How To Give Your Baby A Sponge Bath
- Keep things simple, but make sure you are prepared beforehand with supplies, such as a washcloth or baby sponge, a basin of water, and a towel.
- Clean your baby on a secure surface such as a changing table or bed. You can also lay a towel or blanket on the floor to soften it, or place your baby in your lap. If your baby is on an elevated surface, you must keep on hand on your baby at all times so they dont fall.
- Be careful not to get water in your babys eyes, and dont directly sponge their healing umbilical cord stump.
- Make sure you keep your baby warm during this process. You may consider wrapping your baby with a towel and only uncovering your babys different body parts when they are ready to be washed.
Your babys umbilical cord stump should fall off within the first one to two weeks of life, at which point you can immerse your baby in water.
Giving Your Newborn A Bath: Steps
These steps make bathing your newborn easy:
Children can drown in a few seconds in very shallow water. Never leave your baby alone in the bath, even if youre using a bath seat or cradle. Never leave older children or siblings to supervise. If youre disturbed by the phone or another task, take your baby out of the bath.
Babys First Bath At Home
Once you get your little one home, theres no set timetable for when to give baby her first sponge bath. Experts agree that the timing for bathing a newborn is up to the parents, and that theres no big rush. Many families are excited about giving a baby their first newborn bath at home, but waiting a few days is fine, says Justin Smith, MD, a pediatrician at Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Holly S., a mom of two, gave birth to her second baby at home and didnt bathe him for more than a week. Theres no need to wash them right away in most circumstances, she says. Any blood from the birth can be wiped off, and you just need to wipe their diaper areas thoroughly in the meantime. She also made sure to rub the vernix into her babys skin to get the most out of its antimicrobial and moisturizing properties.
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What Things Do I Need For My Babys First Bath
Before you fill the basin and put your baby in the water, you need to make sure you have everything you need.
Once your babys bath has begun, you wont be able to go away to grab something you forgot.
Having everything ready will also make you feel more secure while bathing your little one for the first time in her life.
The most obvious thing youll need is a place to bathe your baby, such as a basin or a portable tub.
You also need a comfortable spot nearby where you can carefully undress your little one. You should place the hygiene items youll be using within easy reach.
These items will likely include: Tear-free baby shampoo, neutral soap, baby oil, wash clothes, a towel, a clean diaper and clothes, and a comb or brush.
Other items you might want to consider are Vaseline, cotton balls or sterile gauze, and rubbing alcohol.
Drying And Dressing Your Newborn After A Bath: Steps
Heres how to take your newborn out of the bath, ready for drying and dressing:
Bathing your baby takes practice, so try to relax and take your time. You might like to start by bathing your baby when someone else is around to help. If youre worried about losing your grip on your baby, you can make the bath less slippery by lining it with a clean cloth nappy or towel.
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Reasons Why Doctors Recommend Delaying A Newborns First Bath:
Reduced risk of infection
Babies are born covered in a white substance called vernix, which is composed of the skin cells your baby made early in development. Vernix contains proteins that prevent common bacterial infections. Think of vernix as a sort of natural antibacterial ointment. Your baby is born covered in this anti-germ barrier. Bacteria such as Group B Strep and E. coli are often transmitted to newborns during delivery and can cause bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and meningitis, and can be fatal. These are not rare infections we test babies for them daily. Vernix is natures protection against these infections.
Stabilized infant blood sugar
Bathing a baby too soon after birth can cause low blood sugar. Heres why: in the first few hours after birth, a baby has to adjust to life outside the uterus, including losing the placenta as a source of blood sugar. Bathing causes crying, stress and the release of stress hormones. Stress hormones can cause a babys blood sugar to drop, which can make a baby too sleepy to wake up and breastfeed, causing the blood sugar to drop even more. Rarely, low blood sugar can cause neurological injury.
No baby lotion required before a newborn bath
Vernix is a natural skin moisturizer and skin protectant. Babies need skin protection during the transition from the amniotic fluid into the air environment. If you delay the bath, there is no need for artificially scented baby lotion. Instead, you get to enjoy that new-baby smell.
How Generally Do Babies Charge Bathing
Your babyish may charge to booty a ablution about three times a anniversary in the aboriginal year of their life. This is usually abundant if you ablution the childhood breadth every time you change your baby. One or two baths are fine, but added common baths can dry your baby’s skin. This is abnormally accurate back application soaps and added babyish cleaners.
