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Is it possible to bathe a child after sleep? When can you bathe a newborn? Basic rules for safe swimming

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The birth of a child is a long-awaited event in every family, which brings great responsibility. It is important not only to feed and change diapers for your baby on time, but also to know how to properly give a newborn a first bath. In fact, there is nothing complicated here, stick to a few simple rules and motherhood will bring you great pleasure.

When to bathe a newborn for the first time

Young mothers are interested in the answer to the question: “On what day after the maternity hospital is it allowed to bathe the child?” This will depend on the condition of the newborn's umbilical wound. Until recently, it was allowed to bathe a baby from the moment the umbilical wound had completely healed - approximately in the second week after birth. And to remove sweat from the child’s body and food debris, it was recommended to use a towel or napkin soaked in boiled water. But now the bathing procedure is allowed to be carried out starting from the second day the child is at home (5th day after birth).

To get an accurate answer, you need to consult a pediatrician who will examine the child and give practical advice. Bathing the baby is carried out only in boiled water - this rule is observed until the umbilical wound is completely healed. The required amount of water is prepared in advance, then a clean bath is filled. To bathe a child, you don’t have to buy a special bathtub - wash an adult bathtub with simple baking soda.

When using an adult bathtub to bathe a newborn, you need to hold it yourself, and bending over a large bathtub is not very convenient, and this hygienic procedure will have to be carried out regularly. Therefore, it is best to spend a little and buy a special bath for bathing newborn children.

To fill an adult bathtub, you will have to boil a lot more water, which will take a lot of time. It is important that the water temperature is 36°C. If you use hot water, there is a risk of leaving burns on the baby's delicate skin. It is necessary to check the water temperature before each swim. To do this, purchase a special thermometer.

What you need for swimming at home

The baby's first bath will take a long time, so first you need to prepare the bath accessories that may be needed:

Bath for bathing. For the first days of your baby's life, purchase a special baby bath. Before the procedure, wash it thoroughly using cleaning products intended for children. It is not recommended to spend the first bath in large adult bathtubs, otherwise the child will be scared.
Thermometer for measuring water temperature. The first bathing of newborns must be carried out only at an optimal temperature of no more than 36°C. If the water is too hot, your baby may overheat.
Soft mitten or washcloth. As a washcloth, you need to use a soft cloth, mitten, or sponge, which gently wipes the baby’s skin. It is strictly forbidden to use hard washcloths, as they can seriously damage the delicate skin of a newborn.
Toys and soap. It is not necessary to take toys into the bath, but they can distract the baby, and bathing a newborn for the first time will be more relaxed.
A clean and soft towel, hydrogen peroxide or brilliant green to treat the umbilical wound, a diaper, cotton swabs with a special limiter, clothing.

Water temperature

The most important thing is to know what water is allowed to bathe a newborn, and for this you should consult with your pediatrician. The bathtub must be filled with water to about 15 cm. The first bath of a newborn baby is recommended in boiled water, but if the tap water is well filtered, then it is not necessary to boil it again.

What to add to water - bathing products

To bathe a newborn baby, use plain boiled water; it is recommended to add decoctions of medicinal herbs that need to be infused (chamomile, chamomile, etc.) or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Before using potassium permanganate, consult a pediatrician who will tell you the correct concentration of the solution so as not to harm the baby. There is one interesting sign - a silver decoration (not a cross) was placed in a bath of water to attract wealth and prosperity to the child’s destiny.

Bathing a newborn in a diaper

The first bath of a newborn baby can be carried out in a diaper according to the following principle:

the baby must be wrapped in a thin diaper or simply thrown over the baby’s shoulders and lowered into a clean bath;
You need to bathe the child together - one person holds the baby, opening the arms and legs, and after washing with warm water, covers it again with film, the other waters it from a ladle;
Hands are washed first, then legs;
Next, the tummy is washed, then the back;
At the end of the bath procedures, the child is taken out of the bath and wrapped in a dry towel.
After drying, the baby is dressed in warm clothes.

Duration

Professional pediatricians advise bathing newborn babies for no more than 10 minutes. If the first bath frightens the newborn and even the mother’s gentle voice cannot calm him down, it is worth getting the baby out of the water much earlier. Provided that the child likes the water procedure, you can extend the process a little, but in this case it is important to constantly monitor the water temperature so that the baby does not freeze. To do this, prepare another pan of water to add during bathing.

How to bathe newborns

Provided that the child is completely healthy and the first bath caused only positive emotions, the water procedure is allowed to be carried out every day. Pediatricians recommend bathing your baby at approximately the same time. Most parents choose the evening, before feeding the baby. It is best to monitor your child's mood; if he feels well and likes daytime bathing, refuse evening procedures. For some children, bathing does not have a calming, but an exciting effect, and here it is necessary to take into account the mood of the little one.

