Once the initial ecstasy of newfound parenthood has subsided, it would be essentially about providing for the daily needs and requirements for your newborn. Feeding your baby, cleaning him, putting him off to sleep and even changing nappies the right way could prove to be challenges at first. You need to gather relevant information on each and master the art through progressive practice. The same would also be true for learning how to bathe your newborn. Before bathing your newborn for the first time, you should be referring to some basic guidelines for newborn bath in order to be safe and completely sure. Typically, bathing your newborn successfully would involve the usage of correct techniques that would clean him without harm.
Bathing Newborn Babies—Some Useful Tips
The ideal baby bathing schedule would include a sponge bath during the first couple of weeks of birth that could lead to a tub bath schedule subsequently. However, there aren’t any fixed rules and norms for the same. You can resort to whichever schedule suits your needs when bathing babies. Some of the most useful tips for bathing babies safely would include:
1. The Posture—Ensuring the right posture bathing your newborn in the tub, would be of prime importance. For instance, you should be holding the head and the torso quite securely when you bath him. One arm should be wrapped around the back of the baby so that he can lean comfortably against it during the course of the bath. You need to incline the baby slightly forward and then clean his buttocks and back, holding him securely all the time.
2. The Sequence—The best sequence for bathing newborns during the course of the bath would be to start from the face and then move on to the dirtier parts that might require some rinsing. You need to be especially careful and tender when cleaning the genitals. Keep hair wash till the last and start on it only when the body has been cleaned to satisfaction.
3. The Hair Wash—Ensure that your hand is firmly placed under the neck of the baby during hair wash. Use a single drop of mild moisturizing shampoo meant specifically for babies and work up a lather. Rinse the scalp with tender strokes and wash off the shampoo with a damp washcloth for a clean and fragrant scalp. Make sure you choose a shampoo that would not cause any burning sensation to the eye.
4. The Timings—The bathing time for babies need timed not be predetermined or fixed. You can choose a time when you would be free and hence able to devote some free moments for the bathing process. You can either choose to give him a relaxed bath in the morning or before he sleeps during late evenings.
Bathing is not about cleaning your baby alone. The cleaning session should also relax him completely and the entire exercise must also help in strengthening your mutual bonds as well. Therefore, it would be important to ensure that both you and your baby enjoy these water splashing sessions to the fullest. |