Baby’s First Bath
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Baby’s First Bath
Giving your baby their first bath can be a terrifying experience. But once you’ve read this article, you’ll be ready! Visit cornerstorkbabygifts.com for everything for your baby and baby gifts.
This wonderful article was given to us by our Partner Merchant, cornerstorkbabygifts.com.
Bathing Your Newborn
Bath time is a wonderful time to bond with your child! As the child grows, many parents look back on bath time as a favorite part of their baby’s earliest weeks and months.
But bath time is also a time to take special precautions and remember your baby’s own delicate needs. For example, baby’s skin is very sensitive to water temperatures and most chemicals in soaps and cleaners.
Babies are ready for bathing in a tub once the umbilical cord has fallen off. Unless the baby is dirty, once or twice a week is normally sufficient for good hygiene.
Safely Setting Up the Bathtub
The single most important rule to remember: Never, ever leave your baby unattended. Babies can slide below the surface of the water or fall out of the tub in seconds. Keep your eyes on the child the entire time.
Make sure the bathtub is mounted on a rubber mat, to prevent slipping. The bath water should be between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, to accommodate baby’s sensitive skin.
Don’t overfill the bathtub. Two to three inches is plenty for babies up to six months old. Older children can sit up, but newborns should remain lying back in the warm water. Never put your baby into a tub where the water is still running.
Keep all electrical appliances away from the bathtub. This can include anything in the nursery or bathroom such as radios, lamps, hair dryers, or baby monitors.
Put the child in the tub by securely holding the back of the head and neck with one hand, and the bottom with the other, lowering the baby’s body into the water. Keep the head elevated and stable – babies can drown in as little as one inch of water.
Once the child reaches four to seven months, however, the baby washbasin is probably too small, and you’ll want to use your own bathtub. Make sure the faucet and knobs are out of reach. You may also want to employ a bath ring, which acts like an inner tube in the tub, or keep the water very shallow.
Bathing Your Child
The bath time is really two separate times: playtime and washing time. For playtime, any number of bath time sets can gently help your child understand the fundamentals of bathing themselves.
As for washing the child, it’s best to leave that until after playtime. Soapy water can dry out your child’s skin and in certain situations can encourage the skin disease eczema. Many commercial soaps and cleansers contain chemicals that, if your child sits in their soapy water for too long, can contribute to urinary tract infections. Keep the washing for the last part of the bath, and use organic soaps made from fats and oils, to keep the baby’s skin its healthiest.
Finally, use a soft washcloth and gently rub the baby’s skin with the soap and water. Use moistened cotton balls to clean around the eyes and mouth. Clean the genitals as you do the rest of the body.
Lift the child out the same way as you lower – with a hand on the bottom and the back of the head. Gently dab the child dry with a fluffy towel. You may wish to apply body lotion or moisturizer if some of the baby’s skin is dry or showing flaking.
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