Rules for bathing newborns

It is necessary to bathe your child according to the following instructions:

The bath is filled with water to about 15 cm. The chest, shoulders and head remain dry. A ladle filled with warm water is placed next to the bath, which will be needed for rinsing.
A small child undresses and is picked up, then very carefully, slowly lowered into the water. It is necessary to immerse the baby in the water so that his head is on the elbow of his mother, and his back is supported by his left hand.
Using a soapy cotton swab, carefully wash the chest, arms, legs, and genitals. Then the baby turns over onto his tummy, his chest and head are supported by his hand, and his back is lathered. At the end, you need to soap your hair (it is recommended to use a special baby shampoo).
Using warm water from a jug, the rinsing procedure is performed. It is important to wash off soap suds from your head very carefully, avoiding getting them into your eyes. To do this, a stream of water is directed from the forehead to the back of the head, but not vice versa. It is necessary to rinse the child thoroughly so that no soap traces are left on the delicate skin, otherwise there is a risk of an allergic reaction.
Next, the child is quickly removed from the bath and wrapped in a soft towel, placed on a changing table (hard bed) and the remaining water is blotted with gentle movements. It is important to dry the skin with gentle movements, but not to rub too hard, paying special attention to the folds of the neck, groin area and armpits. If your child has very dry skin, it is recommended to use baby oil or cream (it is advisable to consult your pediatrician).
At the next stage, the navel treatment procedure is carried out. Use a pipette to take a small amount of hydrogen peroxide solution (only a doctor can determine the correct consistency) and drop a couple of drops directly onto the navel area, then gently wipe it with a clean cotton swab. It is possible to replace peroxide with a solution of potassium permanganate (strong) or simple brilliant green.

Up to 6 months, the child must be bathed every day, provided that contact with water does not cause severe stress, and then water procedures can be carried out every other day. It is mandatory to constantly monitor the water temperature. It is gradually allowed to increase the duration of bathing.

A baby in its first days is fragile and helpless. How to pick up such a baby? How to change clothes? How do you know how to calm him down if he cries? How to bathe a newborn? Young parents have to master all the intricacies of life with a small child. This will require a lot of love, patience and a little practical knowledge.

From the first days at home, bathing your baby will become a nightly ritual. A baby's first bath is an exciting experience for parents. How to wash a newborn baby for the first time? How to prepare for this event so that it becomes comfortable for the child and easy for mom and dad.

When to start bathing?

The very first bath is a crucial moment for the whole family. The further attitude toward bathing the little person and his parents, who have to bathe the baby every day, depends on how taking a bath for a newborn for the first time goes.

Benefits of swimming

Water procedures are important not only for hygiene, but also for the baby’s immunity and emotional pleasure. Water at a suitable temperature is:

cleansing and caring for newborn skin;
calming, calming effect;
hardening and training of the body's thermoregulatory functions;
one of the ways for a child to learn about the world around him;
pleasant emotions for the baby and for the parents.

Important! The first months of life, when the baby's skin is especially sensitive, bathing is carried out once a day. After six months, you can bathe your baby once every two days.

Time for a swim

Bathing will help relax your newborn and will be an excellent preparatory procedure for a sweet night's sleep.

It happens that bathing does not calm the child, but rather invigorates it. In such a special case, it is recommended to bathe the newborn in the first half of the day. The most important thing is to choose the optimal moment so that the bathing procedure brings maximum benefit and pleasure to the baby, and is also easy and enjoyable for parents.

Follow an individual daily routine that is convenient for you and your baby. A daily routine will help you get used to the new living conditions with a small child in the house and establish the healthy development of a child's growing body.

Attention! If you bathe your child in the evening, try to create conditions so that the bathing procedure takes place in as calm an environment as possible. Maintaining emotional balance will help you calmly put your baby to sleep at night.

Preparing for a bath

In order to make bathing an enjoyable procedure for the baby and parents, you need to take into account the following nuances:

The most convenient way to bathe a newborn baby is in a baby bath. The bath must be thoroughly washed and doused with boiling water to disinfect;
For the first bathing, until the umbilical wound has completely healed, it is recommended to use boiled water cooled to the required temperature. Read more about preparing water for bathing a newborn baby >>>
Measure the temperature of the water in the bath with a water thermometer. You can also use the “elbow method” to measure whether the water is safe for your baby to bathe. The optimal temperature for bathing is closest to the temperature of the mother’s amniotic fluid – 37-38 degrees;
If necessary, prepare herbal decoctions, they will help in caring for the delicate skin of a newborn. Choose herbs with a calming effect, or antiseptic decoctions, to combat allergies or general strengthening;
Baby hygiene products. It is not recommended to wash a newborn with soap more than once a week. You don’t need to use shampoo to wash your hair; just wash your hair with clean water;
Baby washcloths. In order to wash a newborn baby, you can use special baby washcloths. They are usually made from natural soft fabrics that will not harm the baby’s skin;

In addition, these products are designed in the style of children's toys. They attract the attention of the baby, are pleasant to the touch, and evoke positive emotions. Later, bright washcloths and other bathing toys will become a bright positive moment in the process of bathing and playing with water. In the meantime, the baby is only a few days old, you can wash it with any soft cloth, a small cotton swab, or just your hand.

To rinse the bathed baby, you need to prepare a ladle with clean water;
Prepare a clean, dry diaper and a soft baby towel to dry and wrap your baby after the bath. Regular adult towels, without corners with a hood, are very convenient for this purpose. They are warm, absorb moisture well, and comfortably protect the baby’s wet head;
Prepare in advance all the accessories for caring for your baby’s skin after bathing. Cotton swabs and swabs, a clean diaper, skin care products for the diaper and treatment of the umbilical wound;
You need to have a set of clean clothes ready to dress your washed baby.

