Baby Hygiene

There is no need to bathe a child on the first day you bring it home from the hospital. The main reason why is because the hospital probably already took care of it.

Another reason why is because the child is probably very tired. The main reason for the child being so tired is simply being succumbed to many new sights and sounds.

Therefore, let the child rest for awhile. Then, on the second day is when the baby hygiene cycle should start.

The Routine

It is a good idea every single night to get into the routine of doing water watching treatments. Usually the best place to do this is either the kitchen or the bathroom.

You should in the process make sure all the windows in the room are closed. This will avoid the baby from getting cold when the wind blows. It also helps to heat the air in the room if it is typically cool in there.

However, in the summer of course you may not need a heater, and it should be more relaxed and if its hot the baby will feel cooler. The water temperature of the bath of course is probably going to be cooler in the summer than in the winter.

Usually you can do this on a kitchen table. It would be best if you cover the table with a blanket before hand, and then perhaps if you were to put a top diaper or other kind of barrier to stop dripping water from reaching the table surface.

Then on top of that you would place maybe a terry towel or sheet. You could also have another diaper handy for use while the baby swims.

You might also want to have a dry diaper as well as clothes and/or a tool for removing the umbilical cord handy. Any skin products such as oil, cream, or powder you might need may also be helpful.

The Bathing Process

A variety of helpful hints can help you make the bathing process easier. It can also help you clean your baby as thoroughly as possible.

• It is highly recommended that you place the infant on his or her belly. That way, before you start the washing process you can give the baby a light back massage. You can also then turn the baby back over and lightly rub the legs and hands in a therapeutic fashion.
• If you have used the baby’s bath basin before, make sure it is thoroughly washed before or after each use. Otherwise, it will defeat the purpose as to what it was meant for-baby hygiene.
• Make sure your baby bath basin is big enough. As your infant grows you may need a larger one. Otherwise, the infant may take up all the room and it makes it harder to wash.
• As far as the temperature of the water, it should be about 37° Celsius (about 98° Fahrenheit). You can use a water thermometer or you can put your elbow in the water to test it.
• As far as washing your baby, it is advised to do so with a soft sponge and some baby soap. It is advised that you do this about once a week.
• As you wash your baby you should pay particular attention to these important spots: behind the ears, front and back of the neck, the armpits and elbows, the hands and navel, and finally under the knees.
• If there is crust on your baby’s scalp you can remove it gradually. Using some baby oil can help tremendously. However, the baby’s head should be checked by a children’s doctor to make sure it’s not diathesis.
• As far as taking care of your baby’s nails you should check them and trim then as needed. You can take a look at them every 3 to 4 days.
• The ears of a child are often the dirtiest part, but often get forgotten. You should clean both behind them with regular baby soap and water. The insides can be cleaned gently with cotton swabs without forcing it too hard into the ear canal.
• The umbilical wound needs to be cleaned daily (either in the morning or at night). Usually this is done with some hydrogen peroxide, bandage, cotton sticks, and boiled water.