiled water, after that - in ordinary tap water.
When the first child appears in the family, newly-made parents have many questions about how to organize proper care for the newborn, because the newly born baby is completely helpless, and his well-being, health and adaptation in the world around him directly depend on the care and attention of relatives. To avoid feelings of panic after being discharged from the hospital, it is better to be clear in advance what kind of care a newborn needs.
Hygiene procedures
All procedures must be performed with clean hands, and it is always necessary to remove moisture from the skin of the crumbs with blotting movements.
Daily care for a newborn begins with washing the baby's eye with cotton pads dipped in water, or with your hands. In this case, the movements are carried out in the direction from the outer corner to the inner. A separate disk is taken for each eye. When purulent discharge appears, washing with infusion of tea leaves or a few drops of mother's milk effectively helps. If the inflammation does not go away, then the pediatrician should be informed. To wash the cheeks, forehead, nose and chin of the baby, you will need another cotton swab.
Complete care for a newborn necessarily includes cleansing the nose of accumulations of crusts and mucus, which, even in small quantities, can lead to respiratory failure. Cotton flagella soaked in vaseline oil are inserted into each nasal passage with rotational movements and removed in the same way. The baby's ears are cleaned with a damp cloth or cotton swab only from the outside, within sight. It is impossible to penetrate deep into the auricle.
To avoid diaper rash, every day you need to wipe the folds behind the ears, the neck, armpits, groin, bends of the elbows and knees with sterile oil.
The umbilical wound in infants is the most vulnerable place for microbes, therefore, the main care of the newborn during the first 10 days is accompanied by its daily treatment until complete healing. To do this, you will need to purchase brilliant green as an antiseptic, a 2-3% hydrogen peroxide solution, a pipette, clean cotton pads and sticks.
The procedure is best performed immediately after bathing. Sequencing:
- Take a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into a pipette;
- Drop the solution on the wound;
- Remove loose crusts with a dry cotton pad;
- Treat the navel with a cotton swab soaked in brilliant green;
- Allow the green to dry, and then dress the child.
It should be remembered that caring for a newborn baby requires confident actions from the mother, so everything must be done carefully and calmly. If the wound does not heal for more than 2 weeks, there is redness of the skin around the navel or purulent, bloody discharge, then be sure to consult a doctor.
Changing a diaper and especially washing children of different sexes
When organizing the care of a newborn baby, it is important to decide right away which diapers the mother will use - diapers or gauze analogues. The approximate frequency of changing diapers in the first months is 3-4 hours. Gauze diapers will need to be changed much more often, because. they do not breathe, and prolonged exposure to them can cause diaper dermatitis.
At each diaper change, it is recommended to lubricate the baby's sensitive skin with a special protective diaper cream or baby cream. During the day, be sure to arrange air baths for the child, leaving him naked for a few minutes.
Wash the newborn after each bowel movement and urination under warm running water. When washing away, the rules for caring for a newborn boy and girl are different. To prevent infection from entering the genital area, girls are washed from front to back, placing the baby facing the stream of water. The boys are placed on the forearm, tummy down, holding the thigh. Water is always drawn first into the palm of the hand, and then with stroking movements they wash the ass, legs, bottom of the back, and the baby's perineum.
Bathing is a pleasant and relaxing "ritual" for the baby
The birth of a child and caring for a newborn are responsible, touching and pleasant moments and chores in the life of every family. This also applies to water procedures that train the muscles of the baby, increase appetite and promote sound sleep.
You need to bathe the baby daily and preferably before evening feeding, after warming up the baby's body with light gymnastics or massage. If there are crusts (gneiss) on the baby's head, then 30 minutes before taking a bath, you need to lubricate these places with petroleum jelly.
For water procedures, you will need the following newborn care products:
The optimum water temperature is between 36 and 37 °C. The room temperature must be at least 25 °C. The child should be gently held by the shoulder joint, and the head should be placed on the wrist. The second hand of the mother is free to perform the necessary actions. The duration of the procedure is about 5 minutes. After bathing, the baby should be wrapped in a towel and put on a cap.
If the baby has signs of increased nervous excitability (anxiety, poor sleep and appetite, constant crying), it makes sense to add a decoction of chamomile, lavender or sea salt to the bathing water. Such care for a hyperexcitable newborn will have a calming effect.
What else to remember
Answering the question about what kind of care for a newborn is needed, one cannot fail to note the obligatory washing of things with a special baby powder, regular walks in the fresh air, maintaining cleanliness in the children's room and periodically airing the room.