Bathing and feeding

For the bathing procedure to take place in a comfortable, positive environment, the baby must be well-fed.

Know! If the baby is breastfed, there is no need to observe breaks between feedings and bathing. A newborn can be fed before bathing and immediately after. Breast milk, unlike formula, is absorbed very quickly.

A bottle-fed baby can be bathed an hour after feeding.

Bathing in the herbs

Herbs are often used to bathe a small child with delicate, vulnerable skin:

and calendula will help with redness and rashes on the skin;
Chamomile will help cope with colic;
A decoction of motherwort will relax and calm the baby.

To prepare a herbal decoction for bathing:

Pour 3-4 tablespoons of dried herbs with cold water;
Bring to a boil and leave to brew for 20 minutes, covered;
Before adding the broth to the bathing water, strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve.

Bathing. Sequence of procedure

So, everything you need has been prepared, it’s time to bathe the newborn baby:

Your baby's bathtub should be high enough to keep your back straight. This will help you stay alert and not get tired of the responsible and exciting procedure of bathing your baby;
Raise one end of the bath by placing a thick book under its edge. A slight tilt of the bath is necessary to ensure that the newborn’s head does not submerge in the water;

On a note! You can also purchase a so-called anatomical bathtub for bathing a newborn. It already has an inclined plane for comfortable placement of a small child.

Fill the bath with boiling water and dilute the water to 37 degrees. To ensure even temperature, stir the water, then measure the temperature with a baby water thermometer and/or your elbow;
If necessary, prepare a decoction of herbs, strain it and add to the water in which you will bathe the newborn;
Place a container of hot water at a convenient location away from you. As the water cools, you will add a little hot water from the far end of the bath so as not to harm the baby;
Roll a thick diaper into a pillow and place it in the bath in the place where the baby's head will be placed;
After short air baths, wrap the naked newborn in a thin diaper;
Carefully immerse the baby in the water so that the body and shoulders are in the water, and the head is on the pillow. Keep your warm hand on your newborn's tummy;
Using a small ladle, start pouring water over the baby. Let the water flow down your hand onto your baby, this way you will control its temperature;
If the water gets cold, run a small stream of hot water over the edge of the bath and stir the water. In this case, the bath should be long enough so that the hot water does not create discomfort for the baby.

Attention! The length of the bathtub for bathing a newborn must be at least 65 centimeters.

Wash your baby's arms and legs, one at a time, freeing them from the thin diaper in which the newborn is wrapped. Then cover the baby again with a diaper so that he does not get cold;
Whether to use baby soap for the first bath or not is up to mommy to decide. Some mothers do not use soap during their first baths. If the baby was washed with baby soap, then he must be rinsed with clean water, which must be prepared in advance;
Wrap the washed baby in a warm diaper that absorbs moisture well. Wrap your baby in a warm bath towel over the diaper.

How to wash a newborn. Rules

You immersed the baby in the water and poured warm water over him. He is warm, comfortable and you are also calm that your baby enjoys water procedures. How to properly wash the head and other parts of the body of a newborn:

The baby's head is on a pad made of a towel or diaper. Wash your head with movements from the forehead to the back of the head. While rinsing the head, you can protect the child’s face by placing your palm with the edge on the baby’s forehead;
Wash the newborn's body with your hand, a baby washcloth or a cotton swab, with or without soap. We wash the neck folds, armpits, spaces between the fingers and toes;

By the way! Through experience, you will eventually find out whether your baby prefers warmer or cooler water.

We wash the folds on the arms, legs, and inguinal folds with a cotton swab; if soap was used, rinse thoroughly. If there is redness, it is useful to rinse the folds with a decoction of herbs and treat them with appropriate remedies (for diaper rash, prickly heat or irritation);
Gently wash the outside of the genitals. During the bathing process, while the baby is in the water, the genitals are cleansed from contact with water. After bathing, rinse with clean water;
We wipe the eyes with a clean cotton swab using movements from the outer edge of the eye to the nose;
Gently wipe the ears with a cotton swab soaked in clean water. We pay special attention to cleansing the folds behind the ears.

Attention! If your baby is cold in the bath, you will notice that his nose and lips turn blue. If the baby is too hot, then the face turns red. In addition, the baby will announce any discomfort with a loud cry.

Watch a useful video tutorial on bathing a newborn:

Age-related features of bathing

If frequent bathing of a baby brings a lot of trouble and worry, then over time this procedure becomes easier. How the process of taking a bath changes as the baby grows and develops:

From birth to 1.5 months. Bathing is carried out daily. To protect the baby’s fragile body from the temperature difference between water and air, we bathe him wrapped in a thin diaper. Interesting information about what temperature should be in a newborn’s room >>>
From 1.5 to 3 months. The baby bathes in a supine position in a baby bath in a small amount of water;
From 3 months to six months. The baby becomes active and shows interest in the world around him. He can still be bathed in a baby bath, or he can bathe in a large bath with his mother;
From six months. At this age, the baby is already sitting. Now he will be interested in splashing around and playing with some water. You can bathe in a basin, or in the same baby bath using a special bathing chair. The chair is attached with Velcro to the bottom of the bathtub. The child sits on a high chair, plays with water and washes himself at the same time.

How long does swimming last?

