Tips For Bathing Your Baby Safely -

When bathing your baby, you need to know the safe water temperature for bathing your baby, how often your baby should be given a bath, and the precautions to take when bathing your baby.

Bathe time is fun time for some babies but for others they just cry till the session is over.

For the first week or so it’s best to give your infant sponge baths with a warm, damp washcloth. Wash his face and hands frequently, and thoroughly clean his genital area after each diaper change.

There’s no need to give your newborn a bath every day. In fact, bathing your baby more than several times a week can dry out his or her skin. Also, sponge baths (you can also use wash clothe) are recommended until the umbilical cord stump falls off and this might take up to three weeks.

Tips For Bathing Your Baby Safely

The first note of warning is that you should NEVER leave your baby unsupervised, even for a split second.
However you choose to wash your new born baby; it is better you don’t use any soap, shampoo or products when they’re very young. Plain water is fine, and safer for your baby’s skin.
Do not bathe your baby in a tub if you know you can not handle it.
Dip your hand into the bathe water to make sure the water is warm and not hot so that you will reduce the risk of scalding your baby.
To bathe your baby, use warm plain water. Pour cold water into the bathe first, then pour hot water, make sure the water is normally warm but not too hot so that it won’t scald your baby’s skin. Bath temperature for babies and children is best between 37°C and 38°C (36°C for a newborn). Any cooler than 37°C is not recommended.
Make sure the room is warm before you start as babies can get cold quickly.

How To Bathe Your Baby Safely

If you are anxious about bathing your baby, you don’t need to put them in the bath until you feel confident. You can just wash their face, neck, hands and bottom carefully every day,this is called “top and tail”. Follow this procedure to give your baby a safe bath

Get Everything Ready. To avoid going in to get anything after putting your baby in the bath, make sure you have everything you will be needing for the bathing such as mild shampoo,mild soap, wash clothe, towel, baby wipes, a bowl of warm water, a clean diaper, cotton wool, clean clothes and any other thing you may need.

Wash your baby’s face first before you put them into the bathe (bowl containing warm water). Use cotton wool to wipe each of your baby’s eye, using different cotton wool for each eye to avoid spreading infection from one eye to the other.
Wet the washcloth, wring out excess water and wipe your baby’s face
Lower your baby gently into the bowl or bath using one hand to hold their upper arm and support their head and shoulders.
Wash their hair with plain water, supporting them over the bowl.
Clean your baby’s body with plain water.
If your baby is dirty (toddlers), use soap but not too much of it as too much dries out your baby’s skin.
Pay attention to the creases in their skin such as the ear, the arm pit,the toes, the neck, the genitals, and the knee fold, also wash between your baby’s fingers and toes when bathing your baby.
Wash your baby’s hair, her hair produces very little oil, so washing it once or twice a week is fine.
While keeping your baby’s head out of the water with one hand. Use the other hand to gently pour water over your baby.
Lift your baby out of the water and use the towel them dry.

Well for new mothers who have their mum or mother in law around, I think you just have to see how your mother or mother-in-law does the bathing of your newborn so that when she leaves you for her home, there would be no need for you to call her up and start asking ” hello mummy, how did you wash the baby’s hair when you came”. Practise make you perfect, just know that babies are fragile, so handle them with care.

Helpful? Mamalettes how was your first baby bathing experience? Visit our forum or post your comments in the box below.