How to wash a newborn girl

When a new little man appears in the family, the whole life of the parents turns upside down. Each mother worries about the correctness of her actions in relation to the baby. After all, the regimen of walks and feeding, sleep, and most importantly, hygiene determines the health and condition of the baby. Caring for a child’s body and keeping it clean is one of the main tasks of a young mother. However, caring for a boy and a girl is slightly different, due to the different structure of the child's genitals. Today you will learn how to properly wash a newborn girl, why it is important to keep the “golden mean” clean and what are the basic rules of intimate hygiene of a child.

How to wash a newborn girl

You have a daughter and experiences after childbirth are replaced by anxiety for her health and development. So, let's talk about washing a girl in the first months of her life.

1. Before bathing a child, you need to prepare water. In the first weeks of life, the girl is recommended to bathe in sterile boiled water. After about two weeks, you can use simple running water to bathe the baby.
2. Immediately after birth, the little girl’s genitals are sterile - there are no beneficial bacteria in the vagina. Therefore, it must be protected in every way from infections and germs. Over time, after only a few weeks, the vagina is colonized with beneficial bacteria, its own microflora appears, which can subsequently protect the body from getting into the infection.
3. Before bathing, you need to wash your hands, cut off your nails - you should not harm the baby.
4. If you are bathing your baby for the first time, you need to wrap it in a diaper and lower it gradually into warm water, starting with the legs. When the baby gets wet with the diaper, she is not afraid. So you can instill in your child a love of water procedures.
5. Gently rub all parts of the girl’s body with your hand. Use soap and other detergents no more than three times a week. Even the safest baby soap dries delicate skin. The rest of the time, you can just rinse the child.
6. If you wash off feces, this should be done under running water. In stagnant water, particles of feces and germs can enter the vagina.
7. If you wash your baby after a bowel movement, it is best to do this in the sink. To do this, put the child on his left hand on his back. Pre-set the water, but do not expose the baby under the stream - a sharp drop in water temperature can burn the baby. The girl should be washed from the genitals to the anus so that bacteria do not enter the vagina.
8. If feces remain adhered to the skin, they must first be soaked. Cotton pads should be moistened in warm water and applied to the skin. After that, everything will be washed off without difficulty.
9. After bathing, carefully inspect the baby's genitals. A newborn baby is covered with a white curd mass that protects it in the womb. Immediately after childbirth, they wipe and give out to the mother, however, the remains of this lubricant can be on the inside of the girl's large labia. If there is a little lubrication, it will gradually be absorbed, but if there is a lot of it, the lubricant must be carefully removed and the mucous membrane cleaned. This is very easy to do with a cotton pad dipped in sterilized vegetable oil. The procedure should be as careful as possible. In no case do you need to climb "inside", only the external genitalia are cleaned. Most likely it will not be possible to clean the grease at one time, it is better to do it in 3-4 baths, that is, gradually.
10. After bathing with a soft towel, you first need to get your baby's labia wet, then folds, and only then her butt.
11. After bathing, let your child spend some time without clothes and a diaper.Air baths should be regular - to prevent diaper rash and rash.

Norm or pathology

Some mothers of newborn girls ask a lot of questions regarding the genitals of the baby. Immediately after birth, you will notice that the labia of the baby is swollen. This is the absolute norm, so the hormones of the mother go out. When the baby is connected with her mother, they have a general circulation and their organisms are closely interconnected. After a few weeks, the child’s body will be rebuilt and everything will return to normal.

In a newborn girl, mammary glands can also swell due to hormonal changes. This is also normal, this happens even with newborn boys. Sometimes colostrum is even secreted from the chest. In no case do not squeeze or knead the chest. Also, the girl may have whitish and even spotting. Over time, this goes away.

However, if you think that the discharge is abundant or purulent, this is an occasion to contact a pediatric gynecologist.

What is synechia

Synechia is an inflammation of the labia minora, in which they seem to fuse and close the urethra. In this case, the girl cries when urinating, because it becomes painful. Synechia can occur after an imbalance in the normal microflora of the vagina and mucosa. This can occur due to frequent colds, after taking antibiotics. The cause of the appearance of synechia can also be improper washing. If the mother often washes the genitals of the girl with soap, she washes all the microflora. Such excessive cleanliness can be dangerous. It is better to wash the girl with clean water, it is worth using soap no more often than 3-4 times a week.

Intimate hygiene of girls

1. Baby clothes should not be tight, they should not rub or squeeze the skin.
2. The use of hygiene products for baby skin care should be moderate. Remember that healthy skin does not need additional treatment. Use a powder or cream under the diaper if diaper rash and redness form on the skin of the girl. In other cases, regular washing is enough.
3. The diaper should be changed every 2-3 hours.
4. It is necessary to wash the child after each bowel movement, as well as always before bedtime. Over time, when the baby learns to walk on the pot, washing should be regular, every night.
5. Wet wipes should not be used constantly. Despite the fact that they are intended for children's skin, they contain alcohol, flavorings and other additives. Use wipes as an emergency cleaning - away, at the clinic and on the go.
6. Wash the child with only a hand. Do not use a washcloth or sponge for this - they can damage delicate baby skin.
7. It is very good to wash the child with weak decoctions of herbs. A series of chamomiles, calendula not only gently cleanse the baby’s skin, but also soothe the baby.
8. The towel for the child should be individual and clean.

These simple rules will help you maintain the health of the girl from the very beginning of her life. Proper hygiene is the basis of the future health of the expectant mother. Love your child, do not overdo it with detergents and let your baby be healthy and happy!

Video: how to wash a newborn baby