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Caring for your New Born Baby
So your baby is finally here. If you thought that the last nine months were exciting, terrifying and scary, then look out. The fun has just begun. After you finish cooing and cuddling your baby, reality can quickly sink in, as you all of a sudden realise that your pregnancy is over, and you finally have to learn to be a mother. And fast!
For a new parent, looking after a new baby can be quite daunting, particularly if they haven’t been around babies, or didn’t have younger siblings. After months of waiting, all of sudden there are so many things to learn. How do I hold him? How do I bath her? How long should they sleep, and are they getting enough to eat.
For a new parent, looking after a new baby can be quite daunting, particularly if they haven’t been around babies, or didn’t have younger siblings. After months of waiting, all of sudden there are so many things to learn. How do I hold him? How do I bath her? How long should they sleep, and are they getting enough to eat.
Whilst no book or manual will tell you everything (most of this job is learnt hands on), there are a few things we can help you with.
Handling your baby
Many new parents are terrified when they first start picking up and handling their baby. Newborns are just so tiny and look so fragile, that many are afraid they are going to hurt them. This is quite normal, particularly for the Dads. But don’t be too worried though, babies are a lot stronger then they look. If you are careful it is unlikely that you will hurt them.
When carrying your baby, keep them close to your body, and walk slowly and gently. Make sure that you use your arms to supports their back, neck and head. Until a baby is old enough and strong enough to support themselves, always have your hand behind their neck for support.
There are two ways to hold a baby either in the traditional cradling position, where their head sits in the crook of your bent arm, whilst the other arm circles under their back and bottom. And the other is to carry them against your upper chest with their head on your shoulder, with one arm holding their back and bottom, and the arm supporting their upper back, shoulder, and head. As you get used to supporting the baby, and adjusting to their movement, your confidence will grow.
Contact and communication with your baby
Whilst your baby is very new to this world they will learn to react with it quite quickly, and can recognise you and your partner by both your smell and your voice. If you put your face about 25 cms away from theirs, they will be able to see you.
Your baby is born wanting to communicate with you, so make sure you offer your baby lots of cuddles, smile a lot and always talk to them as if they were an adult, they will respond to you by moving their mouth, sticking out their tongue or jerking their whole body.
And remember baby’s love skin to skin contact, so if you are not breastfeeding remember to lay your baby on your naked chest or stomach so that they can smell you and feel your touch. This works for Daddy too.
First nappies
Your baby’s first nappies may not contain what you expect. During the first 24 hours they will pass meconium; which is a blackish-green stool mainly made up of mucous and tissues that were digested whilst in the womb. This substance is very thick and very sticky and is hard to clean. Try using Johnson’s baby lotion, or olive oil and cotton wool to help remove it.
After this first bowel movement, your baby may not have another bowel movement for a couple of days, particularly if they are breastfed, or they may keep pooing every few hours. Every baby is different. After about Day 4, your baby will have around 4 to 8 dirty nappies a day, and their poo, will slowly change from a blackish-green to a greenish-brown, and finally a semi solid yellow poo, similar to American mustard.
If you are breastfeeding then the colour and consistency of your baby’s poo, will stay this same yellowy mustard colour, until you introduce solids around six months. And the good news is that it will probably not smell. However if you switch your baby to formula then their stools can change colour from yellow, to brown and even green. And unfortunately they will smell a little.
In the early months, expect to change your baby around 10 – 12 times a day.
As baby’s have a very quick digestive system, they will usually fill their nappies straight after they have fed. So leave nappy changing to after, not before a feed.
If you are breastfeeding, your baby will only have colostrum the first few days, so until your milk comes in, it is unlikely that your baby will have any wet nappies. Instead look out for urates. Which look like tiny dried yellow jelly crystals, and can stain your baby’s nappy pink or red.
Once your baby starts drinking milk, they can urinate up to 20 times a day. Over time their bladder muscles begin to strengthen, and you will be only need to change them around 5 to times a day. Again, remember that they will need to be changed straight after a milk feed, as the milk goes straight throw them.
