Baby's Bathing

How to bathe a baby

Bathing your baby may seem difficult. But with a little care and attention giving bath to a baby is quite easy. Read on to find out how to bathe a newborn?

Women who are experiencing motherhood for the first time may feel little concerned about bathing their new born. Bathing your baby is a marvelous experience for mother as well as for a child. Like adults newborns too need a bath daily. New parents are not used to bathing their babies. Parents could turn bathing time into fun time and at the end bond with their babies.

Things I will need to bathe my baby

Bathing your new born once or twice a week is more than enough till it starts crawling and getting dirtier. You should be particular about cleaning your baby's genitals before each diaper change. Cleaning your baby's face with a wet cotton ball would be enough to maintain basic hygiene. You may need following things to bathe your baby.

• Baby tub or clean sink
  
  
• Soft towel
  
  
• Washcloth
  
  
• Baby soap or mild body wash
  
  
• Baby shampoo
  
  
• Cotton balls
  
  
• Clean diaper or nappy
  
  
• A set of clean clothes

Bathing my baby

You should be totally prepared with all accessories that you will require to bathe your baby. Make sure that you have important things such as baby wash and wash cloth at hand's distance. Keep towel, baby clothes, body lotion or baby oil all set as to avoid chaos later. Once you are ready with all that you will need, you are ready to give your baby a bath.

Prepare a bath tub

You may bathe your baby in the baby bath tub or in the sink according to your convenience. If bathing in the tub is awkward, bathingin the sink could help you to get firm grip of your baby while it is soapy. Babies enjoy comfy warm baths. The temperature of the water should not be too hot or too cold. Fill enough water in the tub. Keep bath mug and wash cloth handy if you are going to use them.

Undress a baby

Undress your baby completely and wrap it up in a soft towel. Carry your little one to the place where he is going to enjoy its bath. Soothe your baby a little by caressing and cuddling. You will need some baby toys here, may be a rubber duck or a ball to accompany your baby while taking a bath.

Shampoo your baby

Slowly put your baby into the tub. Keep on splashing water gently on baby so that it will not feel too cold. Start with shampooing your baby's hair by squeezing some water with the use of the wash cloth. Gently apply a baby shampoothat will not irritate your baby's eyes. No tear formulae shampoo would be a smart buy for your baby. Massage the scalp and then remove the traces of shampoo with the wash cloth dipped in warm water.

Wash your baby

Hold your baby with a firm grip throughout the bath. Strictly avoid adult's soap to bathe a babyas it may dry out your baby's skin. You need something gentle to clean your baby's feather soft skin. Opt for milder body wash or baby soaps. Gently apply the soap all over your baby's body. Keep the use of the soap as minimum as possible.

Clean baby's eyes and face with moistened cotton ball. Genitals, nose, ears, eyes are the areas prone to get dirty. Clean these areas gently. Rinse your baby thoroughly with a clean wash cloth. Grip your baby's head with one hand and bottom with other hand to offer a firm grip.

Dress-up the baby

Once you are done with bathing wrap a baby in the towel. After drying a babywith towel, apply baby oil or baby lotion on the moist body. Applying baby lotion will moisturise the skin, keeping it soft. You may apply some baby powder. Dress up your baby. If your baby could talk then he would have said, "Mummy I am feeling so fresh".
Safety tips while bathing your baby

Here are few simple tips that will make bathing time easier for you and your newborn. By following these safety rules you can ensure a safe bath.

• Keep your child safe in the bathroom. Never leave your baby alone even for a minute while bathing. Let that phone ring and let the person on the door wait for a while.
  
  
• Wearing soft rubber gloves will help you to hold your baby firmly.
  
  
• Avoid using soap till the umbilical cord falls off. Give a sponge bath to your baby meanwhile.
  
  
• Keep the umbilical cord dry so it will fall of soon without any infection.
  
  
• Make bathing a fun experiencing for a baby by purchasing some toys which are safe while bathing.
  
  
• Use minimum soap. Avoid using regular soap. Opt for baby soap.
  
  
• Do not prolong the bathing time. Keep it short.