Bathing a newborn is not only one of the earliest milestones you will have to cross as a mother, but it is also a moment of treasure. However, new moms are ladened with the worry on how to give their little one a good clean up even with the umbilical cord stump still evident to the eyes.
According to Healthline, during your baby's first few weeks and while the umbilical cord stump is intact, you will have to take extra measures during bath time to avoid getting the umbilical cord infected.
A sponge bath is most suitable during this time. A sponge bath is simply wrapping your baby in a towel and wiping her clean with a damp wash cloth and soapy water.
Once you’ve gathered your supplies, follow these steps:
1. Ensure that all the supplies you need; shampoo, soap, towel, fresh set of baby's clothes are all within arm's reach. Never leave a baby unattended to in the bath to prevent accidents like drowning.
2. Choose a warm room and remove your baby’s clothes and diaper, and wrap them in a towel.
3. Lay your baby on a flat surface, start washing at your baby’s face and top of their head: First dip the clean cloth in the warm water. Use only warm water without soap for this step to avoid getting soap in your baby’s eyes or mouth.
4. Wipe the top of the head and around the outer ears, chin, neck folds, and eyes. Use the soapy water to clean around the rest of the body and diaper area. You’ll want to clean under the arms and around the genital area. If your baby was circumcised, avoid cleaning the penis to keep the wound dry unless otherwise directed by your baby’s doctor.
5. Dry your baby off, including drying between skin folds. Put on a clean diaper. You can use a towel with a built-in hood to keep their head warm while they dry off, too.
Your newborn does not need too many baths. Three per week is enough if you thoroughly clean the diaper area. It is best not to give daily baths because frequent bathing may dry the skin.
Sponge baths are also the best way to bathe babies who were just circumcised while the circumcision site heals. A sponge bath is also ideal when you want to wash one part or all of their body without getting them soaking wet.
Source: Healthline
Content created and supplied by: Georgiapens (via Opera News )
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