Young parents have many questions about how to care for their infant. One of these issues is bathing the baby. What is the best way to bathe, in a large bath or a small one, what to bathe with and at what time. How often should a newborn baby be bathed? Should I bathe my newborn every day? Opinions differ on this issue. Some say that daily bathing is necessary, while others say it is not necessary. Where is the truth?
How often to bathe a newborn after leaving the hospital
Previously, doctors did not advise bathing a child until the umbilical wound healed; they recommended that parents only perform rubdowns. Now doctors insist that a newborn needs to be bathed every day and should begin immediately after discharge from the hospital.
The only contraindication to bathing a healthy baby is vaccination against tuberculosis. You can bathe after it the next day.
Until the child’s umbilical wound has healed (this is the first 14-20 days), it is necessary to bathe in boiled water and in a special baby bath. Bathing in a weak solution of potassium permanganate will not be beneficial; it is better to use a decoction of the string.
After each water procedure, the newborn’s navel must be treated with hydrogen peroxide or brilliant green. When the umbilical wound heals, you can move on to bathing in a large bath; there is no need to boil the water.
How often to bathe a newborn baby in summer
On hot summer days, it is useful to bathe your newborn several times a day, especially if he enjoys this procedure. The baby's thermoregulation is imperfect, which makes him defenseless against the rays of the scorching sun and stuffy rooms. Swimming in cool water will help protect your baby from overheating. Also, water treatments will reduce the risk of prickly heat.
How often to bathe a newborn in winter
Many parents refuse to bathe their newborns frequently in the winter, fearing colds. Pediatricians assure that bathing a child every day in a room where the air temperature is not lower than 21°C is not only not dangerous, but also beneficial. This contributes to the natural hardening of the child.
Do not close the bathroom door while bathing. This will help avoid temperature and humidity differences when you move your baby from the bathroom to the room after bathing.
How often should you bathe a newborn baby with soap?
How often to bathe a baby in a large bathtub
In the first 2-3 weeks, until the umbilical wound heals and the baby gets used to water procedures, you should bathe in a small baby bath. Further, it is better to use it only for washing the child, and bathing in a large bathtub. Since the volume of water in it is large, the water does not cool down for a long time, swimming can last up to 25-30 minutes.
For a child, this will not just be swimming, but real water aerobics in the pool.
Floundering with his arms and legs, the baby will expend a large amount of energy, which will ensure good appetite and sleep. Being completely in the water, the baby’s lungs will work much more actively, which will contribute to better oxygen saturation of the little body.
And here it is obvious that answering the question: “Does a newborn need to be bathed every day?”, the answer will be: “Yes!” Up to six months, a newborn should be bathed every day and use a large bathtub as often as possible.
Before bathing your child in a large bath, it should be thoroughly washed with soda. Do not use any chemical detergents.
When and how long to bathe a newborn
Most parents find it more convenient to bathe their baby in the evening, before the last feeding, an hour before bedtime. But all babies are different. Some people protest against bathing at this time and become capricious because they are hungry.
You can try swapping bathing and feeding. But between bathing and feeding, some time should pass, at least 15-20 minutes. If the baby is more comfortable this way, then so be it. Bathing should evoke only positive emotions.
Most often, children sleep well after bathing. But there are also those, according to statistics about 10%, who, after swimming, on the contrary, become active and do not fall asleep for a long time. In this case, bathing must be moved to the morning or afternoon.
The first bath of a newborn should not be long, try to keep it to 5 minutes. Gradually increase the time your child spends in the bath. By the end of the first month of life, this may already be 10-15 minutes, and a six-month-old baby can swim for 30-40 minutes.
How often should you bathe your child? - Doctor Komarovsky
Not all parents understand that babies need to be bathed not only to keep them clean. Moreover, in the first year of a baby’s life, washing and bathing have fundamentally different meanings for him. How to properly bathe a newborn and older baby, and why do it in principle? We'll tell you!
Bathing a baby is a special procedure that, in addition to some minor troubles, brings a lot of joy and benefit to parents and the baby. Of course, if parents approach this “warm” event with a “cool” head...
Bathing and hygiene: what's the connection?
No! Bathing a baby has nothing to do with baby hygiene. Except that water is involved in both rituals, but that’s all. You wash the baby (or wash the little one, wash the whole thing from time to time, etc.) with one sole purpose - to make it cleaner.
This usually requires: running water or special wet wipes, delicate baby soap (preferably in liquid form) and about 5 minutes of time.
But bathing is a longer, more creative and useful process. You bathe both a newborn and an older baby to:
- give him a feeling of pleasure and psychological comfort (after all, he still remembers how he swam in his mother’s womb);
- provide him with some necessary physical activity;
- develop the baby’s communication, tactile and emotional skills;
- awaken his appetite;
- Finally, bathing is an excellent procedure for hardening and preventing colds.