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How To Give A Baby A Tub Bath
After the sponge bath stage, the real fun begins. First, choose the right tub thats safe and easy to use. There are many types of baby tubs on the market, or you can simply use the kitchen sink. The kitchen sink is easy to use because it is the right height. If using the kitchen sink, observe the following safety tips:
- Purchase an insert-type plastic or rubber tub that fits into your sink, or line the bottom of the sink with a folded towel or sponge mat to keep your baby from slipping.
- If you have a movable faucet, be sure to turn it away from your baby.
Before the water touches your baby, make sure it is comfortably warm but not too hot. Tie a towel around your neck to keep yourself dry during the bath, and in case your baby needs to be picked up quickly and cuddled. Most newborns do not eagerly await their bath. Singing a few songs, making eye-to-eye contact, and gently massaging your baby during the bath often relaxes the reluctant bather.
How To Ablution A Babyish In The Ablution Tub
As anon as the umbilical bond avalanche off, you can accord a ablution to your babyish in the bathtub. Accomplish abiding you advance in a nice babyish tub with a bathing cushion to ensure fun and assurance during ablution time. Actuality is a adviser to authoritative the action smooth:
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How To Wash Babys Scalp And Hair
Plan to wash your babys scalp or hair twice a week. To wash your babys scalp or hair, gently massage a baby shampoo into their hair, if they have any, or directly onto their scalp. Rinse it out by dabbing with a wet washcloth.
In a baby tub, you can also gently tip your babys head back and keep one hand over their forehead while you pour on some warm water. The water will spill over the sides of their head to rinse out the shampoo.
Gently washing your babys hair will not hurt a soft spot, but talk with your pediatrician if you have concerns. If your baby has cradle cap, you can gently brush your babys hair and scalp. But take care not to pick or scrape at their scalp.
How To Bathe Your Baby
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Bathing Your Newborn In A Bath
Youâll still want to give your baby girl or boy a proper bath every few days or so. If you feel a bit nervous about giving your newborn his or her first bath, donât worry. Bathing a slippery, squirming newborn baby can take some practice, but youâll soon get the hang of it.Bath time is also a great time for your partner, a grandparent or other close relative to lend a hand. Delegating bath duties isnât just a fantastic bonding opportunity for the person doing the bathing, it can be an opportunity for Mum to grab a little extra âme timeâ â especially during the whirlwind first few weeks with your newborn.When the time comes, itâs important to be prepared, so make sure the room is warm enough and get everything ready before you start giving your baby a bath:
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Your babyâs bath â this can be a special baby bath or you could use a clean washing-up bowl. A smaller baby bath might help your child feel more secure.
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Two towels
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A clean nappy
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Clean clothes.
What Is A Sponge Bath And How Does It Compare With Other Types Of Baths
Sponge baths are a great option when your baby isnt ready for a regular tub filled with warm water and shiny bubbles.
During a sponge bath, just like during a regular bath, you give your baby an all-over wash and rinse. But there are two differences:
- Your baby lies on a towel instead of in a tub.
- You wash and rinse one section of their body at a time.
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Washing Baby During A Sponge Bath
Start with baby’s face — and wash their eyes first.
- Dip a clean cotton ball in the water bowl .
- Gently use the cotton ball to wipe baby’s eye from the inner corner out.
- Then repeat the process with a different clean cotton ball, to wash the other eye.
Gently wash around their mouth, and the rest of their face, next.
- Use a wet washcloth for this.
- Start by gently washing around their mouth with water only .
- Then, you can wash the rest of their face with a tiny bit of soap — or just use water, that’s up to you.
- Pay special attention to the chin areas, as lots of drool usually builds up.
- Also pay special attention to the areas behind the ears, as spit-up can easily collect there.
- Gently wash the scalp and neck areas with the washcloth and a bit of soap.
- If baby has hair, use a little bit of tear-free baby shampoo on their hair and scalp.
- Gently massage it in , then rinse.
Wash the rest of baby’s body in any order .
- Wash the hands, arms, feet, legs, back, and torso with water and a bit of soap.
- Uncover each part as you wash, then cover it back up as you finish.
- Use gentle strokes — don’t scrub hard.
- Pay special attention to skin creases and folds, including under the arms.
- Also be sure to gently wash in between the fingers and toes.
- Carefully wash the area around the cord stump.
- You can clean off crustiness in this area, but be gentle.
Finally, gently wash the private area.