If you have a daughter, please be aware that newborn baby girls may also have some vaginal discharge in the form of a small amount of blood or a white or clear creamy substance in their nappies. This is completely normal and usually clears up within the first few days.
Nappy Rash
Babies have extremely sensitive skin. In fact, their skin is 50% thinner than an adult’s, which makes it more susceptible to skin irritations such as nappy rash.
Nappy rash is common, with the majority of babies suffering from it every now and again, and some suffering from it on a frequent basis. The main cause of nappy rash is the frequent contact of irritants such as urine and faeces. When urine and faeces are trapped in a moist and warm environment, such as your baby’s nappy, and are rubbed against your baby’s skin it can cause irritation and infection.
Nappy rash usually starts out as a little redness on the skin, and can develop into small red sores and raised sore and irritated skin.
The best way to treat Nappy rash is to keep the area clean. Avoid detergents, fragrances and soap. Let the baby has some nappy free time. Change their nappy frequently. And use a specific Nappy rash cream at every change.
Whilst Nappy rash is common, the best way to prevent it is by ensuring your baby has regular nappy changes, particularly if they have a dirty nappy. Always cleaning their skin with either warm water and cotton wool, or fragrance free wipes. Always ensuring that their skin is dry before reapplying a new nappy. Applying a preventative cream or lotion. And, allowing their skin some time to breath by giving them some nappy free time each day.
Unfortunately, even if you do, do everything right, your baby may still get nappy rash. Some external factors such as sickness, coughs and colds, introducing solids or new foods, teething, using new detergents or simply the nappy rubbing against their skin whilst moving, can cause a rash. So the best thing you can do is keep them clean and dry at all times and, ensure that you treat their skin at the first sign of redness.
Just remember young babies can urinate up to 15 times a day, and usually always urinate or empty their bowels straight after, or soon after a feed.
Baby Sounds and Breathing
Your baby may be small, but they sure do make a lot of noise. Apart from crying, babies make a lot of strange sounds including snuffling, sneezing, grunting and hiccups.
When you listen to your baby, you may notice that their breath is much shallower and more rapid than ours, and that their breathing sounds raspy like they have a cold. This is completely normal, and doesn’t mean your baby is sick, even though it sure does sound that way. As your baby’s nasal passages grow, and their lungs grown stronger these sounds will lessen.
On top of the raspy sounds, you might notice that sometimes it seems like your baby is not breathing. This is because a newborns breath is so shallow and quiet that it is often difficult to see or hear their chest moving.
It is also common for newborns to occasional stop breathing all together. Whilst it usually only last a second or two, it doesn’t make it any less terrifying for new parents concerned about SIDS. Again, this will dissipate as their lungs grow stronger.
Personally, I don’t know how many times I found myself leaning over my sleeping baby trying to see or hear her breathe. Not seeing or hearing your baby breath is a frightening thing, so if you want to check on your baby twenty times a day, do it. It is your new parent prerogative.
Some parents like to use a humidifier in their baby’s room, to help keep the air moist and help their baby breath. But the best thing to improve your baby’s breathing is time and age. If you are ever worried, or something doesn’t just seem right, then see your Doctor.
Apart from your baby’s breathing, you may also notice that they sneeze a lot. This is because babies use sneezing as a way to clear their nasal passages, and have been known to sneeze in response to a bright light or strong sunlight.
And in regards to your baby’s constant hiccups, these will also fade as their digestive system matures. Giving them a burp, a bath, or a small breastfeed can usually help settle them down.
Sticky eye in babies
Babies usually don’t begin to get tears until around weeks. As such a lot of babies are born with sticky eye. You can usually tell your baby has a blocked tear duct when you see a creamy clear substance weeping from their corner of their eyes. This substance usually dries to a hard crusty material which needs to be wiped away.
You can buy a bottle of saline solution from your pharmacist, or you can simply use cooled boiled water and some cotton wool.
Always wipe from the inside corner of the eye to the outside corner of the eye. To stop the infection from spreading, use a clean piece of cotton wool for each wipe and for each eye. And wash your hands after you throw away the soiled cotton wall. Clean the eye every few hours or whenever you see it weeping.