If you bathe your baby every day at a certain time, how long should you bathe your newborn? As a rule, the baby is not kept in water for long during the first baths. The procedure usually takes 5-7 minutes;
If your growing baby enjoys the bath, then bathing can be extended as long as it is possible to maintain the optimal water temperature. After 1.5 - 2 months of life, bathing can last up to a quarter of an hour;
After six months, when the baby bathes in a sitting position and plays with water, the bathing procedure can last 30-40 minutes.

After swimming

The bathed baby is comfortably wrapped in a warm bath towel. In order for him to remain satisfied and soon fall asleep sweetly:

Rock the baby and feed him;
Lay the baby on his back, dry the skin folds with a diaper;
Treat folds with appropriate hygiene products;
Put on a diaper;
Put on a cap to keep your newborn's head and ears well protected after the bath;
Dress your baby in clean clothes;
Now you can go to bed.

For a detailed video about bathing a baby and caring for a newborn, watch

Bathing is very important for newborns. This is not just a hygienic procedure, but also hardening the baby and introducing him to the world around him. Almost all children like to swim; they go into the water with pleasure. However, if at the first acquaintance with water the baby experiences unpleasant sensations and gets scared, then in the future it will not be so easy to force him to bathe. That is why it is important to carry out the first water procedures in your life after first familiarizing yourself with how to bathe a newborn baby correctly.

Content:

When to take your first bath

There is a lot of controversy about when to bathe a child for the first time. Some insist that it is necessary to wait until the umbilical wound is completely healed, others say that you can take a bath immediately after discharge from the hospital. As a rule, this happens on the third to fifth day of the baby’s life. In this matter, it is better to rely on the opinion of a pediatrician, who, based on the general condition of the newborn, will give recommendations on care and daily hygiene procedures.

It is better to bathe a newborn at the same time, preferably every day before the last feeding. If the child is capricious and shows that he is tired, then it is advisable to cancel bathing and limit himself to wiping with wet wipes or a soft towel soaked in warm water.

Important! It is necessary to wash or wipe the baby's folds, treat them with baby cream, oil or talcum powder daily. It is in these places that the skin is most susceptible to diaper rash.

Video: Treatment of baby's folds to prevent diaper rash

Preparing for a swim

Before water procedures, you should prepare all the necessary accessories in advance and put them so that they are at hand. This is especially important if the mother bathes the baby alone, without helpers. To take a bath you will need:

special baby bath and slide;
antiseptic solutions;
a ladle for pouring water and rinsing the baby;
baby detergents – soap, shampoo;
soft towel.

Baby cream for creases or powder, clean clothes in which the child will sleep should also be prepared in advance.

Baby bath

It is better to bathe a newborn in a special bath. It is convenient because it is compact and does not require a large volume of water. The first time you have to boil water for a newborn, this is a big plus. It is advisable to install the bath so that the mother does not have to bend over too much.

The bathtub is washed before each bath. There is no need to use chlorine-containing products for these purposes every time; thorough disinfection is enough once every 1-2 weeks. Before each bath, wash it with baking soda or laundry soap and rinse thoroughly with water. You can pour boiling water over it, but this is not necessary.

Antiseptics

Until the umbilical wound has healed, the child should be bathed in pre-boiled water. In this case, there is no need to add additional disinfectants. The procedure consists of washing the baby and rinsing the folds. After bathing, the umbilical wound should be treated as recommended by the pediatrician (usually brilliant green is used for these purposes).

When the umbilical wound heals well, you don’t have to boil the water, but it is advisable to pass it through a filter, at least a homemade one. It is recommended to add agents that have disinfectant properties to unboiled water.

Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate)

Until recently, pediatricians strongly recommended adding a weak solution of potassium permanganate to water. Today this method is increasingly being abandoned. And for good reason. The fact is that a solution acceptable for bathing, when the water becomes only slightly pink, is not able to fully disinfect. A stronger solution will burn the baby’s delicate skin. Potassium permanganate is very drying, which negatively affects the condition of the newborn’s skin, leading to the appearance of rashes, peeling, dermatitis and other problems.

If you still decide to bathe your newborn in a solution of potassium permanganate, you should dilute it in a separate small container. To do this, first pour potassium permanganate (at the tip of a knife) into a prepared clean bowl, then pour in warm boiled water. Close the container and shake the resulting solution thoroughly until all particles dissolve.

The product should be poured into the water prepared for bathing very carefully, controlling the amount. Then mix the water and make sure that there are no undissolved particles left, which, if they come into contact with the skin, can cause a burn, and if they get into the eyes, even lead to blindness. The color of the water should be slightly pink.

Herbal infusions

It is preferable to use decoctions and infusions of herbs: chamomile, sage, calendula, string and others. These herbs have an antiseptic, soothing effect on the skin, relieve irritation, inflammation and peeling.

To prepare the infusion 2 tbsp. l. Pour 1 liter of boiling water over the selected herb, cover and wrap. Let it brew for 1-2 hours, strain. Pour the warm infusion into the prepared bath (30-50 liters) and stir. Do not make an infusion that is too strong. The herbs listed have a drying effect and, if their concentration is too strong, can cause peeling. In addition, some newborns experience an allergic reaction.