Due to certain complications for some mothers, caring for a newborn immediately after childbirth can cause some difficulties, so you should definitely contact your relatives and friends for any possible assistance.
Returning home after childbirth, many women who have given birth to their first child simply do not know how to care for the baby in the early days. Despite the fact that there are grandmothers, girlfriends and other close people, the mother herself needs to learn to provide immediate care for the baby after birth and when he sleeps to feed him.
First week at home
The first days of mother and baby's stay at home immediately after childbirth are the most difficult for parents. Caring for a newborn in the first days after birth takes a lot of time and effort, the baby often eats, sleeps and requires increased attention. If there are grandmothers or other relatives in the house, they should immediately take care of all the household chores during this period, because in order for the mother to be able to fully care for the child, feed him when he sleeps, she herself immediately needs to fully relax. In the absence of relatives and close people, the spouse should take care of the wife, taking on part of the housework.
Baby nutrition
Today, experts strongly recommend that new mothers feed their baby on demand from the moment of birth. It has been proven that a baby who eats at will develops much faster. He is more calm and healthy than a child who eats by the hour. Of course, many may object and say that this is very inconvenient to do, but you will have to endure only a few days. Later, the child himself will make a schedule for himself to feed him and you can calmly plan your days. It also matters how you breastfeed your baby, if the baby eats correctly, he will eat up and less likely to bother you from the first days. It is strongly recommended that all mothers after childbirth get advice from a breastfeeding specialist who will show and tell you how to properly feed your baby.
Navel treatment
Modern pediatricians do not recommend treating the umbilical wound with brilliant green after childbirth and sealing it with a plaster or bandage. Nature took care of everything herself. The navel heals within a few weeks of birth and does not require much care other than keeping it clean. For normal healing of the umbilical wound, it is necessary to ensure that in the first days the baby's feces do not fall on it. You also need to make sure that the navel is dry. After bathing, carefully wipe the navel with sterile cotton. Subject to the rules of hygiene and dryness, the navel will heal quickly and will not cause any trouble. That's all belly button care.
If you notice redness or suppuration in the area of the umbilical wound, you should immediately contact your local doctor. Self-medication can only aggravate the situation.
Many mothers are worried about an umbilical hernia. Recent studies have shown that such a phenomenon does not pose a danger to the child. An umbilical hernia can form due to a large umbilical ring, which, when the muscles of the stomach are tense, is filled in the first days with a part of the baby's intestines.
This phenomenon goes away on its own and does not require any treatment (in the absence of pathologies).
Gluing and bandaging the navel is an unjustified measure and does not bring any results. So you can calm down and let mother nature take care of the healing of the umbilical ring. How much an umbilical hernia heals is difficult to say, it all depends on the individuality of the baby. Overgrowing from several months to 3 years is considered the norm.
Green stool in a breastfed baby: what to do and how to treat
Fontanelle zone
Most mothers are afraid of the pulsation in the fontanel area, and they are afraid of damaging it. Do not worry about it, the fontanel of the baby is protected by a special film from birth, which is extremely difficult to break, this care was provided by nature itself. If you do not cause damage on purpose, it is almost impossible to harm the fontanel. A cause for concern may be a situation when a child does not eat well and his fontanel sunk inside.
Water procedures
Despite the fact that all our grandmothers constantly tell us that the child needs to be bathed at all days of the week, there really is no such need. Mom can make a bathing schedule depending on the time of year and the child's attitude to water procedures. How many times and how to bathe the baby after childbirth? In winter, the baby can be bathed 2-3 times a week. The only thing to do with such a schedule of water procedures is daily washing and washing. The child should be washed after each bowel movement, and you can wash your face during the day, morning and evening.
To bathe the baby, you need to purchase a special bath. It is best if you put an additional rubber mat on the bottom, which will prevent the child from slipping, you can also use a regular diaper for this purpose. The water temperature should not exceed 37 degrees. Today, in pharmacy chains, you can purchase a special thermometer that will bathe with your child and you can control the temperature of the water during the entire bath. You need to bathe the child constantly in the same bath, then he will get used to it and will not be afraid.
Mom can choose the time of water procedures herself. The main rule should be bathing before meals, if the baby eats before the bath, he will fall asleep ahead of time. You can bathe both before daytime feedings and before the last evening meal.
