Where to bathe?
Many parents specially for this purpose buy a baby bath. However, such an acquisition is more convenient, rather, for mom, dad and baby safety. But that the bathing brought a tangible benefit to health, the crumb should not be constrained in the movements. You can freely move the handles and legs, turn over from the back on your tummy or dive only in a large bath. All this is an excellent exercise for muscles and a good training of immunity. And in order that you do not worry about the health of the newborn, thoroughly wash the bath. Use for this not means of industrial production, but ordinary soda.
Water temperature
When choosing it, be guided not by your own feelings, but by reactions to the temperature of the baby. Much more comfortable is the temperature around + 37 ° С. But such warm water does not give health! If you want to combine hygienic procedures with health-improving, water should be cool - no higher than + 35 ° C - it will not allow the baby to relax, increase blood flow, stimulate metabolism.
Should I add herbs to the water?
Pediatricians do not advise to abuse various broths and infusions, especially if you yourself have a tendency to allergies - this can provoke a dermatitis in a newborn. To bathe a child with healthy skin in herbs is recommended not more often than once a week. A win-win option for this is the infusion of succession. On a standard bath you will need i a glass of grass to be boiled, let it brew under a closed lid for several hours. Then strain the infusion. In all other cases, add herbs and infusions of herbs only after consulting a doctor.
Do I need to close the bathroom door?
If there is no draft, do not do this. Do not be afraid that a baby can catch a cold, much more harm will be caused to him by a sharp temperature drop when he gets into the room after water procedures. In addition, during bathing the bathroom is filled with water vapor, the chlorine content in which can sometimes go off scale. Believe me, this is not the best atmosphere for a fragile baby organism.
How to prepare a baby for water procedures?
Any bathing is a load on an organism, therefore for the beginning of the kid it is necessary as it is necessary to warm up. For this massage and gymnastics are perfect. Take a minute or 15 minutes each procedure, after which you can proceed directly to bathing.
What time to bathe?
The ideal time for swimming is before the last evening feeding. If you follow the rules of this procedure, the baby will become slightly tired, "swallow" appetite, eat well and sweetly sleep at least 5 hours. It happens that some children after the swell are so excited that it is difficult to put them to sleep at night. Such babies are better to bathe in the morning or in the afternoon.
How to bathe?
Immerse the crumb into the water entirely, supporting it with one hand under the back of the head: the other - for the chin. If the baby actively starts to move the handles and legs, then this temperature suits him, if he is relaxed and lies quietly, next time you can drop it one degree. Then flip it on your stomach, supporting the child's chin with one hand - let him swim in this position. You can teach your baby to dive (reflex breathing delay will disappear by 2.5 months) or stay on the water. How to do it correctly, you will tell the pediatrician.
What is the duration of bathing?
On average, a newborn baby can swim in the water for about a minute. By 3 months you can increase the time to 15 minutes. And by the half-year your karapuz will happily splash in the water for half an hour. If during the bathing in the spout or mouth of the child got water, there's nothing wrong with that. Rather, on the contrary - after coughing and swelling, the baby will clean the nasopharyngeal mucosa from dust and dirt.
How often should I wash my baby?
Directly with soap or foam the baby should be washed no more often than twice a week. For babies this is enough. Only when he starts to crawl, such procedures can be done daily or, if desired, washed crumbs every other day. In order to soap the baby, it is not necessary to use a washcloth - enough gentle mother hands. Sponge you may need in the event that the crumbs have crusts on the head (gneiss). Pour a little foam or shampoo on the loofah and massage your head. After you have finished washing the baby, rinse it with clean water and wrap it in a diaper.
Can I wash it with soap?
When bathing an infant, do not use alkaline soap. The substances that are contained in them destroy the protective layer, which serves as a reliable barrier against pathogenic bacteria. If you want to use soap for washing, give preference to the baby, which includes lanolin, glycerin, vegetable oils or moisturizing lotion - these additives soften its effect.
What should I do after bathing?
Put the baby wrapped in a diaper on a changing table and gently blot with a diaper. Do not wipe! Next, treat all wrinkles with special baby oil. In the presence of diaper rash, use a powder or a special diaper cream. Pay special attention to the genital organs of the baby. At the boy do not forget to grease a wrinkle under the scrotum, at the girl wipe with a cotton swab dipped in warm boiled water, a sexual crack. The direction of movement in the latter case is strictly front to back. And do not forget about the ears. In the ear canal, insert a tightly twisted swab, do not remove it until the head dries completely (a cotton swab soaks well into the ears).
Means for bathing a baby
Even experienced parents can not get lost in the abundance of cosmetics for bathing babies. When choosing foam or shampoo for crumbs, pay attention to the following points.
- PH value
Contrary to popular belief, its performance should not be equal to the value of 5.5 - this is the skin of an adult. At the kid it srednekislyj and makes 6,8, so, and the pH of means for bathing of the newborn should have such value. In a few weeks, it will be closer to adult indicators, and you will be able to use funds with a neutral pH.
- Composition
Read the label carefully. It should not contain prohibited preservatives, active supplements and bright dyes. The remedy itself should not be too bright (it is better that it is colorless) or a strong odor.
- Additives
If your crumb is inclined to allergies, do not get carried away with the means with plant extracts - they can provoke its manifestations. In all other cases, admissible additives in children's foams and shampoos are considered to be extracts of turn, chamomile, lavender.