Bathing water temperature

It is convenient to use a children's water thermometer to measure the water temperature. A temperature of 37°C is considered comfortable for the first bath. As it cools, you should pour hot water from the ladle carefully along the wall of the bath from the side of the baby’s feet, then stir it thoroughly.

When the baby gets used to the water and loves to swim, the temperature can be lowered at the parents' request. Some parents, for the purpose of hardening, bathe their child in water whose temperature does not exceed 32°C. This is a good hardening measure, but it’s still not worth starting with cool water.

General rules for bathing a newborn

When everything is prepared, you can begin water procedures:

A special washcloth is used to bathe a newborn. It can be replaced by a small piece of clean soft cloth. Many parents wash their baby with soapy hands.
You cannot use soap every time; you can wash your newborn with soap or special foam no more than once a week. Even if the baby is sweating, washing with plain water (with the addition of herbs) will be enough. You also need to wash your hair with detergents no more than once a week. If a newborn has yellow crusts on his head, they are removed during bathing, when the skin is steamed. To do this, use special shampoos to remove crusts or baby cosmetic oil, as well as soft brushes with natural bristles.
It is convenient to have a special slide for babies up to six months, until they learn to sit on their own. If there is no slide, then the newborn should be held with your left hand (provided that the mother is right-handed) so that the head lies on the bent elbow, carefully clasping his left arm under his armpit: this way the child will not slip out and will be securely fixed.
It is necessary to bathe a newborn baby from above, from the baby’s neck, down to the legs. Much attention is paid to folds. You need to wash each of them with soft sliding movements: on the neck, armpits, arms, groin folds, folds on the legs.
Wash the child's head from the forehead to the back of the head, thoroughly rinse the folds behind the ears. Wash your face, avoiding the eye area. After bathing, it is better to wipe the eyes of a child in the first month of life separately with a gauze swab dipped in chamomile decoction.
It is better not to use soap when washing. It will be enough to wash the genitals with a cotton pad generously moistened with water. Rubbing for a long time or trying to remove the film or protective white coating in girls is prohibited, otherwise the risk of infection will increase.
After bathing, remove the child from the bath and rinse with clean water from a ladle. It is advisable that the rinsing water be one degree lower than the one in which the child bathed.

For the first water procedures, 5-7 minutes are enough. The child gets acquainted with water and gets used to it. There is no need to use soap and shampoo during the first bath; it is better to introduce them to your baby after a week or two. Subsequent baths are increased by 1-2 minutes each time, if the child likes it, he is happy, and is not capricious. By a month, the duration of the procedure takes 15-20 minutes, and by 6 months – up to half an hour.

Things to remember: The risk of injury in the bath is very high, so the baby should not be left alone for even a minute. The baby can become completely immersed in water and choke.

Swimming with an inflatable ring

Many mothers use an inflatable neck ring almost from the first days of their child’s life. In fact, this is a very useful attribute, but it is advisable to use it no earlier than the baby is 1-2 months old, when he is already stronger, holds his head confidently, is used to water and is not afraid to bathe in a large bath.

A properly selected circle is absolutely safe. It fixes the baby's head and does not allow water to penetrate the baby's mouth and nose, which eliminates the possibility of choking. In addition to having fun swimming, this is also a great exercise for your child.

After swimming

You should take the baby out of the bath very carefully, holding the head. It is advisable for someone to throw a towel over the child and take it from the mother's hands. If there is no one to help, then put the newborn on a bent arm, turning him down with his stomach so that the head rests on the palm, throw a towel on top and then carefully turn him over onto his back.

Some mothers spread a towel on the washing machine or a changing table installed in the bathroom, place the bathed baby on it and wrap it up. This can really be a solution if at first it’s hard to get used to getting the baby out of the bath. However, it is worth remembering that under no circumstances should you leave a child at a height: even newborn children, actively moving their arms and legs, can approach the edge and fall. Unfortunately, there are many such cases.

After bathing, let the baby lie down for 5-10 minutes. At the same time, you should not preheat the air in the room too much, otherwise there will be no point in hardening. Pediatricians believe that 22-25°C is the optimal temperature for such procedures. After the baby is completely dry, treat the folds with baby cream, oil or powder to avoid diaper rash.

Important! Talc should only be applied to completely dry skin, otherwise under the influence of moisture it will roll up and clog into folds, causing even greater irritation.

After all the procedures, dress the baby in dry, clean clothes, feed and put to bed. Most likely, well-fed, satisfied and tired, he will quickly fall asleep on his own.

To get rid of doubts, young parents should study all the intricacies bathing newborns.

Why bathe a child

Most parents are sure that bathe the baby necessary primarily for cleanliness. However, in addition to the hygienic component, regular water procedures have a broad impact on the baby’s body and psycho-emotional state. So, bathing has the following properties:

Since the thermal conductivity of water is 30 times higher than the thermal conductivity of air, even a small difference of 1-2°C, the difference between the temperature of the body and water is enough to achieve a powerful hardening effect, exceeding that of hardening with air baths. This effect will be enhanced by pouring cool water over the baby at the end of the bath at a temperature several degrees lower than the one in which the bath was taken.

Bathing a newborn has a positive effect on the child’s nervous system and his psycho-emotional development. Movement from air to water and back leads to stimulation of many nerve receptors located in the skin. In this case, the activity of various parts of the nervous system is trained and regulated, a certain balance is achieved and their work is optimized. In addition, bathing provides the child with vivid emotions and impressions, which has a positive effect on his intellectual development. The use of different water toys according to the baby’s age and short sessions with them in the water enhance this effect.