Sticky eye is normal, and can be found in around half of all babies. It will usually clear up on its own after a few week or months. If the eye begins weeping a yellow or green substance see your Doctor, as your baby may have developed a bacterial infection.
Feeding your baby
Your baby relies totally on you to receive all of its dietary and nutritional needs. Luckily for new parents, milk is the only food that a baby needs for the first six months of life. So there isn’t too much to worry about.
Whilst your baby only needs milk right now, feeding does take up a great deal of time. Some new parents are actually shocked to realise that the saying that you feel like all you do is ‘feed, change, burp and feed your baby again’ is actually true. Newborns need to be fed every two hours and the time starts from the beginning of their last feed. So if you have a slow feeder, you could actually be feeding your baby every hour.
There are two options when it comes to feeding, breastfeeding and bottle feeding. If you are breastfeeding than there isn’t much you need to do, as your breast milk is premade and ready to go. (Well, actually there is a bit to learn about learning the ‘art’ of breastfeeding, so check out our breastfeeding page, but basically you don’t need to learn how to make it, which is a good start).
If you need to, or have decided to bottle feed, then you will need to learn how to mix formula. Will have to sterilise bottles and will probably have to perceiver with a few brands of formula until you find the one that suits your baby. We also have a page dedicated to this subject, so check it out.
Baby Bath Time
On top of feeding, sleeping and entertainment, your new role also includes your baby’s hygiene. Whilst it isn’t necessary to bath your newborn every day, (every two to three days is OK in the first months) you do need to ensure that on the days that they do not have a full bath, they are given a ‘top to tail’ wipe down.
At first bathing your baby, can be quite frightening. It can be difficult to know how to hold them, and they are notoriously slippery. The best thing to avoid stress at bath time, and make bath time fun, is to be prepared and allow yourself plenty of time, around 30 to 40 minutes is normal.
Firstly, as you don’t ever want to leave your baby unattended in the bath, make sure that before you get started you have everything set out, and within reaching. Think, bath wash, cotton buds, and towels. Also make sure that you have everything you need at the change table as well. Think clean clothes, baby lotion, nappy, extra towels and a hair brush.
Once you have set everything up, it is time to run the bath. You only need a couple of inches of warm water for a newborn, and a small squirt of sensitive skin bath wash after the age of six weeks is all the soap they need. To check the temperature of the water use your elbow, or sprinkle some water on your skin.
Some parents prefer to avoid any accidents and decide to purchase a bath thermometer, which is a pretty good investment for under ten dollars. And for parents who find holding a slippery baby frightening or a strain on their back, a bath support can be purchased for around twenty dollars.
Once you are all ready, it is time to get baby. Before you put the baby in the bath, you need to wash their hair. To do this, strip baby down their nappy and wrap them in a towel. (Babies hate the feel of air of their skin, so keep them wrapped as long as possible). Hold the baby in the crook of your arm and hold their head over the baby bath, whilst supporting their neck. Use your other hand to wet their hair with warm water, wash with baby wash, rinse and dry with a towel.
Once their hair is washed it is time to remove their nappy and put them in the bath. You can try dipping their toes in first to allow them a chance to adapt to the feelings of the water before slowly lowering them all the way in.
Start by washing their neck and face, using cotton wool dipped into the water. Then use a clean cotton wool ball to wipe each eye. Starting from the inside and wiping out. After you have cleaned their face, ears and neck, move on to their body. You can use a face washer or cup water in your hand and gently pour over your baby, including their stomach and the umbilical cord if it is still in place. There is no need to clean their ears or nose as these are self cleaning.
When it comes to cleaning the genital area, boys and girls are a little different.
For boys just wash the whole of this area, but do not pull back your baby’s foreskin. It won’t be until they are around 3 or 4 that this skin can move. If your son has been circumcised then use this as an opportunity to check for bleeding or swelling. Make sure you dry the area carefully and thoroughly after their bath.
For girls always wipe the genital area from front to back, this prevents any bacteria spreading to her bladder. Use also do not need to open the lips of your daughters vulva, this is self cleaning, all you need to do is wash the outer area, and dry thoroughly after her bath.