How to bathe a newborn in the first two weeks of life
Let’s define the concepts: you can wash your baby for hygienic purposes from the very first day of his birth. But it is contraindicated for him to swim in a large bathtub and in ordinary tap water for as long as he can.
The umbilical wound heals completely approximately 10-15 days after the birth of the child. Therefore, for the next two weeks after discharge from the maternity hospital, parents have 2 adequate options for hygiene procedures for their newborn baby:
- 1 A newborn baby can be bathed in a small baby bath using only boiled water. In the Western tradition, it is customary to bathe a newborn baby with a tiny soft towel - this creates a more plausible association with the mother's womb. But from a medical point of view, there are no arguments for or against this - bathe with a towel if you want, or without.
Bathing a newborn in a diaper or small towel gives him a feeling of “intrauterine comfort,” as child psychologists and neonatologists say.
- 2 For the first two weeks, a newborn baby does not need to be bathed in water, but simply wiped with special wet wipes.
How to bathe a newborn in tap water for the first time
Finally, the baby's umbilical wound has completely healed, and this means that the newborn baby can now be bathed in ordinary tap water. We repeat: not just wash, but rather bathe! How to do this so that both the child and parents receive maximum pleasure and benefit from the bathing process? So, you need to bathe your child:
In a large bath. A large bathtub for a baby is practically a sea-ocean: he can happily jerk his legs and arms, follow toys or grab them. The water in a large bath cools down more slowly and bathing can easily be “stretched out” to 20-30 minutes. And it is while bathing in a large bath that the baby spends a large amount of energy, which allows him to sleep soundly until the morning, gaining strength. This physical energy exchange is extremely important: it normalizes metabolism, stimulates the functioning of muscles and internal organs.
Another important argument in favor of bathing in a large bath: when the baby’s chest is immersed entirely in water (that is, the baby bathes entirely and only his head “sticks out”), then the mechanism of the breathing process itself becomes fundamentally different. In water, the baby spends exactly the same amount of energy inhaling and exhaling, as always, but his lungs open up much more. This means that they contain more oxygen than “on land”. And accordingly, more oxygen will flow from the lungs to all corners of the body, which will ensure its faster and more prosperous development and growth.
In clean water. There is no need to boil water for bathing after the umbilical wound has healed - now it is unreasonable, inconvenient and makes no sense. However, the water in which you plan to bathe your baby should be as clean as possible. If you don’t trust the water treatment system in your city, install a special cleaning filter on your tap.
In a pleasant and interesting environment. If it is difficult for you to constantly support your baby in the water with your hands, then you can easily switch him to the “free swimming” mode. For this purpose, today there are a lot of devices, such as special swimming rings for babies and hats with foam inserts. These useful inventions reliably keep the child's head afloat, but at the same time allow his body to be completely submerged in the water without any support. Hang a mobile with music and toys on the edge of the bath - so that gradually the baby learns to reach for them, and nightly bathing will become for the baby a real symbiosis of a sort of “Disneyland” and a spa - both exciting and useful!
Special inflatable rings and hats with foam inserts are real “saviors” of parents’ lower backs. Agree - even in the name of an ideal and long-lasting child bath, it is very difficult and risky to stand bend over for half an hour or more...
At what temperature should you bathe a newborn and older baby?
The temperature of the bathing water varies somewhat depending on the length of bathing experience. At the very beginning - as soon as the baby’s navel has healed and you have already prepared a regular “adult” bath for him, the optimal water temperature to start the procedure is 33-34 ° C.
Let us pay special attention - this temperature regime is suitable specifically for a large volume of water and space - when the child has the opportunity to actively move in the water, move his arms and legs, and “swim” in the arms of his parents.
If the toddler is placed in a small baby bath, where it is not possible to lift a finger, then the temperature of the bathing water should be about 36° C. However, no more than 37° C is the temperature “ceiling” for the water in which you bathe the baby.
Now again about those lucky ones whose parents allow them to swim in the “adult” bath. You can start swimming at a temperature of 33-34° C, but gradually it makes sense to lower it a little. Namely, every week you can reduce the water temperature by 1 degree. It is absolutely safe for a child, but the prevention of respiratory diseases is the most reliable.
Gradually, the temperature of the bathing water can be increased to 28-30 ° C, and in such conditions, by the age of six months, the baby will be able to spend 30-40 minutes completely comfortably and with health benefits. After a long swim in cool water, tired and well fed, the baby is almost guaranteed to sleep soundly until the morning.
When is the best time to bathe a baby?
