Baby Care How to give a bath
Baby Care How to give a bath
Bathing your baby is an important part of baby care, but while it is beneficial for baby development you dont have to bath a newborn every day. You can top and tail, ensuring that her face and bottom are kept clean.
Babies usually love bath time and it may become a special bonding time for you both or a chance for dads to get involved with baby care.
Start your bathing routine by warming the room, filling the bath with warm water and getting everything you need together, so baby never has to be left alone. Your baby should never be left alone in the bath, even for a second babies can drown in just a couple of inches of water. If you have to leave the room, wrap her in a towel and take her with you.
How to bathe your baby:
1. Undress your baby and wrap her in a warm towel.
2. Clean her bottom with a wipe or cloth before putting her in the bath.
3. Wash your babys face with the bath water before putting her in the bath.
4. Wash her hair before before putting her in the bath by holding her, wrapped in the towel, backwards over the water. Scoop water over her hair with your free hand, apply a little shampoo and rise.
5. Pat her hair dry gently using a soft towel.
6. Take your baby out of the towel, check the water temperature again and lower her into the bath holding her so that her head and back is supported on your arm. Use your other hand to soap and rinse her.
7. Once she is bathed, lift your baby out onto a towel on your knee and gently pat her skin dry, paying particular attention to the area around the cord.
Some other bath time tips:
1. Save time by only using soap every other night or if your baby is particularly dirty and just use water followed by baby lotion.
2. Once baby is able to sit a special bathing baby seat for the bath will keep her safe and youll be able to use both of your hands to wash her.
3. If you dont have a firm table top free for a baby bath use it inside the bath. Splashes and spills will then go down the drain and you can squirt the quantities of soap and shampoo you need on the side of the bath and wash it off easily afterward.
4. Invest in a gardening knee pad or fold up a thick towel to kneel on.
5. Bigger towels make life easier. You can envelope your little one and dry her off much more quickly.
6. Bath time is a key time for baby development and should be enjoyable. As she grows she will want to play certain games while bathing, play with certain toys and possibly hear the same bath time song over and over again.
There are some moments in your life that you will never forget. Among these are presents you got for Christmas, holidays you spent with your family and your first kiss. These can all be very special, but nothing can compare to the first time you lay eyes on your son or daughter. Because the moment they arrive you feel a sense of destiny, love and responsibility all rolled into one that is simply indescribable.
The things is. That coupled in with those warm, fuzzy feelings is the sure feeling that your life will never be the same again!
Now, that need not be a bad thing. But it is nevertheless the truth. Things are about to change, and you need to adapt to your new reality pronto if you are going to get the most out of the new wonderful experience of being a father or mother.
So, what do you need to consider when your bundle of joy finally puts in an appearance after that 9 month wait?
Firstly there are the practical matters to take care of:
Make sure that the nursery space is warm and airy with access to good light (You want to be able to see when you are changing those diapers!)
Also make sure to buy a really good, sound crib. You want to know that your child is safe. So don't skimp on the cost of this. You would feel awful if something happened that could have been avoided if you had just got a better quality product in the first place.
Coupled with this are items like bedding, a plentiful supply of diapers, blankets, a stroller, high chairs for feeding, bouncers and also items such as special car seats that are designed for babies. It is going to be much easier on you when you first get home from the hospital (assuming it wasn't a home birth), if you have planned ahead and secured all these different items beforehand. Because you want your first few hours spent at home to be special quality time with the ones you love best (including your significant other), and not time spent worrying about where to find a store that sells diapers at 3 in the morning!
Of course, the most important thing that your baby needs when it gets home is not necessarily material things (though try telling that to yourself when you are changing smelly diapers!) But rather, lots of love, affection and stimulation. So make sure that in the midst of all the chaos that will inevitably surround you, that you find time to sit quietly with your baby, play with them, kiss them, show them bright shiny objects that will make them smile. The 'juice of life' if you will;)
So, final thoughts. Get prepared. Get the different items you need NOW! It's never too early or too late to get organised. But in the most part smile and enjoy your new addition.