After your baby is clean, you can spend a few minutes having a play. Splash some water, play with a toy or talk to them about their body parts, by touching and sounding out their feet, toes, hands etc.
When the baby comes out of the bath you will want to keep them warm and get them dressed as soon as possible, if everything is set out you don’t have to worry about delaying the dressing.
Use a soft baby towel (our towels can feel like sandpaper on their skin) to dry your baby all over, paying particular attention to the folds in their skin, behind their knees, between their toes and under their neck.
As baby’s skin looses moisture twice as fast as ours, it is also important to moisturise your baby from neck to toe. You may also want to use the opportunity to give your baby a massage or soft rub.
Dress your baby as quickly as possible, and then place them somewhere safe, whilst you go and empty the bath.
Baby Bath Tip: I found that laying a few towels on the kitchen bench and placing the baby bath on top made it much easier for bath time. I had access to water (just fill with a jug) and I could wash baby at my height, this made it so much easier on my back.
Baby’s Umbilical cord
The umbilical cord usually takes up to about 2 weeks to dry up and fall off. You can still bath your bath before it drops off, but do not use any soap or irritants on it, and ensure that is dried after their bath. Allow as much air to get to it as possible. Folding their nappy down so that their belly button sits above their nappy and pants helps the area keep dry.
Baby’s Nails
Try to keep your baby’s nails short so they do not scratch you or themselves. The best time to cut them is after a bath when they are soft. It can be difficult to get babies to keep still during a nail cutting, so the best time to cut them can be whilst giving them a milk feed.
Some other tips include rubbing your baby’s fingers in talc, to help give you a good view of where their nails are, and using your teeth to gently bite them off.
Cradle cap
Sometimes your baby may get red or yellow coloured scaly patches on their head. This is cradle cap and is very common in young babies. It is not due to poor hygiene and usually clears up with age. Gently washing your baby’s head every day, and giving it a light brush with a soft baby brush can prevent cradle cap.
If it does appear, you can try soaking their scalp with a little olive oil or baby oil over night, or rubbing in some Sorbelene and Glycerine cream and allowing it to soak in for 30 minutes or so. When the scales are soft, they should wash off at their next bath. Use a soft face washer or baby comb to help remove the scales. If they are thick it may take a couple of goes to get rid of it all.
Remember do not be tempted to scratch the scales off, this only encourages more scales to form and for the scales to spread. Cradle cap usually disappears between the ages of 6 to 12 months, however if your baby seems to have a prolonged or bad case of cradle cap, see your Doctor for a special shampoo.
We have lots of information for new mums from food, to sleeping to keeping your baby amused, so visit our new mums page or scroll the site for lots more information that will definitely come in handy...
Many new parents are terrified when they first start picking up and handling their baby. Newborns are just so tiny and look so fragile, that many are afraid they are going to hurt them. This is quite normal, particularly for the Dads. But don’t be too worried though, babies are a lot stronger then they look. If you are careful it is unlikely that you will hurt them.
When carrying your baby, keep them close to your body, and walk slowly and gently. Make sure that you use your arms to supports their back, neck and head. Until a baby is old enough and strong enough to support themselves, always have your hand behind their neck for support.
There are two ways to hold a baby either in the traditional cradling position, where their head sits in the crook of your bent arm, whilst the other arm circles under their back and bottom. And the other is to carry them against your upper chest with their head on your shoulder, with one arm holding their back and bottom, and the arm supporting their upper back, shoulder, and head. As you get used to supporting the baby, and adjusting to their movement, your confidence will grow.
Contact and communication with your baby
Whilst your baby is very new to this world they will learn to react with it quite quickly, and can recognise you and your partner by both your smell and your voice. If you put your face about 25 cms away from theirs, they will be able to see you.
Your baby is born wanting to communicate with you, so make sure you offer your baby lots of cuddles, smile a lot and always talk to them as if they were an adult, they will respond to you by moving their mouth, sticking out their tongue or jerking their whole body.
And remember baby’s love skin to skin contact, so if you are not breastfeeding remember to lay your baby on your naked chest or stomach so that they can smell you and feel your touch. This works for Daddy too.