If we are talking specifically about the procedure of bathing, and not washing - that is, about a more or less long (15-30 minutes or more) stay of the baby in the water, then it is best to carry out this event exactly before evening feeding and bedtime.
The fact is that swimming, as a fairly active type of “sport” available to a little one, takes a lot of energy from him - about the same as a 40-minute aerobic exercise in the fitness room takes from you. And just like you, after such a load, the baby, as a rule, experiences only two needs - to eat “from the belly” and to sleep.
Properly and intelligently organized bathing of a baby can provide sound, healthy sleep throughout the night not only for the baby himself, but also for his loved ones.
Already at the age of 4-5 months, with a regime of nightly long bathing (we repeat: 20-30 minutes) and a good meal before bed, the child is able to sleep soundly all night without waking up for night feeding. Which inevitably makes all parents, without exception, twice as happy.
Can a baby dive in the bathtub?
Newborn children have such a wonderful reflex - when water gets into the respiratory tract, a spasm immediately occurs in them, they overlap and the child actually cannot choke in water. Of course, if he is immersed in water for a long time, he may die from lack of oxygen - that is, in fact, the little one threatens to suffocate from lack of air, but will not choke from the abundance of water.
Simply put, there is no need to be scared if the baby accidentally turns over and “sinks” under the water, there is nothing fundamentally dangerous about it. If you quickly raise his head above the water and he can clear his throat (if there is a need) and breathe freely, then such a “dive” is considered quite physiological and ordinary. Moreover, many progressive schools and courses for young mothers and fathers specifically teach parents how to immerse their babies headlong, so that the child does not lose this valuable reflex - automatic holding of breath when water enters the respiratory tract. As a rule, children who are “taught” in this way from childhood to float freely and behave underwater without panic, learn to swim very quickly and rarely suffer from respiratory diseases.
Whether the baby should dive from time to time while swimming or not is up to the parents themselves to decide. If it is pleasant and useful (with proper supervision from adults!) for the child, but every time it causes a heart attack in the mother, then it is better not to dive at all. Not a single pediatrician will undertake to prohibit one thing or promote another. The style of home bathing is entirely at the discretion of the family. The main thing is that both the baby and the parent feel comfortable during the procedure and enjoy bathing the child.
If the baby never dives while swimming, then the breath-holding reflex fades away completely approximately 2-2.5 months after the birth of the child.
What to add to bathing water
By and large, you don’t have to add anything. An infant child can be quite successfully bathed in ordinary tap water, provided that it is more or less clean. But if you still really want to somehow “flavor” the bathing water, then it is best to use a decoction of the string. Why not potassium permanganate and a supposedly calming herb?
Potassium permanganate. Every grandma's favorite substance. But while it can also be useful for washing newborn babies, potassium permanganate is ineffective for bathing a baby in a large bath: if it is diluted to a soft pink color, then its anti-inflammatory properties are extremely small, and if diluted in concentrated form, there is a risk of “burning” » delicate mucous membrane of the eyes.
Herbal soothing mixtures. As Dr. Komarovsky often jokes, pediatric neurologists are very fond of prescribing such preparations for young mothers. They tell them that these herbs calm children before bed, but in fact they give reasons for self-soothing... for mothers themselves! E.O. Komarovsky: “If a child has neurological problems, then no herbs, alas, will help him, even if he is “rinsed” in them around the clock. And if there are no problems as such, then there is no point in collecting fees.” One way or another, there is not yet a single serious study that has confirmed that a certain herb added to water for calming would bring truly tangible results.
A series. Perhaps this is the most useful “seasoning” for infant bathing. It has a certain antibacterial and healing effect, but is completely safe for the baby’s delicate mucous membranes. And if there is any point in adding something to the water before bathing a baby, it would be a decoction of the string.
How to brew a string for bathing:
- 1 In the morning, pour a glass of dry herb (sold in packs at any pharmacy) into a liter container for hot water, the easiest way is into a glass jar.
- 2 Pour boiling water to the top (that is, to get 1 liter of liquid). And set aside - let it brew until the evening.
- 3 Before bathing, pour the broth through gauze into a bath of water. And now you can “launch” your baby into such water. It is not necessary to rinse the baby after bathing in a decoction of the string, but it is not forbidden either. It makes sense to practice baths with a series in approximately the first 2-3 months after birth.
How to treat your baby's skin after bathing
There is an opinion that daily bathing in tap water greatly dries out a child’s skin. Actually this is not true. The most insidious enemy of the skin is a dry and hot climate, because the increased work of the sweat glands is the main cause of dry skin. But nightly bathing not only does not harm, but, on the contrary, is beneficial for the baby’s health in general, and for his skin in particular.
