Bathing your baby safely
It's best not to bathe your baby straight after a feed or when they're hungry or tired.
Choose a time when you're not rushed or likely to be interrupted. Some parents opt for morning baths, when their babies are alert. Others prefer to make baby baths part of a calming bedtime ritual. If you bathe your baby after a feeding, consider waiting for your baby's tummy to settle a bit first.
If you bathe your baby three to four hours after she eats, she may be getting so hungry (and cranky) that she has no patience for the bath. On the other hand, if you bathe her right after she eats, the jostling may make her spit up. Aim for a bathtime between an hour and two hours after a meal.
Rinse well to get rid of all the shampoo. Pat his or her face and head dry before you continue with the bath. Wash the rest of your baby's body.
When you're done, no need to rinse baby. Simply take them out of the bath and gently pat them dry. Apply fragrance-free lotion to baby's skin to lock in the hydrating benefits of the milk bath.
Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3–4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks. After that, it's OK to let your baby sleep for longer periods of time at night.
Bedtime Secret: Draw a Warm Bath
After coming out of a warm bath, a baby's body temperature starts to cool, which can help your infant fall asleep more easily.
When your little one is about a month old, their nails will have started to harden a little. This will make it easier to trim them using special baby nail scissors, which have rounded tips, baby nail clippers, or an emery board, though you'll still need to do this carefully.
Squeeze one to two drops of saline nose drops in each nostril to help loosen any dried mucus and then use a rubber suction bulb. To use it, first squeeze the bulb. Next, gently stick the tip of the bulb into a nostril. Finally, slowly release the bulb and it will pull out clogged mucus.
Wash baby's face gently with a wet washcloth. Use a wet cotton ball or washcloth (no soap) to clean your baby's eyes and face. Wipe from the inside of each eye to the outside. Make sure you get any dried secretions out of the nose and eyes.
And it's best to avoid bathing your baby when they're hungry or straight after a feed. If bathing relaxes your baby, you can use it as a way to settle your baby for sleep in the evening.
To give your newborn a sponge bath, dermatologists recommend these tips: Gather the supplies. You will need a bowl of lukewarm water, a washcloth and a mild, fragrance-free baby soap. Lay your baby down on a comfortable, flat surface.
It might be tempting to let your baby sleep longer than three hours, because let's be honest, having that much time to yourself is wonderful. But naps that go longer than three hours (at any age) are typically an indication that your baby is crashing, either from a night of poor sleep or prior short naps.
Letting your baby snooze for more than four hours during the day might mean she's less tired at night. That could make it harder to get her to settle down for bed or cause her to wake up extra early in the morning.
The Moro reflex is the cause of your newborn baby to sleep with his arms above his head. This reflex, commonly referred to as the “startle reflex”, disappears by 6 months of age.
When should I start tummy time? Tummy time should start soon after birth as part of a pleasurable daily routine. You might begin with 1 to 2 minutes a few times a day. Over time, you can gradually build up to 10 to 15 minutes, several times a day.
Some newborns poop five times a day; others only poop every five days. If your newborn poops less frequently, but they are eating regularly and their stool is soft and appears typical, then that's normal for your baby. However, if they go more than a week without pooping, contact your pediatrician.
Delayed first bath for at least 24 hours may reduce infant mortality and hypothermia. Delayed bath for at least 6 hours may prevent hypothermia and hypoglycaemia and improve EBF rates at discharge.
Acne in newborns can be present right after birth or develop after a few weeks. Usually, these breakouts will clear on their own with time, but breast milk can help ease them and help with your baby's sensitive skin. Soak a cotton ball in breast milk and softly pat it on your baby's face.