Bathing the baby: what to watch out for

The sure grip

When you wash your baby, it gets wet and slippery. That’s why it’s important that you hold it tightly so that it doesn’t slip out of your way in the tub and startle you. Therefore, place your left arm under your child’s shoulders and grasp his left shoulder with your hand. His little head is supported by your forearm and you have a firm grip on it. You put the other hand under his buttocks to lift him into the tub. When it’s there, you can use your right hand to wash it.

Get used to the water and keep warm

So that your baby does not startle from the foreign element, you should be very careful at the beginning of the bath. This is very important, especially for babies who tend to be afraid of water, so that they don’t develop a total aversion to the bath. Submerge your baby in the water with slow rocking movements. Make sure your little one gets into the water feet first, as many babies feel unsafe when they first feel the water on their back where they can’t see it. Reassure your child by watching and talking to them while they adjust to the new feeling. Slowly lower your baby into the water until his buttocks are on the floor of the baby bath or sink. Keep holding it tightly with one hand and let it splash around in the water for a bit before you actually start washing. tips,

Especially with longer baths, it is important that you check the water and body temperature of your baby from time to time. So that your baby does not start to freeze, you can keep pouring warm water over his body with a cup or put a warm washcloth on his stomach. An added benefit of these methods is that your child is sure to find it exciting to watch the little waterfalls or play with and suck on the washcloth.

Wash the baby from top to bottom

For hygienic reasons, you should wash your baby in a specific order. Start with the parts of the body that are least dirty, i.e. the head and face. Wash them with a damp, soft washcloth and clear water. You can carefully wipe your baby’s eyes with a damp cotton ball from the outer corners of the eyes to the nose. Dried crusts in the corners of your eyes or nose should be dabbed with warm water and softened before you remove them so that you don’t hurt your child.

Next are the neck and stomach, then the extremities. First wash your arms and then your legs and feet. Pay special attention to carefully cleaning your baby’s skin folds, as these often collect sweat and dead skin cells.

At the very end you wash the genital area and the buttocks. You should clean these areas very thoroughly before you bathe, so that the bath water is not contaminated by stool residue. Therefore, no particularly time-consuming cleaning is now necessary. You can wash your child’s bottom “under water” by reaching under your baby with your hand. Alternatively, you can also hold your little one in a prone position over the tub to clean their bottom. However, be particularly careful and hold your baby tightly so that it does not slip off your arm!

Finish the bath in time

In the first few months of life, the bath time should not be more than five to ten minutes, as a longer duration would put too much strain on the delicate and sensitive baby skin. If you only washed your baby with plain water, you can now lift him out of the tub and wrap him in a warm towel. If you have used a bath additive, it is advisable to wash your baby again with a cloth soaked in clear water to remove any residue.

Dry carefully

After bathing, it is important to dry your child well. Use two towels for this. The first can trap the most moisture right after you lift your baby out of the water. If you then put your child on the changing table to dry them off, you can use a new towel that you may have previously warmed up on the radiator. This way your child does not lie on a wet surface all the time, feels more comfortable and does not cool down so easily. A hooded towel can also protect the sensitive little head from cold air.

When drying off, make sure that you dab rather than rub so as not to unnecessarily irritate the delicate skin. Nevertheless, you should proceed very carefully and, above all, not forget the skin folds so that your baby does not get sore. Moisture tends to collect in the following places:

• behind the ears
• Under the armpits
• Between the toes and fingers
• In the neck folds
• Between the folds of fat on your arms and legs
• In the intimate area
• In the belly button

Put your baby back on quickly after drying so that it does not cool down after the warm bath. Also make sure you wear a hat, as a lot of body heat is lost through the head.

Help with uncertainties

If you do not yet feel completely safe when bathing, your midwife is the right contact person. Many midwives support new mothers with their first bath anyway and, if desired, will also be happy to provide advice and support beyond that. Perhaps the presence of your partner can give you more security. This way you can consult someone if you are unsure and a helping hand can often do no harm so that you can concentrate fully on your baby.