After bathing the baby, you need to blot it with a towel (do not wipe it or rub it, but blot it carefully and gently), then put it on the changing table and examine it. If there are no visible problems on the skin, the baby can be provided with a diaper, dressed, and finally allowed to feed.
And if there are problem areas on the skin, then the principle of caring for them comes down to the following:
If your skin has dry areas- they need to be moistened. For this purpose, a special cream, baby oil or boiled vegetable oil is often used. It is best to consult a leading pediatrician about these remedies.
If, on the contrary, the skin “gets wet”- these areas need to be dried. In the same way - with the help of special children's cosmetics, powders, etc., before purchasing which it makes sense to talk to your doctor.
Bathing a baby is a procedure that is necessary not only to maintain hygiene. Thanks to the hygienic procedure, muscles develop and immunity increases. After bathing, the baby’s sleep normalizes, he becomes calm and quickly falls asleep. Not all young parents know how often to bathe a newborn baby and how to do it correctly. These questions are asked to the local pediatrician and visiting nurse.
Why is bathing necessary?
Bathing, washing and cleaning a baby are different things. Wash your baby every day in the morning and throughout the day as his face gets dirty. For washing, use boiled water, the temperature of which is 36 degrees, and a soft diaper.
Wash every time you change a diaper. This procedure is different for boys and girls. When washing a girl, it is important to pour water from the front. Regular washing is necessary to maintain cleanliness.
Bathing a child is also necessary to keep the body clean. But such a goal is pursued only sometimes. In most cases, they bathe the baby in the bath to achieve the following goals:
- Water treatments are fun for kids. They still remember how they swam in warm water in their mother’s womb;
- The baby energetically moves its arms and legs, which develops all muscle groups;
- To develop tactile and emotional skills;
- Swimming improves appetite;
- Water procedures are an excellent prevention of colds. Swimming improves immunity.
Your pediatrician will tell you how often you should bathe your newborn baby. Doctors recommend bathing babies in the first month of life every day, but only if there are suitable conditions for this. If the house is cold, then it is better to limit yourself to washing the child and washing individual parts of the body.
Preparing for a baby's bath
Parents determine how often a newborn child should be bathed on their own. Under suitable living conditions, doctors recommend washing the baby daily. If the home is cool, then the baby is bathed 2-3 times a week, the hygiene procedure lasts 5-10 minutes.
The water temperature in the bath should be 37-38 degrees. For premature babies, the water is made a little warmer. To wash babies in the first weeks, water is boiled and cooled.
Before the hygiene procedure, it is necessary to prepare the things that are needed for bathing babies in the first weeks of life.
|
Product |
Peculiarities | What is it used for? |
| Bath | An enamel or plastic bath of an anatomical shape is suitable. | For daily bathing of babies. |
| Slide | Plastic or textile, with a metal base. Equipped with reliable fastenings. Instead of a slide, a special foam rubber lining is often used. | Frees up mom's hands for bathing the baby |
| Thermometer | Take a regular thermometer or an electronic one, the latter is considered more accurate. | Helps determine the temperature of the water in the bath. |
| Children's cosmetics | For bathing newborns, neutral detergents based on plant ingredients are used. Johnson Baby cosmetics have proven themselves well. | Removes impurities, moisturizes and soothes irritated skin. |
| Soft diaper | A flannel diaper will do. | Blot the newborn's skin after bathing. |
| Corner or large towel | The corner is bought from cotton or terry | Wrap up the baby after taking a bath. |
Make sure that the temperature in the bathroom and children's room is approximately the same. A sudden change in temperature leads to hypothermia of the baby. If the house is cool, you need to turn on the heater before water procedures.
Features of bathing newborn babies
You can wash your baby from the first day of life, but only in a small bath with boiled water. Bathing in tap water and a large bath is not recommended until the umbilical wound heals.
Usually the umbilical wound in a newborn heals within 2 weeks. At this time, the baby is bathed with boiled water and the addition of a decoction of medicinal herbs. Pediatricians recommend adding a decoction of chamomile and string to water. These decoctions eliminate inflammation and speed up the healing of the umbilical wound.
How often you can bathe a newborn baby depends on whether the house is warm and whether the umbilical wound has healed. If the baby's navel becomes wet or festeres, it is better to avoid swimming in the bath. The baby is wiped with wet wipes or a towel soaked in warm water.
Grandmothers advise placing a soft towel or a diaper folded in several layers in the baby bath. Thanks to this, the baby's back touches the soft surface.
How to bathe babies in the first month of life
Finally, the baby's umbilical wound has healed and he is allowed to bathe in a large bathtub filled with tap water. This process brings a lot of pleasure to the baby and his parents. The doctor will tell you how often to bathe a newborn baby up to a month old, but it is usually recommended to carry out such procedures every evening.
