Bathing a baby can absolutely fill a new parent with so much excitement and at the same time anxiety. Of course, you are still not comfortable carrying this little delicate creature, and it kind of feels awkward for you getting her in and out of the little bathtub.
Surely your baby will be likely to be loud and annoying during her first real bath because she is still not used to it, and it adds stress to your mind. Nevertheless, it won’t be too long until bath time is one of the happiest and favorite routines of your baby. She’ll be so excited once she hears a water running, and surely you’ll be having a hard time getting out of the tub.
Bath time is one of the many ways for you and your baby to build a connection and bond with each other. And you’ll love the result of a bath. Once the baby’s umbilical cord stump has fallen off, it is already the right time for her to take a bath in his mini tub.
- Gather all the supplies you need. Once you’ve gathered all the things you need for your baby’s bath time, fill the tub with a two to four inches of warm water – always check the temperature, is it cold or too hot? Because a baby’s skin is very sensitive.
- Gently place your baby in the tub. Don’t be too harsh on lowering your baby into the tub even if it contains water, and keep in mind to support his head and neck with one of your arms.
- Wash his face. One more important thing is to wash his face regularly.
- Wash the genital areas. Don’t forget to wash your baby’s diaper zones because that’s where the germs usually reside.
- Dry him up. Cover him with a dry towel to dry his whole body – you can do this while you’re still sitting.
- Apply lotion. Massaging your baby with a lotion will help her be more relaxed. Who wouldn’t want a soothing massage right? Not only, it will make your baby more relaxed after her bath, but also to make your baby feel secure, loved and ready for sleep. Massage can help build a more skin-to-skin contact with your baby as well as her body language. Research has shown that there are health benefits of baby massage.
Early Childhood Development Stages and Beyond
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Big Bath
When your child can sit up safely on her own, normally by 6 months, she’s prepared for the huge bathtub. The infant which may have objected amid a shower time now doesn’t need it to end! Her new, roomier space makes it much less demanding and more amusing to sprinkle.
By now, you’re already a master at bathing – however, there are still safety precautions you need to bear in mind:
- NEVER leave your baby ALONE. As mentioned in the early part of this article, the first and most important thing to remember is to never leave your baby unsupervised. Since they still don’t know how to swim, they may drown even in less than an inch of water. As much as possible, ready all the things you need before placing your child in the bathtub (soap, towel, diaper, clothes, etc.) In case you have a visitor and the doorbell rings, take your baby with you – just wrap a towel around her.
- Check the water temperature. You need not only to check the bathroom’s temperature, but also the water’s temperature. Generally, babies prefer cooler water than warm. To check, place your wrist or the inside of your elbow in the water to make sure it’s not too hot nor too cold. If you have a water heater, set it to 120 degrees Fahrenheit as it may only take about two to three seconds for your baby to suffer from third degree burn if you set your heater to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Other safety precautions. The proper height of the water for babies should be only 2 to 4 inches deep. Additionally, keep other electric appliances such as hair dryers or curling irons away from the bathtub when you’re showering your baby.