By Stacy DeBroff
You do not need to bathe your baby every day as long as the diaper area and skin folds are kept clean. Babies generally need baths at least every two to three days.
Pick a time when your baby is well rested, not cranky, and has not eaten recently in order to avoid an accident.
Make sure the room is warm and draft-free.
Pick a wide surface near running water, such as a kitchen sink or bathroom counter.
Remove jewelry that could scratch your baby's skin. Add a hook by your sink or tub to hang jewelry so you can easily find it after bath time.
To keep your newborn from slipping out of your hands, wear a pair of thin cotton gloves.
Reassure your baby with soothing words, and ease him into the water feet first.
With the other hand gently wash your newborn with warm water and a soft washcloth. You do not need soap or shampoo early on.
Rotate the part of the washcloth that you use from one body part to another to keep clean cloth on cleaner parts of the body.
Wash behind your baby's ears, between his fingers and toes, and in the crevices of his elbows, knees, face, and neck. Wash only the outer ear, not the canal.
If your baby's hair seems oily, use only a few drops of shampoo. Support your baby's neck and tilt his head back slightly to rinse. If your baby has cradle cap (a flaky scalp) use a soft toothbrush to clean it.
Dampen cotton balls with warm water to clean your baby's eyes, gently wiping from the inside out. Use a different ball for each eye to prevent the spread of an eye infection. Clean his eyes only when you see that he needs it.
Leave the diaper area until last. Your baby's genitals need only gentle cleaning.
Wash girls from front to back to prevent urinary tract infections.
Do not wash the head of a circumcised penis before it has healed. Leave behind whatever dirt you cannot remove gently with a soft cloth.
Do not pull back the skin to wash an uncircumcised penis.
Towel your baby dry, making sure to dry all his folds and creases.
Dress him immediately, as your baby will lose body heat quite rapidly.
Once the umbilical cord has fallen off and healed (and, for circumcised boys, the penis has healed) your baby is ready for a baby bath.
CORD CARE FOR A NEWBORN
To prevent infection and to dry out your baby's umbilical stump, gently rub the base of the cord and crevice three times a day with a cotton ball or swab dipped in alcohol. The alcohol will not sting the stump, as it has no nerve endings, but be careful not to let the alcohol touch a newly circumcised penis.
Let air get at the cord to dry it by folding down the front of your newborn's diaper or using diapers with a belly button cut-out until the cord falls out and the area heals.
CRADLE CAP
Cradle cap looks like a bad case of dandruff, with flaky reddish patches on your newborn's scalp. It usually goes away within a few months after birth.
After checking with your pediatrician, gently:
-Shampoo his scalp with a small amount dandruff shampoo, making sure it does not get into your baby's eyes.
- Brush flakes out of the hair with soft brush.
- Use a soft toothbrush to brush spots with shampoo during bath time.
- Rub the scalp with a light vegetable oil, mineral oil, or Vaseline.
Image From: Persil
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