A large bath for a small child seems like a big sea. In the water, he can freely move his arms and legs and grab toys. Some parents use circles and caps that keep the baby's head above the water.
The water in the bath cools slowly, so water procedures can be easily extended for 20 minutes. While swimming, the baby spends a lot of energy and then sleeps peacefully until the morning. This procedure has a positive effect on metabolism and immunity, and the work of all internal organs and systems is activated. Water procedures are carried out sequentially.
- Wash the bath using baking soda or laundry soap. After using any detergents, rinse the bath thoroughly.
- Collect warm water, monitoring the temperature with a thermometer.
- Bright toys intended for swimming are placed in the water.
- The baby is carefully lowered into the water. This should be done slowly so that the baby does not get scared.
- A baby bathing ring is placed around the child's neck. With its help, the baby can safely swim in the bathtub.
Parents must monitor the newborn at all times; it is unacceptable to leave him alone even for a minute. After bathing, the circle is removed, the baby is pulled out and wrapped in a soft diaper. After drying the skin, the wet diaper is removed and the baby is wrapped in a towel. Clothes for dressing a newborn can be heated with an iron or placed on a radiator for a few minutes.
How often should you bathe a newborn baby in winter?
How often should a newborn baby be bathed in winter? Pediatricians often hear this question from young parents.
Water procedures are carried out as often in winter as in summer, but only if the house is warm. If the home is poorly heated or there are drafts, then you need to bathe the baby a couple of times a week. In other cases, they get by by washing individual parts of the body.
During the cold season, the skin becomes dry, so use cosmetics with caution. At this time, the newborn is washed with foams and baby gels. Avoid using baby soap in winter.
After water procedures, skin folds are lubricated with baby oil or plant-based cream. This prevents irritation and inflammation of skin areas.
How often should you bathe your baby in summer?
In the summer, you can bathe your newborn a couple of times a day. In children under 2 months, thermoregulation is impaired, babies sweat a lot, and this leads to diaper rash.
In summer, special attention should be paid to skin folds. Sweat irritates them, which leads to inflammation and diaper rash. After bathing, they are lubricated with low-fat cream or oil.
Basic rules for bathing babies
Bathing newborn babies must follow certain rules.
- The first time a newborn is bathed no more than 5 minutes, the water temperature should be about 37 degrees;
- Then the water temperature is gradually lowered, and the bathing time is increased. By six months, the child is allowed to bathe for 20-30 minutes, but you need to make sure that the water is warm;
- The air temperature in the bathroom should be at least 25 degrees;
- The baby's head is washed with baby soap once a week, only from 2 months you can use baby shampoo;
- To wash a small child, it is allowed to use only hypoallergenic detergents that contain herbal ingredients;
- Chamomile and string for bathing a child are brewed at the rate of a tablespoon per liter of water, then filtered and added to the water. If a child is prone to allergies, medicinal herbs should not be used;
- You should not use a weak solution of potassium permanganate for bathing, as it dries out the skin.
It is recommended to bathe a newborn every day, up to 2-3 weeks of life, in boiled water and a baby bath. After this time, you can wash the baby in a large bath filled with tap water. If you have a cap with a foam insert or a circle for bathing children, then the hygiene procedure becomes a pleasure.
Bathing for a newborn child and his parents is a whole event (especially if it is the first time after the maternity hospital). Like any very responsible business, this process raises many questions: how and when to bathe, boil water or not, whether it is possible to add herbal decoctions and how often to do this, is it dangerous to get water into the ears, and so on. The famous pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky, in his books and articles, has repeatedly talked about the basic rules and principles of organizing water procedures for a baby.
It is worth considering the most important points that you should know so that bathing brings pleasure and benefit to both the child and his parents.
Peculiarities
Water procedures are beneficial for absolutely all babies from the very first days of life. In the womb, babies are in an aquatic environment, and therefore it is familiar and native to them. The little one feels at home in the water. Bathing is not only a hygienic procedure aimed at keeping the child’s skin and hair clean. Taking baths promotes physical development, carries an element of play, and therefore has a positive effect on the mental and emotional development of the baby.
A few decades ago, pediatricians categorically forbade bathing a child with an unhealed umbilical wound, opposed raw, unboiled water, and set many more fairly strict requirements and restrictions for parents.
Modern doctors look at bathing more democratically.
Parents with experience, as a rule, have significantly fewer difficulties during the first bath of a newborn at home than new mothers and fathers who received their first child just a few hours ago. Komarovsky advises maintaining Spartan calm. It is this that guarantees success in the difficult task of bathing the baby.