First nappies
Your baby’s first nappies may not contain what you expect. During the first 24 hours they will pass meconium; which is a blackish-
After this first bowel movement, your baby may not have another bowel movement for a couple of days, particularly if they are breastfed, or they may keep pooing every few hours. Every baby is different. After about Day 4, your baby will have around 4 to 8 dirty nappies a day, and their poo, will slowly change from a blackish-
If you are breastfeeding then the colour and consistency of your baby’s poo, will stay this same yellowy mustard colour, until you introduce solids around six months. And the good news is that it will probably not smell. However if you switch your baby to formula then their stools can change colour from yellow, to brown and even green. And unfortunately they will smell a little.
In the early months, expect to change your baby around 10 – 12 times a day.
As baby’s have a very quick digestive system, they will usually fill their nappies straight after they have fed. So leave nappy changing to after, not before a feed.
If you are breastfeeding, your baby will only have colostrum the first few days, so until your milk comes in, it is unlikely that your baby will have any wet nappies. Instead look out for urates. Which look like tiny dried yellow jelly crystals, and can stain your baby’s nappy pink or red.
Once your baby starts drinking milk, they can urinate up to 20 times a day. Over time their bladder muscles begin to strengthen, and you will be only need to change them around 5 to times a day. Again, remember that they will need to be changed straight after a milk feed, as the milk goes straight throw them.
If you have a daughter, please be aware that newborn baby girls may also have some vaginal discharge in the form of a small amount of blood or a white or clear creamy substance in their nappies. This is completely normal and usually clears up within the first few days.
Nappy Rash
Babies have extremely sensitive skin. In fact, their skin is 50% thinner than an adult’s, which makes it more susceptible to skin irritations such as nappy rash.
Nappy rash is common, with the majority of babies suffering from it every now and again, and some suffering from it on a frequent basis. The main cause of nappy rash is the frequent contact of irritants such as urine and faeces. When urine and faeces are trapped in a moist and warm environment, such as your baby’s nappy, and are rubbed against your baby’s skin it can cause irritation and infection.
Nappy rash usually starts out as a little redness on the skin, and can develop into small red sores and raised sore and irritated skin.
The best way to treat Nappy rash is to keep the area clean. Avoid detergents, fragrances and soap. Let the baby has some nappy free time. Change their nappy frequently. And use a specific Nappy rash cream at every change.
Whilst Nappy rash is common, the best way to prevent it is by ensuring your baby has regular nappy changes, particularly if they have a dirty nappy. Always cleaning their skin with either warm water and cotton wool, or fragrance free wipes. Always ensuring that their skin is dry before reapplying a new nappy. Applying a preventative cream or lotion. And, allowing their skin some time to breath by giving them some nappy free time each day.
Unfortunately, even if you do, do everything right, your baby may still get nappy rash. Some external factors such as sickness, coughs and colds, introducing solids or new foods, teething, using new detergents or simply the nappy rubbing against their skin whilst moving, can cause a rash. So the best thing you can do is keep them clean and dry at all times and, ensure that you treat their skin at the first sign of redness.
Just remember young babies can urinate up to 15 times a day, and usually always urinate or empty their bowels straight after, or soon after a feed.
Baby Sounds and Breathing
Your baby may be small, but they sure do make a lot of noise. Apart from crying, babies make a lot of strange sounds including snuffling, sneezing, grunting and hiccups.
When you listen to your baby, you may notice that their breath is much shallower and more rapid than ours, and that their breathing sounds raspy like they have a cold. This is completely normal, and doesn’t mean your baby is sick, even though it sure does sound that way. As your baby’s nasal passages grow, and their lungs grown stronger these sounds will lessen.
On top of the raspy sounds, you might notice that sometimes it seems like your baby is not breathing. This is because a newborns breath is so shallow and quiet that it is often difficult to see or hear their chest moving.
It is also common for newborns to occasional stop breathing all together. Whilst it usually only last a second or two, it doesn’t make it any less terrifying for new parents concerned about SIDS. Again, this will dissipate as their lungs grow stronger.
