Xyrah Kim
by on July 4, 2022  in Baby Education / Family & Home / Let's Talk Baby /
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Delaying the first bath provides more initial skin-to-skin time between mother and baby, and preserves smell, which is important because the similarity in smell between the amniotic fluid and the breast may encourage babies to latch, the study authors said. Delayed bathing fits into the Baby-Friendly practices by promoting skin-to-skin contact right from birth and throughout the breastfeeding process. Your baby needs to stay warm, so he won’t have a bath straight after he’s born. Your midwife will just wipe your baby and dry him using clean, warm towels. If your baby has creamy, white vernix on his skin, your midwife will take care to leave it on. If your baby is full-term and healthy, you can give him his first bath two hours after the birth, although many new parents prefer to start with topping and tailing their newborns.

One week old babies don’t get dirty. As long as you keep their bottom clean during diaper changes, you can just wipe them off with a wet wash cloth. You may enjoy giving your baby a bath from day one. You may feel you need time to recover from the birth and get used to handling your baby before you are ready to bath him. Newborns can lose body heat very quickly. So your baby's first bath should be quick but thorough, and last no longer than five minutes to 10 minutes. 

While most institutions used to bathe babies within an hour or two of birth, many are changing their policies. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends delaying baby's first bath until 24 hours after birth or waiting at least 6 hours if a full day isn't possible for cultural reasons. Bath time might be part of your nightly ritual, but doctors actually don't recommend daily baths for babies. Excess exposure to water can zap their skin of moisture and worsen conditions like eczema. Then again, not bathing your baby often enough can also aggravate eczema, plus lead to other infections. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to give your baby a sponge bath until the umbilical cord stump falls away. The average amount of time it takes for this to happen is 2 weeks, but sometimes the cord may fall off a little earlier or later.

About 5-10 minutes is long enough for a baby bath. This is especially important if your baby has dry or sensitive skin. A 'top and tail' bath is when you use cotton wool and warm water for your baby's eyes and face, and a washcloth for your baby's hands and bottom. The water should be warm, not hot. Check it with your wrist or elbow and mix it well so there are no hot patches. Don't add any liquid cleansers to the bath water. Plain water is best for your baby's skin in the first month.

You can give your newborn a bath in a small plastic bath or even in the kitchen sink. The kitchen sink might be easiest in the first few weeks. A plastic baby bath is probably easier once your baby gets bigger. You can bath your baby in any room that's warm, safe and clean it doesn't have to be a bathroom. You can start using unperfumed baby bath from about 4 to 6 weeks, but be careful to only use a little so you don't damage your baby's skin. Gently wash your baby's face with a lukewarm, wet washcloth. Don't use soap.

If you are washing the head first, you can do so while keeping your baby wrapped in a warm towel. Wet your baby's head with water, add a small amount of shampoo, and massage the head. No damage can be done to the "soft spot" when handled with gentleness. Rinse and pat dry. Babies with longer hair may need a drop of mild shampoo on wet hair, lathered and rinsed off. Baby's hair doesn't need to be washed every day, it's actually only necessary to wash their hair around twice a week. In fact, washing his hair too often could lead to dry skin and discomfort, which won't help him enjoy bath time any better.

Soft bristles massage your baby's scalp and help encourage blood flow. The soft bristles help brush off any loose skin and increase circulation to the follicles. Just like scalp massage in adults, this can encourage healthy hair growth. Even if your baby doesn't have much hair, it's still important to gently wash the scalp, to get rid of excess oil. To help stimulate thicker, fuller hair, gently apply coconut oil to your baby's scalp a few times per week. This doesn't only moisturize their hair; it can also help eliminate cradle cap.

Just avoid bathing your newborn right after a feeding (it's best to let her food settle a bit first) or when she's overtired. Babies tend to be more alert in the morning, which is appealing to some, though others may slate it in the early evening as part of her goodnight activities.

Bath time is amazing bonding time because you have skin to skin contact with your baby. After the bath it is the creaming and dressing both of which you can prolong for as long as you want. Don’t worry so much. Relax! Taking care of a baby is not passing an exam. The more you can both hold and cuddle your baby, the more confident you will all feel.

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