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About Your Baby About
Your Baby - Main
Page /
Bathing & Clothing Your Baby
“A baby is God’s way of saying the world should go on.” - Doris Smith |
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Bathing Baby
When it came time for my first baby's first bath, I panicked. I was afraid I'd drop her or that she'd be soapy and slip from my hands. I was petrified to wash her little head with its thin wisps of hair, afraid I would get baby shampoo in her eyes. OK, so baby shampoo isn't supposed to sting ... but what if it did? And her umbilical cord (or what was left of it) was icky and daunting. Thankfully, her daddy was there to take control of the situation. Dad set her baby bath tub securely in the kitchen sink, filled it with warm water, soaped her up, washed her little bean, rinsed her like a pro and wrapped her in a hooded towel. There was no panic or paranoia, just fun goo goo talk and smiles. He was my hero. It was also a wonderful opportunity for baby and daddy to bond. I think my daughter's father bathed her for at least a year or at least until a diaper disaster happened while he was at work and I had no choice but to wash her beyond a sponge bath. With my second daughter, I was already a baby bath pro although she was born in the heart of winter which severely cut down on her full-on bathing experiences. Every other day, I would crank up the heat to blazing and get her 'all the way' clean. She wasn't as enraptured with water as my older daughter was as an infant. Possibly because being bathed was synonymous with suffocating in 175 degree room temperatures ... Babies will accumulate all manner of dirt in places you'd never dream of looking. Most especially in the creases of their necks, underarms and legs. Clean and dry baby's neck and leg creases daily as baby could develop a rash if these areas if left moist. Neck creases will be catchalls for drool, dribble and liquids and need to be be kept as dry as possible. Leg creases will be breeding grounds for diaper mishaps and thus germs and bacteria you do not want lingering on baby's sensitive skin. Fast sponge baths with warm water and a thorough drying after a diaper change will help keep baby clean and free of skin ailments in these areas. Always use mild soap and lotions on baby's skin as most regular bar soaps are far too harsh for newborn skin. Neutrogena bar soap is acceptable, as are soap and lotion products specifically for babies. You can also use baby wipes to clean baby creases. Be sure to follow a wipe down with a soft, drying cloth to absorb lingering moisture. When your baby is old enough to sit unattended, you can introduce baby to the 'real' bathtub. When we first began bathing our daughters in the tub, either baby's daddy or I were right in there with her. It just didn't seem safe not to be. If not in there right along with your baby, you'll be leaning over the tub, washing and making sure your baby doesn't slam his/her head into the faucet. At this time, you will probably begin investing in bath toys. These are amusing distractions that will keep your baby from crawling out of the bubbles to trek soapy globs all over your home. Baby will worship his/her bath toys. Budget for bath toys ... ;-) You should never, not even for a second, leave your baby unattended in the bath, whether it be a baby tub in the kitchen sink or the regular bathtub for older babies. There are countless horror stories of parent's leaving their baby for the briefest moment to answer the phone or doorbell, only to return to find their baby underwater. Please don't let this happen. If the phone rings and you spaced bringing it with, forget it. Same with the doorbell. The UPS guy will come back tomorrow and hubby will figure you're giving baby a bath and call back. If you absolutely must leave the room, take baby out of the water, wrap baby in a towel and take baby with you. Showers are great for older babies and toddlers if you can get them to enjoy being sprayed and pummeled with water. Good tip: adjust the spray nozzle to a mild setting. ;-) Always shower with your toddler and supervise older children alone in the shower closely until they are at least six years-old. Babies seem to have a big problem with having their nails clipped ... do the best you can, maybe enlist help if it's available. One person holds baby's hand steady, the other clips nails ... If you've ever tried to clip a dog or cat's nails, it's the same principle ... they just don't like it and won't hold still. ;-) Don't clip Baby's nails too short, just enough to remove the ragged edges. Here are some wonderful web sites that will take you through the steps, stages and safety of bathing your baby:
Clothing Baby
You will need to be careful about under dressing or overdressing your new baby. I tended to the extreme in overdressing my two girls. I didn't figure it out the first time around and apparently tortured my second daughter equally. Babies do not sweat as we do so you'll have to be watchful of other overheating symptoms, such as crankiness and otherwise unexplained crying. For the most part, your newborn will be hanging out in jammies and swaddled in receiving blankets for the first few weeks. After that, you can have fun dressing baby in all the new and darling clothes you've received as shower or baby gifts. Babies do not need to be swaddled in receiving blankets, footed or warm weather jammies, socks, soft shoes and sweaters all together if it's warm. Warm being at or above 75 degrees F. If daddy is sweltering in a twenty degree freeze, ignore him. He has no nerve endings ... but babies do. They are comfortable being dressed in a soft jammie or clothing conducive to your season. If it's snowing or there's a heat wave, dress baby accordingly. Do swaddle baby in a receiving blanket as much as possible for at least the first three or four weeks of baby's life. This helps baby keep warm if baby isn't already overdressed and helps baby feel secure. It's also a good way to keep baby from scratching him/herself with those little razor nails babies tend to produce faster than you can clip them. Swaddling instructions with illustrations can be found here: How to Swaddle your Baby. It's a safe bet to dress baby just a little bit warmer than you would dress yourself or, if you notice baby is squirming or seems uncomfortable, either remove or add a piece of clothing as seems appropriate. If your baby's hands feel chilly, add a sweater. If your baby feels warm and is not running a fever, remove a piece of clothing or change baby into a cooler outfit. Babies lose heat through their heads. If you live in a cold climate, have plenty of knitted caps on hand for baby's little bean. Baby's skin is brand new and very tender. Always dress your baby in soft clothing and preferably non-synthetic fabrics. Pure cotton is always a good bet. You will find most better baby clothing is made from pure fabrics and for a good reason. Baby will have plenty of years to get used to living in chemically tainted apparel so try to spare baby's skin the first few years of life. You will probably find that your baby is less prone to rashes and other skin irritations this way. Speaking of which, disposable diapers are indeed filled with weird chemicals and synthetic things. I never once used a cloth diaper, however. The thought of anything but disposable caused my heart to rapid fire. Moms who use cloth diapers are to be commended as they are definitely better for baby's butt, not to mention the environment. I stand chastised and humiliated before humanity for my lack of booty and global compassion, however, you don't have to pollute the earth and you can still use disposable diapers! GDiapers makes awesome disposable and flushable diapers! Very, very cool. Sure wish these were around when my kids were babies! Here's a page that explains how to change a diaper if you haven't yet figured out how to get them just right (don't feel inadequate, diapering does take a while to master): How to Change a Baby's Diaper
As for washing newborn clothing, you will need (or want, depending on
your level of skepticism) special detergent made for anything that is
going to touch baby's skin. I used
Dreft
Detergent
About Your Baby - Site Map This site provides general information and the author's opinions. It is designed for educational purposes only. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about the health of your child. |
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and after a year or so, started washing my kid's clothing in the wash
with all the rest of our clothes. This didn't have any adverse effect
on my babies, however, if your baby has sensitive skin, you might want
to continue using