Personally, I don’t know how many times I found myself leaning over my sleeping baby trying to see or hear her breathe. Not seeing or hearing your baby breath is a frightening thing, so if you want to check on your baby twenty times a day, do it. It is your new parent prerogative.
Some parents like to use a humidifier in their baby’s room, to help keep the air moist and help their baby breath. But the best thing to improve your baby’s breathing is time and age. If you are ever worried, or something doesn’t just seem right, then see your Doctor.
Apart from your baby’s breathing, you may also notice that they sneeze a lot. This is because babies use sneezing as a way to clear their nasal passages, and have been known to sneeze in response to a bright light or strong sunlight.
And in regards to your baby’s constant hiccups, these will also fade as their digestive system matures. Giving them a burp, a bath, or a small breastfeed can usually help settle them down.
Sticky eye in babies
Babies usually don’t begin to get tears until around weeks. As such a lot of babies are born with sticky eye. You can usually tell your baby has a blocked tear duct when you see a creamy clear substance weeping from their corner of their eyes. This substance usually dries to a hard crusty material which needs to be wiped away.
You can buy a bottle of saline solution from your pharmacist, or you can simply use cooled boiled water and some cotton wool.
Always wipe from the inside corner of the eye to the outside corner of the eye. To stop the infection from spreading, use a clean piece of cotton wool for each wipe and for each eye. And wash your hands after you throw away the soiled cotton wall. Clean the eye every few hours or whenever you see it weeping.
Sticky eye is normal, and can be found in around half of all babies. It will usually clear up on its own after a few week or months. If the eye begins weeping a yellow or green substance see your Doctor, as your baby may have developed a bacterial infection.
Feeding your baby
Your baby relies totally on you to receive all of its dietary and nutritional needs. Luckily for new parents, milk is the only food that a baby needs for the first six months of life. So there isn’t too much to worry about.
Whilst your baby only needs milk right now, feeding does take up a great deal of time. Some new parents are actually shocked to realise that the saying that you feel like all you do is ‘feed, change, burp and feed your baby again’ is actually true. Newborns need to be fed every two hours and the time starts from the beginning of their last feed. So if you have a slow feeder, you could actually be feeding your baby every hour.
There are two options when it comes to feeding, breastfeeding and bottle feeding. If you are breastfeeding than there isn’t much you need to do, as your breast milk is premade and ready to go. (Well, actually there is a bit to learn about learning the ‘art’ of breastfeeding, so check out our breastfeeding page, but basically you don’t need to learn how to make it, which is a good start).
If you need to, or have decided to bottle feed, then you will need to learn how to mix formula. Will have to sterilise bottles and will probably have to perceiver with a few brands of formula until you find the one that suits your baby. We also have a page dedicated to this subject, so check it out.
Baby Bath Time
On top of feeding, sleeping and entertainment, your new role also includes your baby’s hygiene. Whilst it isn’t necessary to bath your newborn every day, (every two to three days is OK in the first months) you do need to ensure that on the days that they do not have a full bath, they are given a ‘top to tail’ wipe down.
At first bathing your baby, can be quite frightening. It can be difficult to know how to hold them, and they are notoriously slippery. The best thing to avoid stress at bath time, and make bath time fun, is to be prepared and allow yourself plenty of time, around 30 to 40 minutes is normal.
Firstly, as you don’t ever want to leave your baby unattended in the bath, make sure that before you get started you have everything set out, and within reaching. Think, bath wash, cotton buds, and towels. Also make sure that you have everything you need at the change table as well. Think clean clothes, baby lotion, nappy, extra towels and a hair brush.
Once you have set everything up, it is time to run the bath. You only need a couple of inches of warm water for a newborn, and a small squirt of sensitive skin bath wash after the age of six weeks is all the soap they need. To check the temperature of the water use your elbow, or sprinkle some water on your skin.
Some parents prefer to avoid any accidents and decide to purchase a bath thermometer, which is a pretty good investment for under ten dollars. And for parents who find holding a slippery baby frightening or a strain on their back, a bath support can be purchased for around twenty dollars.
