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Bathing and washing
Make sure you have everything you need for Baby Washing • Whether you're using a baby bath, or the big bath, put cold water in first and then hot. Test the temperature with your elbow (not your hand - it can stand very high temperatures so it's deceptive). It should feel comfortably warm. • Lower your baby in to the water, on his back, supporting his head and shoulders on your hand and forearm. • Use your free hand to wet his body and rub over his skin gently with a clean cloth. • You can use a mild soap or baby bath liquid if you like, but it's not really necessary in the first few weeks. • Dry your baby in a large absorbent towel and then dress him. New babies shouldn't take extensive baths, as they can get cold quite quickly. You can take your baby into the bath with you, as long as the water isn't too hot. For safety, you really should have someone else there as well, to pass the baby into you, and then lift the baby out before you climb out yourself. ! Never leave a baby or a toddler alone in the bath, even for a few seconds, as there is a risk of drowning. If you need to get something, or answer the phone, take your baby with you, wrapped in a towel. Daily Wash New babies don't need bathing very often. You don't need to bath a young baby more than once every few days, unless you want to. In between times, a wash of his nappy area when you change him, and a daily wash (sometimes called a 'top and tail') are fine. You need: • bowl of warm water • cotton wool or two soft clean cloths • fresh nappy and clean clothes if necessary • bin or bucket for waste 1. Wash your hands. Lay your baby on his back and undress him, leaving his nappy on. 2. Wipe your baby's face, neck and ears. Dry with cotton wool or the other cloth. If your baby has a 'sticky eye', which is very common, wipe each eye from the inside corner to the outside (that is, from the nose to the ear), using a piece of cotton wool dipped in cooled, boiled water (use a clean piece of cotton wool for each eye, and one wipe per ball). 3. Now wipe the underarms and the hands. Dry. 4. Take off the nappy. In a new baby, wash any dried discharge that may have come from the cord stump. Wash the bottom and the genitals well. Wipe girls from front to back. Pat dry. Use a protective cream to prevent nappy rash if you wish. Replace the nappy and dress your baby. How to wash baby's hair If your baby hasn't got much hair, you only need to rinse his scalp during the bath, by pouring some water over it with your hand or a jug. Longer-haired babies may need a tiny drop of mild shampoo applied to wet hair and then lathered up and rinsed off. The easiest way to hold your baby for hair washing is to support his head and shoulders as he lies in the bath, and pour the water over with your other hand. If your baby has cradle cap - greasy, crusty deposits on the scalp - you can rub in baby or vegetable oil to loosen the deposits, and then rinse off. * Use plain water, or fragrance-free toiletries made especially for babies, to keep your baby clean. In the first weeks, most babies don't need anything on their skin; the skin produces its own protection, which can be affected by the use of aromatic or harsh toiletries.
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