Preparation
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Should I bathe with an unhealed umbilical wound?
This question comes up quite often. Some pediatricians allow bathing even with a clothespin on the navel, others recommend refraining from taking water procedures until the umbilical cord dries. Evgeny Komarovsky says that the choice is, of course, up to the parents. However, if the child is kept in acceptable living conditions, does not sweat, does not overheat, and does not get dirty, then nothing bad will happen to him if the baby does not bathe for a week or two. It doesn't bother him at all. If anyone is worried, it’s only mom and dad, but in this case there are wet baby sanitary wipes that can be used to wipe problem areas and folds at any time.
However, if you still decide to bathe, then until the umbilical wound heals, the doctor advises doing this exclusively with boiled water.
For a long time, doctors advised bathing in water with a solution of potassium permanganate. However, you need to be extremely careful here; undissolved grains of potassium permanganate can cause serious burns on the delicate skin and mucous membranes of the baby. The solution should be pale pink and should be added to the water immediately before bathing. Komarovsky does not recommend potassium permanganate at all, since in small doses it is useless, and in large doses it is dangerous. It is better to replace it with infusion of succession.
Massage
A massage before an evening swim is a very useful and important procedure, says Evgeniy Komarovsky. During stroking and patting, the blood supply to the muscles and skin improves, and the benefits will be even more noticeable if you bathe the baby immediately after the manipulations. All parents, without exception, can master a simple massage. To do this, you do not need to enroll in special courses.
Komarovsky recommends doing a light and soothing massage before a bath. First, with baby cream, the mother can easily massage the hands (stroking and circular movements, this should be done with the thumbs). Then the legs are massaged in the same way. The tummy is stroked clockwise with the palm or fingertips. Then the baby is laid on the tummy and the back is gently massaged - first in circular and arched movements, and then with light pats.
The mother's movements should not cause pain to the baby, he should not go to the bath too excited and screaming from the heart.
Water temperature
Doctors recommend keeping the temperature at 37 degrees. It should be followed for at least the first 10-14 days. Then you can experiment - slightly increasing or decreasing the temperature (maximum - 1 degree).
Some parents try to warm the bathroom in advance by bringing heaters into it (especially in cases where the first bath at home occurs in winter). Komarovsky does not recommend doing this. The temperature in the bathroom should be approximately the same as in the rest of the apartment (optimal values are 18-20 degrees), and overheating the air in the bathing room is harmful.
For a good night's sleep, Komarovsky advises to practice swimming in cool water, the temperature of which is no higher than 32 degrees.
Such procedures will not cause any harm, but the general strengthening effect will be obvious, and in a cool bath it is more difficult for a child to fall asleep while bathing. However, you should not immediately rush to implement this recommendation. This should start gradually. The initial water temperature for a newborn is 34 degrees. A child can reduce it by 2 degrees per month - to 32 degrees, and bathing time can be increased from 15 minutes to half an hour. At two months, the temperature of cool water can be lowered to 28-30 degrees, bathing time is half an hour.
Komarovsky advises to take these figures rather conditionally. If a 1-month-old child calmly accepts swimming in water whose temperature is 24 degrees, there is nothing wrong with that. He sleeps soundly, rests well, worries less himself and allows his parents to sleep.
Time
The first bath should not be very long. It is better to start with 3 minutes, the next day extend the procedure to 5 minutes, then add a little more time. Komarovsky considers the best duration of bathing to be 15-20 minutes. If a quarter of an hour has passed, and the baby is calm and determined to continue the procedure, nothing bad will happen if the bathing is extended.
A newborn does not have time to get so dirty that he needs to be bathed every day.
Although Komarovsky strongly advises washing the baby every day. When the baby begins to crawl, get dirty, and actively explore the world, water treatments before bed should become regular and mandatory - you will have to bathe the baby every day.
It seems to Komarovsky that evening swimming is not a dogma. Parents themselves have the right to choose the most convenient bathing time for the family. Some evening hygiene procedures are postponed until lunchtime. However, Komarovsky warns that evening swimming has its benefits - for example, it promotes relaxation for a strong and healthy night's sleep.
Herbs and decoctions
No matter what traditional healers say, it is best to coordinate any use of phytotherapeutic agents during bathing with the treating pediatrician. Grandmothers, of course, will advise bathing their granddaughter in a series more often or be sure to brew him nine strength, but the common sense of parents should be above all. If a child suffers from atopic dermatitis, has diaper rash, or has a (genetic) tendency to allergies, be sure to consult a doctor.
For healthy children, bathing with the addition of decoctions of medicinal herbs is a rather useful procedure, says Evgeniy Komarovsky. However, moderation is good in everything; you shouldn’t prepare herbal baths every day, and you should be more careful with the dosage of decoctions and infusions.
