Newborn Baby Bath

Bathing is a pleasant and relaxing moment for the baby. However, many new parents feel a lot of anxiety the first few times because they are afraid of doing something wrong. This is completely normal if they have not done it before and if they have not received the necessary information.

Let’s start with the reasons why we should bathe the baby:

• First of all, bathing is done for hygiene reasons, as it removes urine, feces, and any food residues.
• It helps you to develop a better bond with the baby.
• Blood circulation is enhanced.
• It relaxes the baby, helps for a better sleep, and helps colic relief.

Things to watch out for:

1. Bathing 2 to 3 times a week is enough. More frequent bathing can cause skin dryness.
2. The World Health Organization recommends delaying it at least 24 hours after the delivery because the vernix that remains on the baby’s skin helps to regulate the body temperature.
3. Bathing should be done after eating because the baby is calmer. Although give your baby some time to digest the milk, 20 to 30 minutes is enough. So there is less chance of vomiting during the bath. Many parents choose the afternoon for bathing the baby because they notice that it helps the baby to relax and fall asleep more easily.
4. The way you hold the baby is very important.
5. Choose a relatively warm room of the house for the bath. A room temperature between 22°C and 24°C is ideal. This is important because the baby after the bath gets cold very quickly and it is difficult to regulate its temperature in a cold environment.
6. The water temperature should be between 36°C and 38°C. You could check it with a thermometer or the elbow method.
7. The products you use should be for babies and not adults, without parabens and other chemicals. The skin of the newborn baby is very sensitive, that’s why the parents need to be careful with the products they are using. Some parents choose to use only water the first few times.