What water to bathe a newborn baby in?

The stork, flying in through the window of a young family, together with a screaming bundle left a mass of, at first glance, insoluble questions. So, 9 months of waiting were left behind, a test called childbirth, a magnificent discharge from the maternity hospital, and now, a newborn baby is solemnly brought into the apartment. From this moment begins the most critical period in the life of every person - his first year of life, each day of which, one way or another, will remain in the memory of his parents forever.

The very first test, even before the upcoming sleepless night, is the baby’s first bath. This process is exciting and joyful in its own way, but one cannot but take into account certain nuances that can overshadow it and have a detrimental effect on the further health of the child.

What needs to be prepared for bathing the baby?

First of all, before the start of undressing the newborn, everything necessary should be prepared so that the baby's immersion in water is comfortable:

The room or bathroom should be well warmed up, as this category of babies is most sensitive to temperature extremes. The air temperature in this room should be above 24 ° C.

So, for a full bathing process, you need to prepare the following:

1. The bath should be disinfected. This can be done with a simple soap, and then, rinsing it thoroughly, rinse the container with boiling water.
2. If there is an insert to support the baby - it is also disinfected with the bath.
3. Prepare a few small soft towels or a washcloth from the same fabric. The skin of newborns is easily exposed to injury and infection - it is better not to use traditional baby washcloths.
4. Baby towel for taking the baby from the bath.
5. Baby soap with a neutral pH environment.
6. Set of clothes: undershirts - 1 pc., In cold weather - 1 simple and 1 of flannel fabric.
7. Clean diaper.
8. Caps or hats: 1 thin and 1 tight, in cold weather you should wear 2 thin and 1 tight.
9. Sliders.
10. Hand scratches.
11. Diapers - 2 pieces: thin and dense. Even if the parents are ardent opponents of swaddling, at first it is better not to leave the child sleeping openly - he should get used to the temperature in the room, in addition, adapt to the movements of his own legs and arms - it is important to monitor these processes in the daytime, at night the child did not wake himself.
12. Blanket - if the baby was born in frosty times.
13. Baby oil for body treatment after bathing.
14. Powders or cream under the diaper.
15. Means for treating the umbilical wound: solutions of brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide and chlorophyllipt.

What should be the bathing water?

Water for the first bath plays perhaps the most important role. It is she who is the main factor in the success of the whole process. So, we will consider what requirements for water quality are put forward by modern pediatrics:

1. Water temperature: should not be below 37 ° C and above 37.5 ° C. For accurate measurement, the modern baby products industry provides a wide range of water thermometers.
2. Water must first be infused - in order to settle all harmful impurities, then it must be filtered and boiled. Next, it must be cooled to the desired temperature.
3. For additional disinfecting, a prepared solution of potassium permanganate is added to the water: 400 ml of water are collected (2 ordinary circles) and manganese powder is gradually added to them until the color of the water is light pale pink. A richer color scheme is already dangerous for the baby's skin.
4. Often, various herbal decoctions are added to the water. However, this is not worth doing at the first bath, if there are no necessary recommendations from the neonatologist of the maternity hospital or personal pediatrician. It should be remembered that further frequent use of these components, as well as potassium permanganate, can lead to allergic reactions and upset the natural balance of the baby’s skin.

What can be added to water?

Of the plant components added to water, you can apply:

1. Broth of the Series - helps get rid of diaper rash and scabies.
2. A decoction of Needles is recommended for troubled children, but its use up to 1 month is possible only as directed by a doctor.
3. Chamomile broth is also an excellent sedative, and, in addition, stabilizes digestion.
4. Valerian's decoction is a sedative and painkiller, but it is worth noting that not all children tolerate it well.
5. Celandine broth - has a generating effect, tightens wounds, heals microcracks on the skin.

Solutions should not be strong welding, otherwise serious consequences can occur on the delicate skin of the baby.

Baby Bathing: Tips

Ideally, both parents should bathe the newborn - one should keep it in the water, especially the head, and the second should be washed with gentle movements several times with towels or a special washcloth over the skin. In the early days, it is better not to use soap, the baby's skin should fully adapt to new living conditions.

If only one of the adults bathes the child, it is important to use a special insert, which is sold together with modern bathtubs, or to hold the child so that his head rests on the elbow's bend of the bathing person.

After swimming

The umbilical wound is treated first with hydrogen peroxide, then with a solution of brilliant green (pointwise near the wound) and a solution of chlorophyllipt (you can touch the wound a little).

Next, a diaper is put on, and all the prepared clothes, after which the child is neatly swaddled and laid.

The bath is disinfected both before bathing, and after it, since during use in plastic, surface cracks can form, in which residual cosmetic dirt can accumulate during drying, which can subsequently play a bad role in the health of the child.

Video: bathing a newborn in a small bath for up to 1 month