Naturally, it will not work to treat something with herbal infusions added to water, since this is impossible, says Dr. Komarovsky. But there won’t be much harm with moderate dosing.
What to do if a child does not like to wash and screams?
Such situations do occur, says Komarovsky. But the point here is not at all about the child and not even about the fact that he is afraid of something. Most likely, according to a famous pediatrician, bathing conditions should be adjusted. Maybe the water temperature does not suit the baby - it is too high or too low for him. After experimenting for several days, parents will be able to understand which water is most comfortable for their child. Bathing should begin with it - and only then adjust the temperature in favor of cooling (adding cold water in a thin stream) or heating (adding hot water in the same way).
Another reason for a child’s screaming in the bathroom, according to Komarovsky, lies in the baby’s rejection of the bathing process, since it goes against his internal biological clock.
For example, a mother tries to bathe her baby only at night, and it is at this time that the child wants to sleep and not bathe. Therefore, Komarovsky gives some advice that will help parents whose children have trouble in the water:
Change the time of day.
Change your eating and bathing routine. If your baby screams when bathing half an hour after eating, then try bathing him half an hour before eating (or vice versa).
Practice sharing baths with your baby.
Large bath
This can be done as early as 2-3 months, says Evgeniy Komarovsky. At first, a child can get comfortable in a large expanse of water with a circle around his neck. This is a special inflatable device with a recess for the chin and Velcro on the back of the neck. The baby is fixed in such a circle, his head is always above the water, and he can practice swimming on his back, stomach, and turning over on his own in the water. Usually this picture brings the baby’s parents into indescribable delight.
Sometimes you can hear a bewildered question from a young mother about what is the purpose of bathing a newborn if he hardly gets dirty. Water procedures for a baby have a slightly different meaning - they promote physical and psychological development, bring benefits and a great mood. Bathing in the bath before bed helps the baby relax and calm down, despite the short time spent in the water.
Washing and bathing - what's the difference?
Ordinary hygiene has nothing in common with bathing a newborn, except for the presence of water in both procedures. Hygiene includes:
- washing;
- washing;
- washing the baby.
All this is necessary in order to make the baby cleaner. Parents will need:
- wet wipes or water;
- baby soap.
The process takes only 5 minutes in the morning, but bathing a newborn baby requires much more time. You need to bathe your toddler for several reasons:
- In a miniature bathtub or a large bathtub, the baby feels a sense of calm and comfort, because swimming reminds him of his own recent existence in his mother’s tummy.
- Thanks to the slight water pressure when bathing, the child receives the necessary physical activity.
- New skills of the newborn develop: emotional, tactile, communicative.
- Metabolism and appetite improves.
- Bathing your baby can be turned into a hardening procedure if you set the temperature correctly.
Regular water procedures are an excellent prevention of colds. This is what distinguishes bathing from daily washing.
You can and should wash your baby from the first days after birth. It is important to monitor the condition of the eyes, ears and nose, and also to prevent diaper rash under the diaper. It is prohibited to bathe your baby in running water or a large bath until the umbilical wound has completely healed.
It usually heals 2 weeks after the baby is born. Until then, parents should stick to the following alternatives:
- Bathing a newborn should be done in a special bath using chilled boiled water (we recommend reading:).
- You don’t have to bathe your little one, but wipe the contaminated areas every day with gentle wet wipes.
It is advisable to boil the water long before bathing the baby so that it has time to cool. It is better to measure the temperature not with your elbow, but with a special thermometer, since the baby’s skin is thin and sensitive.
After the umbilical wound has completely healed, bathing the newborn can be carried out as usual. The concepts of “washing” and “bathing” should not be confused. Water treatments can be a fun and useful activity if you follow the rules:
- The famous pediatrician Komarovsky immediately recommends let the child take a big swim in the spacious bathtub. This will be a real adventure for him, because there he can wallow to his heart’s content, grab toys and watch them. The water in a large bath takes a long time to cool, so bathing a child can last for half an hour. The energy and physical activity expended will allow the baby to quickly and soundly fall asleep without disturbing the parents at night. The more space, the more intense the stimulation of the internal organs and various muscles.
- For bathing a baby no longer need boiled chilled water, as after the allotted 2 weeks it is considered unreasonable and impractical. However, the water in the bath should be clean and free of visually noticeable impurities. If the water quality is poor, it is advisable to install filters.
- If you make it out of regular bathing of a newborn exciting process, the baby will be happy to wait for the moment when the opportunity to swim arises. It’s not easy to hold a toddler’s head without a break for 30 minutes, so special swimming rings and caps will be great helpers for parents. The circle is attached around the neck, preventing the head from falling in and the mouth from accidentally swallowing water. Along the entire perimeter of the cap there are pieces of foam that hold the child's head well above the surface of the water.