During water procedures, make sure that water or soap does not get into the eyes of the baby, otherwise the next time he may refuse to bathe, and this fear will remain for a long time. When washing your baby, use baby soap and cotton. You can also use special mittens that mom puts on her hands and washes the baby. Avoid using synthetic sponges and washcloths, they can irritate your baby's skin.
Particular care must be taken when washing the head of the crumbs. Make sure that the cotton wool or mitten is not too saturated with water, otherwise water will get into the eyes. Soap from the head should be washed off with slightly wrung out cotton wool in the direction from the forehead to the top of the head.
Also gently lather and wash your baby's body.
If the baby burst into tears and does not want to continue bathing, he should be immediately pulled out of the water.
A flannel diaper can be used as a towel in the first weeks after birth. You need to wipe the crumbs very carefully, remember that the navel after water procedures must be wiped dry with a cotton swab.
Menu 9 months baby while breastfeeding
After swimming
After water procedures, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the baby's auricles, without affecting the ear canal, cut off the nails and dress the baby in clean, ironed clothes. It is advisable for a child to cut the nails with the help of special scissors that do not have sharp ends. Upon completion of all procedures, the child can be fed and put to bed. If the child is hungry and does not want to cut his nails and clean his ears, you can postpone these activities and do it when he is sleeping.
As a rule, healthy children do not need additional cleaning of the nose, mouth and eyes. Do not torture the baby and do not meddle with him with too much care. Treatment of the eyes and nose is necessary only with signs of disease of these organs.
It is necessary to clean the nose if dried mucus appears in the nasal passages; due to clogging of the nose, the child often does not eat well. The nose in this case is cleaned with a damp cotton flagellum. This must be done quickly and very carefully. Salt solution can also help with nasal congestion. Dilute one teaspoon of salt in one liter of boiled water and drip 2 drops into each nasal passage, this remedy perfectly moisturizes the nasal mucosa and all impurities will come out naturally.
The use of powders and oils can be justified only on the recommendation of a pediatrician. In other cases, healthy baby skin does not need additional care. Therefore, save the family budget and do not purchase advertised funds that you absolutely do not need. And how much have you already bought unnecessary promotional products?
Intimate zone
For girls, it is extremely important to carry out daily washing, starting from the first birthday. This is due to the risk of infection from the anus to the genital tract, so the care of the girl must be thorough. Girls should be washed in the direction from the vagina to the ass. Washing should be done after each bowel movement and at bedtime. Boys can be washed as needed. The genitals of the boys do not require special care.
Cloth
Note to every mom! Even if you use diapers and in your opinion the child does not get dirty, he must be changed 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening. The baby's clothes should be washed with detergents for washing children's things and be sure to be ironed.
Children's clothes should be comfortable and made from natural fabrics. Today, in stores and markets, you can find as many inexpensive and beautiful children's clothes as you like, which can be dangerous for your baby's health. Synthetic fabrics do not have the ability to absorb moisture, as a result of which inflammation and irritation can form on the skin of a newborn, especially if drops of milk fall on clothes when the baby is eating.
You should also pay attention to the dyes used in dyeing fabrics. Do not buy bright things for newborns, aggressive dyes can provoke allergic reactions in a child. When choosing clothes, give preference to natural fabrics in bed tones. Also make sure that blouses, T-shirts and panties are easy to put on and take off. This will save you from the screams and protests of the child when changing clothes.
The mistake of many young mothers is to dress the baby too warm at home or for a walk. Understand that a child is the same person as you, only a small one. If you are hot and you are dressed in a light sundress, you do not need to wrap your baby in 10 diapers and put on 3 hats. Dress your child according to the climate. Too warmly dressed baby begins to sweat, and at this moment a gust of wind or draft will do their simple job. As long as the child does not sweat, he is healthy, eats well and sleeps as much as necessary. Moreover, when the child is dressed comfortably, he is also calm.
walks
Starting from the 14th day after birth, it is necessary to include daily walks with the child in the daily schedule. You need to walk in any weather, on any day of the week and at any time of the year. Going for a walk with a child has a double positive effect on the baby. Firstly, fresh air enriches the blood, organs and tissues of the baby with oxygen, which favorably affects its development. Secondly, the gradual change in air temperature during the change of seasons teaches the baby's body to adapt to cold and heat, which is an element of hardening. With regular daily walks, the child gets sick much less often, eats and sleeps better than his peers who stay at home in cold weather.