Once you are all ready, it is time to get baby. Before you put the baby in the bath, you need to wash their hair. To do this, strip baby down their nappy and wrap them in a towel. (Babies hate the feel of air of their skin, so keep them wrapped as long as possible). Hold the baby in the crook of your arm and hold their head over the baby bath, whilst supporting their neck. Use your other hand to wet their hair with warm water, wash with baby wash, rinse and dry with a towel.
Once their hair is washed it is time to remove their nappy and put them in the bath. You can try dipping their toes in first to allow them a chance to adapt to the feelings of the water before slowly lowering them all the way in.
Start by washing their neck and face, using cotton wool dipped into the water. Then use a clean cotton wool ball to wipe each eye. Starting from the inside and wiping out. After you have cleaned their face, ears and neck, move on to their body. You can use a face washer or cup water in your hand and gently pour over your baby, including their stomach and the umbilical cord if it is still in place. There is no need to clean their ears or nose as these are self cleaning.
When it comes to cleaning the genital area, boys and girls are a little different.
For boys just wash the whole of this area, but do not pull back your baby’s foreskin. It won’t be until they are around 3 or 4 that this skin can move. If your son has been circumcised then use this as an opportunity to check for bleeding or swelling. Make sure you dry the area carefully and thoroughly after their bath.
For girls always wipe the genital area from front to back, this prevents any bacteria spreading to her bladder. Use also do not need to open the lips of your daughters vulva, this is self cleaning, all you need to do is wash the outer area, and dry thoroughly after her bath.
After your baby is clean, you can spend a few minutes having a play. Splash some water, play with a toy or talk to them about their body parts, by touching and sounding out their feet, toes, hands etc.
When the baby comes out of the bath you will want to keep them warm and get them dressed as soon as possible, if everything is set out you don’t have to worry about delaying the dressing.
Use a soft baby towel (our towels can feel like sandpaper on their skin) to dry your baby all over, paying particular attention to the folds in their skin, behind their knees, between their toes and under their neck.
As baby’s skin looses moisture twice as fast as ours, it is also important to moisturise your baby from neck to toe. You may also want to use the opportunity to give your baby a massage or soft rub.
Dress your baby as quickly as possible, and then place them somewhere safe, whilst you go and empty the bath.
Baby Bath Tip: I found that laying a few towels on the kitchen bench and placing the baby bath on top made it much easier for bath time. I had access to water (just fill with a jug) and I could wash baby at my height, this made it so much easier on my back.
Baby’s Umbilical cord
The umbilical cord usually takes up to about 2 weeks to dry up and fall off. You can still bath your bath before it drops off, but do not use any soap or irritants on it, and ensure that is dried after their bath. Allow as much air to get to it as possible. Folding their nappy down so that their belly button sits above their nappy and pants helps the area keep dry.
Baby’s Nails
Try to keep your baby’s nails short so they do not scratch you or themselves. The best time to cut them is after a bath when they are soft. It can be difficult to get babies to keep still during a nail cutting, so the best time to cut them can be whilst giving them a milk feed.
Some other tips include rubbing your baby’s fingers in talc, to help give you a good view of where their nails are, and using your teeth to gently bite them off.
Cradle cap
Sometimes your baby may get red or yellow coloured scaly patches on their head. This is cradle cap and is very common in young babies. It is not due to poor hygiene and usually clears up with age. Gently washing your baby’s head every day, and giving it a light brush with a soft baby brush can prevent cradle cap.
If it does appear, you can try soaking their scalp with a little olive oil or baby oil over night, or rubbing in some Sorbelene and Glycerine cream and allowing it to soak in for 30 minutes or so. When the scales are soft, they should wash off at their next bath. Use a soft face washer or baby comb to help remove the scales. If they are thick it may take a couple of goes to get rid of it all.
Remember do not be tempted to scratch the scales off, this only encourages more scales to form and for the scales to spread. Cradle cap usually disappears between the ages of 6 to 12 months, however if your baby seems to have a prolonged or bad case of cradle cap, see your Doctor for a special shampoo.
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It won’t be long before you are an old hand at this.
So don’t worry...
So don’t worry...
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