Bathing a newborn baby is a big, thrilling event because neither mom nor dad know how to do it. It can be stressful, but if you remember the key points, you can give your baby a relaxing bath♪ Here, we will introduce what the purpose of bathing is, the key points to remember when bathing a baby, and how to bathe a baby.
What are the key points for bathing?
After giving birth, you will be discharged from the hospital and start life at home with your baby. Giving your baby a bath is one of the things you do every day. You may
have been taught how to give your baby a bath while you were in the hospital, but when you try to give your baby a bath at home, it can be very nerve-wracking to immerse your tiny body in hot water. However, if you keep a few points in mind, you can master how to give your baby a bath. Bathing your baby will be fun.
Before introducing how to give your baby a bath, let’s first take a closer look at what a bath is, including its purpose, things to be careful about, and points to keep in mind when bathing.
What is the purpose of bathing?
During the newborn period, babies do not have the opportunity to go outside and do not seem to get dirty. So why is it necessary to give them a bath? The
purpose of a bath is to keep the baby’s body clean and to promote skin metabolism. It also gives you the opportunity to see the baby naked and see their whole body, which gives you an opportunity to check their overall condition. You can
notice rashes and wounds all over the body that you would not notice if you were only looking at the face, and this can lead to early medical treatment if necessary.
How long does a newborn baby bath time?
Things to be careful about while bathing
Hold your baby securely during the bath and concentrate on bathing him/her so as not to drop him/her.
There are two other points to keep in mind.
The water temperature is below 40 degrees.
You may be tempted to turn the temperature up a little to warm your baby, but the ideal temperature is around 38 degrees, and you should be careful to keep it below 40 degrees. In addition to checking the temperature with a thermometer, be sure to check it with your hand before putting the baby in.
At roughly the same time every day
Try to feed your baby at the same time as much as possible to help establish a regular routine.
Essential bathing items you’ll want to have on hand!
There are many things you need to prepare in order to give your baby a comfortable bath. Don’t think that this is enough, make sure you prepare thoroughly!
Items needed for bathing
- Baby bath, washbowl, plastic sheet (if bathing indoors)
- Gauze, bath cloths, bath towels
- Change of clothes and diapers
- Baby oil and other moisturizers and soap
- Hair brush, cotton swabs, water thermometer
In addition to the gauze and baby soap needed for bathing, you should also have a bath towel, clothes, underwear, and diapers nearby to use after the bath.
In addition, if you spread out clothes and diapers, you can change clothes smoothly after drying them with a towel. It is also convenient to keep cotton swabs for cleaning ears and disinfecting the belly button on hand.
Gauze is especially useful!
When bathing, placing gauze on your baby’s stomach will keep him or her warm and comfortable. Gauze is also useful not only for washing the face and body, but also for rinsing soapy foam off the head.
In my case, I squeezed hot water over the head with the gauze to prevent water from getting into the eyes.
How to take a bath
We have introduced what a bath is, the key points to remember, and the preparations required, so now we will show you how to actually give a bath.
â‘ Hold your baby
To prevent the baby from getting hot water in its ears, the mother should hold the baby’s head in the palm of her hand while pressing both ears with the thumb and middle finger of her left hand.
In addition, the mother should place the baby’s bottom on the palm of her right hand and lightly press the base of the baby’s left leg with her thumb while holding the baby in that position.
â‘¡Put it in hot water
Slowly put your baby in the water starting from the feet, and once the whole body is in, remove your hands from the bottom and sit them on the bottom of the baby bath. Pour hot water onto the bathing cloth with your right hand and help the baby get used to the bathing cloth so that he or she feels comfortable.
(If you are worried about suddenly putting your baby in hot water, you can also lay a plastic sheet in the room, wash your face and whole body with soap on the sheet, wipe it off with the clothes you were wearing, and then rinse off the soap in the baby bath. Choose the method that suits you.)
â‘¢Wipe your eyes and face
Wrap the gauze around your finger, soak it in clean hot water from a basin, and wring it out. Wipe your baby’s eyes from the inner corner to the outer corner, then turn the gauze over and rinse it again with hot water, then do the same on the other side.
Next, rinse the gauze again, move it from the forehead to the side of the eye, and gently wipe the cheeks and chin. When wiping the other side, rinse the gauze again with hot water, wring it out, and wipe in the same way, then wipe the ears last.
â‘£ Wash your head
Tilt your baby’s head up so that the hot water does not get on the face. Slowly pour hot water over the head, then use soap to lather the baby’s head and wash it. When doing this, wash gently, stroking with the pads of your fingers without using your nails.
Once you’ve finished washing, rinse off the foam using gauze. Once all the foam has been washed away, squeeze the gauze tightly and wipe off the water from the head.
⑤ Wash your body
The order of washing the body is from the closest to the face to the furthest: neck, armpits, palms, arms, chest, stomach, legs, back, crotch. Wash the crotch last.
Basically, wash each area with gauze that has been rinsed after washing with foam. When washing the back, since the baby has not yet been able to hold its head up, lay it face down on the mother’s arm and wash it. Dirt
tends to accumulate in the armpits, the grooves of the neck, and the parts where the joints bend, so wash carefully and rinse thoroughly.
â‘¥Warm it up and then wipe it off with a towel
Once you have finished washing your whole body, cover yourself with the bath cloth again, warm up the bath with hot water, and then get out of the bath. After you get out, place your baby in the prepared towel and wrap it up to remove all the moisture.
⑦Cleaning and changing clothes
After wiping the body, lightly clean the navel and apply lotion or cream to the whole body. Dress the baby quickly before it gets cold.
After that, clean the ears with a cotton swab. Finally, fix the hair and the bath is over!
First bath experience
Here we introduce some stories of moms and dads’ first bath experiences.
Experience #1: My baby loves bath time
At first, even her fingers and toes were clenched, but as she got more comfortable, her mouth formed a triangle and she began to let out a “fuu” sound, and her arms and legs stretched out and relaxed. When I put some bath gauze over her body and had her hold it in both hands, she felt relieved. Now she loves baths.
The look on a baby’s face as he or she enjoys a relaxing bath is indescribably cute. Seeing a happy baby also boosts a mother’s confidence!
Experience #2: Mommy is excited, baby is relaxed
I remember being very scared to hold my child’s head while holding his ears. I was worried that his ears might hurt, or that he might slip out of my hands, and I had never been able to bathe him comfortably. But I was happy to be able to make eye contact with him, just like when we were breastfeeding. He yawned in comfort and it was so cute. I felt like he was entrusting everything to me.
It’s hard to support a small body, but it also takes strength to support a wobbly head because the baby’s neck isn’t yet strong. The fact that the baby is yawning because he feels good shows that he trusts his mother and feels safe♪
Keep calm and enjoy bathing your baby!
When you bathe your baby for the first time, you can’t help but feel nervous, impatient, and flustered. When I bathed my son at home for the first time, not only did my husband get involved, but my grandparents and even my sister!
I remember the whole family getting involved and making a fuss while bathing him. Now it’s a fond memory that I cherish. Every mom and dad was nervous but tried their best, and their gentle feelings were surely conveyed to the baby.
It’s nerve-wracking, but I hope you can stay calm and remember the important points to have a fun bath time with your baby.