The child's motor skills are improved. It is more difficult to move in water than in air due to its increased resistance. By splashing his arms and legs, the child strengthens the muscles of his body, trains his heart, and increases the strength of his respiratory muscles. The greatest effect can be achieved with bathing a newborn in an “adult” bath, where the child can move his limbs more freely and change the position of his body. It is very useful to perform small complexes of water gymnastics with the baby.

During bathing newborn loses a lot of strength and energy, which promotes good appetite and ensures sound sleep.

Being in water reduces or completely relieves pain, which helps calm the baby, for example, when he is suffering from colic.

During the bathing process, additional emotional communication occurs between the child and adults, which has a positive effect on the development of relationships between the baby and the loved ones around him.

When can you bathe your baby?

According to the recommendations of domestic pediatricians, you can bathe a newborn on the day of discharge from the maternity hospital - if the BCG vaccination was done the day before - or the next day - if the BCG was done on the day of discharge. Until this point, the child is simply washed several times a day after each bowel movement. Bathing is contraindicated for any acute diseases accompanied by an increase in body temperature, as well as in the presence of pustular lesions of the skin.

Optimal time

The answer to this question depends both on the characteristics of the child and on the rhythm of life of the entire family. As a rule, children calm down and sleep soundly after water procedures, and therefore bathing is often carried out before one of the evening feedings. For those babies for whom bathing is exciting, bath time can be moved to the afternoon and even morning hours. It is important that the procedure begins no earlier than an hour after meals and no later than 30–40 minutes before the next feeding.

What to bathe a newborn in

Most convenient bathe the baby directly in the bathroom. The optimal temperature in the room where water procedures take place is 24–26°C. It is better to lay a rubber mat on a slippery tiled floor in advance, and set a clock on a shelf within sight to help you navigate the time.

The location of the baby bath should first of all be convenient and open enough to provide an adult with free access to the baby. It should be noted that there are currently many different models of bathtubs on the market to suit every taste and budget. For example, double-walled bathtubs ensure long-term maintenance of water temperature at the original level, and built-in temperature sensors help control the temperature.

“Slides” are designed to help keep the child in the bath; they can be built-in or removable. It may be convenient to have a drain hose in the bathtub, thanks to which you will not need to turn the heavy bathtub over to pour out the water - you just need to open the drain.

There are even changing tables or chests of drawers that have a built-in bathing container. To ensure that an adult does not have to be in a half-bent position during the procedure, special stands for bathtubs have been invented. Some of them are installed on the floor, with the bathtub being approximately at the level of an adult’s waist. Others are placed on the sides of an adult bathtub. In both cases, you need to make sure that the bath is firmly secured to the stand.

A bath in which child bathing, must be washed with hot water and soap immediately before each procedure. If a child bathes in an adult bathtub, it is recommended to clean it with baking soda. During the bathing process, the bathroom door can be kept slightly open, of course, in the absence of a draft, so that too much steam will not accumulate in the bathroom. Then the child’s subsequent transition from the bathroom to the corridor will not be very abrupt.

Water for bathing a newborn

Currently there is no need to boil water for bathing the baby subject to the availability of centralized water supply. However, if you live outside the city and water is not supplied from centralized sources, boiling water is mandatory at least in the first month of the child’s life. It is recommended to carry out minimal water disinfection until the umbilical wound has completely healed and the crust has fallen off: as a rule, this happens by the 2-3rd week of the child’s life.

For disinfection, a solution of potassium permanganate is usually used. Potassium permanganate is diluted in a separate container to obtain a saturated solution, which is then filtered through three-layer gauze to prevent undissolved crystals from getting on the baby’s skin, which can lead to a chemical burn. The strained solution is added to a bath of water until it turns pale pink.

Bathing a newborn with the addition of potassium permanganate causes dry skin, so they stop adding it as soon as the umbilical wound heals and the crust disappears.

Herbal decoctions - calendula, string, chamomile - are also traditionally used as disinfectants. To prepare the infusion, a glass of dry herb is poured with a liter of boiling water, after which it is infused for 3-4 hours. Then the resulting broth is filtered through three-layer gauze and added to the bath. It is recommended to use decoctions of antiseptic herbs when prickly heat or diaper dermatitis appears on a child’s skin. If the baby's skin is healthy, there is no need to add herbs.

Optimal newborn bathing temperature is 36-37°C. It is recommended to use a thermometer to measure the water temperature. The so-called “elbow method,” i.e., lowering an adult’s elbow into water—the temperature of the water should be practically the same as body temperature—is inaccurate due to the difference in subjective sensations when the air temperature and humidity in the room change.

In an “adult” bath, the water cools quite slowly. And when using a baby bath, it is better to monitor the water temperature with a thermometer throughout the entire process and add warm water if necessary. To obtain a hardening effect, the temperature of the bathing water can be reduced by one degree every 7-10 days to 32-33°C.

Complete bathing a newborn It is useful to pour cool water from a jug, ladle, etc. Newborn bathing temperature in this case, it should be a couple of degrees lower than the one in which the child bathed, for example 34–35°C, if the bathing took place at a temperature of 37°C.