Older babies love to swim with toys. Parents of such children can combine bathing with useful developmental activities Free swimming should not be feared, despite the admonitions of the older generation about the risk of water getting into a child’s ears. The structure of the auricle does not allow water to penetrate too deeply; it flows back freely, causing absolutely no harm. After the water procedure, just gently blot your ears.
Optimal temperature
The temperature regime must be changed gradually, depending on how long the baby has been bathing. On the first swim the most suitable temperature is considered to be 33-34 C. It should be borne in mind that the data is indicated for a large space in which the baby can swim, wallow and be active.
Convenient time for water procedures
It is necessary to introduce the tradition of bathing babies before the evening feeding, which precedes bedtime. For adults, bathing a child is a fun activity, but for the participant it is a real sport. The calories expended and the workload cause two main desires: to eat and to rest.
For children under one year old, it is quite normal from the age of 4 months to sleep soundly throughout the night, without disturbing the mother with a request to feed. In this case, the duration of the baby’s bath should be at least half an hour, and in the evening the little one should definitely eat a hearty meal. The time for water procedures is set by the parents themselves, based on their own schedule.
Is diving dangerous?
There is nothing wrong with bathing a newborn, even if he accidentally goes under water for a few seconds. Children in the first months of life have unique reflex: as soon as water enters the respiratory tract, the resulting spasm prevents it from going further. There is absolutely no chance of choking. Access to important organs of the respiratory system is blocked, so the baby physically cannot get enough water. When staying under water for a long time, the baby faces a lack of oxygen, and not an abundance of water.
The baby holds his breath during immersion as a reflex, so there is no need to be afraid to plunge his head into the water. Finding himself in the familiar elements, the baby rejoices and swims with pleasure In the process of bathing a child, it helps strengthen the immune system and prevents the development of fear of water. In the absence of regular diving, the innate breath-holding reflex disappears after 2-2.5 months from the moment the baby is born.
Supplements
Ordinary clean water is suitable for bathing a newborn, but if you want to diversify the process, you should add a herbal decoction:
- measure with a glass, pour into a clean glass liter container.
- Pour boiling water completely and leave until evening. The water should be at the top edge of the jar.
- Before bathing the baby, strain the broth through cheesecloth and add to the bath.
For relaxation, potassium permanganate does not have any particular therapeutic effect. Potassium permanganate crystals can cause skin burns, so it should be diluted to a slightly pink tint, but such a solution is not anti-inflammatory. A composition with a more saturated color can burn the mucous membrane of the eyes, so it is not advisable to take risks.
Soothing mixtures, which are often prescribed by pediatricians, have a beneficial effect exclusively on mothers. Children's doctor Komarovsky sincerely does not understand why this is being done. No one has yet canceled the placebo effect, so after bathing a newborn in such a decoction, many mothers sincerely consider their children calmer.
Main stages of the procedure
It's important to come up with a plan and stick to it. The baby may not like the changes, but the regime will set it in a favorable mood:
- You need to prepare all the necessary items and means for bathing the child while he is lying in the crib - this is much better than then running around the apartment with a toddler in your arms in search of the missing component.
- Before bathing your baby, it is advisable to wash him and only then immerse him in the bath.
- If the baby goes on a long voyage, it is enough to lightly hold his head, holding his chin and the back of his head. The ears can be in the water, but only the face remains on the surface. There is nothing dangerous in bathing a child, because there is a lot of fat in the baby’s body, hence the increased “buoyancy”. Infants float very well, so a little support is enough.
- When bathing a child in a baby bath, you must hold him so that his head rests on the adult's forearm. For convenience, it is advisable to use a fabric or plastic slide.
- First you should bathe the baby, and then wash it, starting from the upper body, moving towards the legs. The head is also washed last.
Among the rules for bathing a newborn there is a wonderful exercise that stimulates development:
- Holding the baby by the back of the head and chin, roll through the water in figure eights.
- Let him push off with his legs from the sides when he hits them.
- Turn over on your tummy and swim in the opposite direction (we recommend reading:).
Such exercises can be seen on popular videos that young parents post on the Internet. It is advisable to bathe several times a week, not forgetting to perform hygiene rituals every day. It is not recommended to organize water treatments immediately after eating, since the little one will be capricious, and it is also harmful to health and the digestive system.
After bathing the child, you need to take him out of the water, wrap him in a warm towel and gently pat his body dry. Do not wear a cap or dry thin hair with a hairdryer. It is enough to feed the baby and put him to sleep.
