You came home from the hospital.
Happy, in pain and confused, you are required to function right away - breastfeed or feed, swaddle, cradle and bathe.
The first bath for a baby is considered a task that raises many concerns among new parents, mainly due to the delicacy required and dissatisfaction of some babies during the bath.
So how can you still succeed in the bathroom challenge?
And these tips can make it easier for both you and the baby?
Shiri Siman Tov
, a developmental companion and sleep consultant for babies, owner of the "Baybush Developmental Companion" brand, has prepared a guide for you for the first bath:
Be careful about the right time for the bath.
When is it right to take a bath?
Each one will then decide.
It is better, of course, for the baby to be full but not immediately after eating (it is recommended to wait about an hour), and of course not too tired.
A bath requires energy from the baby and it is desirable that he arrives there alert enough.
Don't stress
True, it is very unpleasant to hear your tiny baby crying in the bath (or already on the way to it), but it is important to understand the situation and not be stressed by it.
The first few times the baby needs to get used to the water and the changes between hot and cold and between wet and dry.
These transitions are not used to him and he reacts accordingly.
A baby's crying is his way of signaling to you that he does not feel comfortable and it is your job to help him and instill confidence and calmness in him.
Get the help of another person
the first few times it is recommended to take a bath together and not alone, so that there will be another pair of hands to help and support and so that you will feel more confident.
For the sake of the matter, recruit your spouse, or a grandmother who will enjoy sharing her experience and you will already feel more relaxed.
Prepare in advance what you can
How do you prepare a bath in advance?
Fill the water, check with a thermometer that its temperature is 36 degrees, and make sure the bathroom is warm enough.
If the baby was born in winter, make sure to turn on a radiator or heating, also in the room where you will dress the baby and make sure that the temperature there is 26 degrees.
Take a towel with you to the bath where you can wrap the baby immediately when you take him out of the water, and on the changing table prepare clean clothes, a diaper, diaper paste, cotton wool and alcohol to disinfect the umbilical cord.
In addition, prepare a brush for brushing the hair.
The bath step
If you have a special seat for the baby to lie down in the bath, use it to prevent slipping and leave you two hands free.
You can place a tetra diaper on the seat so that the baby feels wrapped and protected.
Even if you don't have such a seat and the baby is leaning on your arm, you can put him in wrapped in tetra, which may make it easier for him to go from dry to wet.
Insert the legs first, then the back area and finally the shoulders.
If you did wrap the baby in a cloth diaper, take him down and gently begin to clean his face and from there move to the head, from the forehead to the back, so that water does not drip on his eyes.
Continue to his body and clean between the folds (neck, hips and joints), gently clean the navel area and finally the tusks, penis or vulva.
Pay attention, when cleaning the penis to go well between the folds and under the testicles and do it gently for boys due to recovery from circumcision.
When you clean the vulva - do it from the stomach to the back and not the other way around to prevent the entry of bacteria.
Then, turn the baby over with your arm supporting the chest and wash the back of the body.
When you are done, immediately wrap the baby in a towel to create a sense of security and keep in mind that there will be babies who express dissatisfaction.
Many of them do not like the change from dry to wet, from naked to wearing and vice versa.
after the bath
Take the baby to the room, dry and wipe him with gentle pats until he is completely dry.
The navel area must be cleaned with 70% alcohol three times a day, including once after bathing.
If it is a boy, the penis must also be treated according to the instructions you received from the Mohel.
If you use the diaper paste, put a little of it before you close the diaper, dress the baby and brush his hair.
Well done to you, you passed the first bath!
Even if it wasn't easy, remember that as time goes by you will feel more confident and understand how to deal with the baby in a way that will be most pleasant for both of you.
A baby taking a bath (Photo: ShutterStock)
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Daniel Saranetsky, in collaboration with JAMA
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