The baby's very first bath should not take more than 5–7 minutes. By 2–3 months this time increases to 15 minutes, and by six months – to 20 minutes.

For normal psycho-emotional and motor development and to improve the health of an infant, it is necessary to bathe it daily. During the hot season, water procedures can be performed twice a day to prevent overheating of the body and prevent prickly heat.

Hygiene products for children

At bathing a newborn It is better to use detergents intended specifically for this age category - there should be a corresponding mark on the label.

Let's list some of them:

Baby soap - liquid, gel or solid. Its main difference from conventional soaps is the minimum alkali content - pH neutrality. In this regard, baby soap does not cause unwanted drying and irritation of the skin. You should bathe a newborn using baby soap or gel no more than once a week, not counting regular washing. In the second half of life, when the child begins to actively crawl around the apartment, more frequent use of detergents is possible.

Shampoo. Used from 2-4 weeks of age to wash the baby’s scalp, usually no more than once a week. It should be noted that you can also wash your child’s scalp using baby soap or bathing gel. To soften and remove gneiss - a seborrheic crust on the scalp - before using shampoo, you can use any natural vegetable oil.

How to bathe a newborn

The child is taken to the bathroom, telling him about the upcoming process along the way. Immersion in the bath should occur gradually, starting from the tips of the toes. The adult holds the baby's head with his hand from behind, under the back of the head (when the child is positioned on his back) or under the chin - when positioned on his stomach, which is possible when bathing in a large bathtub. If a small bath is used for bathing, special slides, removable or built-in, can be installed in it, which allow one person to handle washing the child.

To soap the baby, you can use a baby sponge or terry mitten, or you can soap the baby with your hand. First of all, the head is soaped, which is then washed with gentle movements from the forehead to the back of the head. Then they soap the arms, legs, tummy, back, carefully turning the baby over. At the end of bathing, the child is placed with his chest on the palm of an adult and rinsed with clean water from a jug or ladle. After this, the baby is wrapped with his head in a towel or a warm diaper and taken to the changing table for further drying, treatment and dressing. There is no need to worry if water gets into your baby's ears. To remove it, you can use thin cotton pads - a little cotton wool rolled between your palms in the form of thin sausages, which are inserted into the external auditory canal and removed back after a few minutes.

After swimming

If your child's skin is healthy, after bathing it is enough to pat it dry with a soft towel. If you have diaper rash, you can use a medicated cream, such as BEPANTEN. The appearance of dry skin in a healthy child is possible due to physiological peeling, which goes away on its own by the end of the first month of life, as well as when using hot or too hard water for bathing, an unsuitable detergent, or using it too often.

To eliminate this phenomenon, baby cream or milk is used after a bath. Dry skin can also be a symptom of various diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. In this case, the use of moisturizers after bathing is mandatory, preferably in accordance with the recommendations of the attending physician.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the bathing process should take place against the backdrop of a positive emotional response from the child: only in this case are all the effects that we talked about at the beginning achieved. If the baby has negative emotions, first of all, the adults themselves need to tune in to the positive and analyze the entire bathing process. Perhaps the time of the procedure or the temperature of the water is not suitable for the child, he is bothered by too bright light or is frightened by the noise of the water from the tap. You need to figure this out and create individual, suitable bathing conditions for your baby.

Sleep is an important natural process in the life of every person, and if an adult needs 7-9 hours for proper rest and further performance, then a child sleeps from 14 to 20 hours a day. Closer to one year of age, sleep duration decreases. However, young parents often doubt the feeding schedule, because the recommended amount is at least 5-6 times a day, i.e. every 3-4 hours. Of course, natural awakening is much better for the psycho-emotional state, but what to do when the newborn is sleeping at this time? Is it necessary to wake him up? Let's figure it out.

Many mothers wonder whether it is worth waking up the baby for feeding?

Feeding schedule

After the birth of the baby, the young mother begins to be taught proper feeding in the maternity hospital. At first, food intake occurs “on demand”; in the future, you must develop your own specific schedule and diet. As a rule, newborns sleep at night superficially, so parents often prefer to rest together with their child (we recommend reading:). When the baby sleeps next to his mother, he gets used to quickly attaching to the breast and after some time begins to ask for milk “automatically” in half sleep. This way, mommy doesn’t have to wake up the baby, and she doesn’t have to get out of bed. Smacking and fidgeting are the main signals that the child wants to eat. Night feeding can occur up to 2-3 times, and by the age of six months it can be completely reduced to 1 time.

If the newborn does not wake up on his own, then you will have to carefully wake him up. If you skip a feeding, your baby will not receive enough necessary vitamins and microelements that contribute to full growth and proper development.

It is mother's milk that strengthens the immune system, and a good appetite indicates that the child is healthy. So how do you wake a newborn for feeding?

