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.
It's best not to bathe your baby straight after a feed or when they're hungry or tired. Make sure the room you're bathing them in is warm. Have everything you need at hand: a baby bath or clean washing-up bowl filled with warm water, 2 towels, a clean nappy, clean clothes and cotton wool.
Avoid Taking a Shower
Digestion requires a lot of energy and a good amount of blood flow toward the stomach. When you take a bath or shower right after eating dinner, it causes a slight decrease in body temperature. It is advisable to wait at least 30 to 45 minutes after any meal before bathing.
In fact, we recommend delaying your newborn's first full bath for at least two weeks. Newborns shed about three layers of skin within their first week, which often surprises new parents. Their skin is still adjusting to the dry air, so it's perfectly normal.
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.
It is important to follow these safety rules when bathing your baby: Keep the room warm so your baby does not get cold. Bathe your baby quickly to avoid chilling. Keep water around 100° Fahrenheit (F) or 37.8° Celsius (C).
Yes! You can bathe with your baby as long as it's safe to do so, meaning, you're following all safety precautions. Bathing with your baby is a great bonding activity as it increases the skin-to-skin contact with your little one.
Too much bathing can decrease babies' natural bacteria count and make them more susceptible to infections and rash, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP advises, however, that it's best to bathe babies at least three times a week.
Generally, a bath 2-3 times per week is enough to keep your newborn baby's skin clean. If they like to be bathed, it's fine to bath them more frequently. Sometimes baths can dry your baby's skin so only use a small amount of soap or baby bath wash.
Breast Care
Avoid restrictive clothing and underwire bras, which can cause blocked milk ducts and increase the risk of breast infection. Change nursing pads whenever they become damp, wet, or soiled. Take a daily shower. Use only clear water on the nipples.
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.
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.
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.
Hiccups are normal and usually don't hurt your baby. In younger babies, hiccups are usually a sign that they need to be seated upright during or after feeding, that feeding needs to be slower for them, or that they need more time before or after feeding to relax.
The American Academy of Paediatrics suggests you should wash your baby's hair two or three times a week using a mild shampoo while regular 'topping and tailing' may be used to help keep your baby's face and body clean.
Moisturising your baby
Apply a thick, non-fragranced moisturiser all over daily at the first sign of dryness. Thicker creams are more effective than lotions. Apply moisturiser more often if the skin always seems dry. Avoid moisturisers containing botanicals, food and fragrance as these may disrupt the skin barrier.
Few activities can be as soothing as taking a bath—and that's especially true for little ones. After coming out of a warm bath, a baby's body temperature starts to cool, which can help your infant fall asleep more easily.
Sit your baby on your lap supporting the chin and chest with one hand. Rub or pat the back with your other hand. Tip: Use repeated, gentle pats on your baby's back. Rest your baby faced down on your lap and gently rub or pat the back.
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.
Either paper of cloth towels can be used but cloth towels can harbour germs and need to be used for just one child and washed regularly. Your baby's hands should be washed as thoroughly as you would wash your own hands, or encourage your older children to wash theirs.
Brushing encourages blood flow and a healthy scalp
It also reduces dry skin on the scalp. Brushing regularly reduces your baby's chances of developing cradle cap, a condition that causes the skin on the scalp to become dry and then flake.
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.