Feeding is the most important process in a baby's life. In order for the baby to receive all the substances necessary for development on time, it is necessary to wake up the baby

Proper awakening

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The first meeting with the baby and, accordingly, the first feeding takes place in the maternity hospital. However, some mothers there, due to certain circumstances, receive an already awakened child from the hands of midwives and nurses according to the principle: they brought it, fed it, took it away. If the baby is in the room with you, then you should remember a few recommendations; They then need to be used after discharge, at home:
The safest way is considered to be awakening by voice. It is especially effective when the baby is in the active sleep phase. It is distinguished from sound and deep sleep by such actions and movements as moving legs or arms, smacking, muttering, blinking with closed eyelids, and attempts to roll over to the other side. At this time, start talking quietly to the child himself or to someone else who is nearby. You can also try singing, but only if the family does not practice falling asleep to a lullaby, otherwise the baby will fall asleep even more.
Stroke and gently, gently tug the legs and arms. The baby should respond to the touch and wake up. Additionally, remove the blanket and turn the stroking into a light massage, thereby causing a change in body temperature and improving blood circulation. However, in this case, after feeding, the baby may not fall asleep immediately.
Take the baby in your arms or start changing the diaper/changing clothes (more details in the article:). Often the baby wakes up on his own because he needs to change wet diapers, so such manipulations will lead to automatic awakening. As a rule, feeding goes quickly and calmly, after which the baby falls asleep again.
Wipe your face with a slightly damp handkerchief. Some newborns respond to this as if they were being bathed and wake up quickly.

Gently rub your baby's legs and arms to help him wake up.
Try giving a sleeping creature a pacifier. The sucking reflex should work, the baby will think about food and wake up. As a last resort, you can feed him in a half-asleep state, changing the nipple to the breast at the right time.
Many inexperienced mothers make the mistake of turning on bright lights in the room. This will not cause the child to wake up, since the eyes turn on the protective function and close their eyes even tighter. Remember, for example, how you react in a dream to a light suddenly turned on. In a small child, the mucous membrane is more sensitive, so such experiments can even lead to vision problems in the future.
Skipping a feeding
The baby is healthy and cheerful, but capriciousness and anxiety are not his credo? Then occasionally you can skip or delay feeding time. When looking for a method of awakening, young mothers should not go to extremes. Constant drowsiness and lack of sleep will negatively affect the health and emotional state of both. When receiving enough milk, the newborn will gain weight well and show interest in food. In this case, it is not necessary to interrupt the child’s sound sleep. Mom can afford to rest a little and break the schedule for 30-60 minutes both day and night. The baby will definitely not remain hungry, otherwise the “notification” about the lack of milk will not take long to arrive.

If a mother has doubts about the feeding schedule, it is better to seek help not from grandmothers and girlfriends, but from a pediatrician
If you doubt the correctness of your daily routine and nutrition, consult a specialist. Dr. Komarovsky recommends adjusting the schedule depending on the baby's weight, appetite, sleep schedule and nutritional needs (formula feeding or breast milk). Accordingly, the menu and mode of the boy or girl next door will not suit you. All this is strictly individual. It’s not for nothing that our grandparents abandoned the standard strict schedule that doctors imposed on everyone. Severe gastric diseases are the main reason for refusal.
Flexible schedule
In modern society, such a concept as a “flexible schedule” has appeared. This means that the young mother does not want to wake up her child and feeds only when he is awake or when he asks, be it 1-2 times a day or 5-6. When the baby is healthy, gains weight correctly and behaves calmly, then this method still has a place. However, with capricious and restless children, such free feeding will not lead to anything good.
Firstly, the mother herself will quickly get tired of constant crying and lack of sleep at night and during the day. Secondly, the child may demand to “suck the breast” too often, regardless of whether he is full or not, for example, for calming or for insomnia. Such an uncontrolled schedule can lead to digestive disorders. Then you can forget about the words “rest” and “rest”, since you will have to not only adjust your daily routine and diet, but also treat your stomach, regularly running to the doctors for checkups.
When a baby is fed formula, his feeding schedule, as a rule, is even stricter than when breastfeeding (more details in the article:). It is not allowed to increase the interval between meals beyond 3-4 hours. Feeding should occur 6-7 times per day. The same applies to premature babies. Their weak body needs regular nutrition, special care and vitamins. Such babies sleep longer than others and it is very difficult for them to wake up on their own, so do not be afraid to carefully wake them up to feed them with milk and all the necessary microelements. Additional recommendations on nutrition and proper care of premature babies can be obtained directly from the specialist doctor with whom you are being observed.

When bottle-feeding a baby, the mother should have no doubts about whether to wake the baby or not. The baby must be fed according to the clock.
Not all women know that the greatest flow of milk occurs at night. This is due to the fact that in the dark, a nursing mother produces the hormone oxytocin, so if, due to problems with lactation, you then supplement with formula, then try to wake up the newborn more often in the evening and at night. This is useful for both him and mom.
It happens that the baby falls asleep right during feeding. In this case, gently tug his legs and arms or stroke his cheek. If the baby hasn’t finished eating, he will definitely wake up. There is no need to force feed. Food should be a pleasure and a source of strength for him, and not an extra burden in a small stomach.
Warning
If the baby sleeps 20 hours a day in deep sleep and waking him up can be quite difficult and takes a long time, then this may indicate some diseases and disorders. Be sure to see a pediatrician.
You need to especially carefully monitor the health of the newborn if the mother had a difficult birth, cesarean section, or took medications during pregnancy. Due to the ingestion of medications into the child’s body, at the age of 1-3 months, some inhibition of the nervous system may be observed. Manifests itself in the form of excessive calmness, lack of tearfulness and refusal to eat. There is no need to panic; a specialist will help you sort out the problem and prescribe the correct treatment.