The aquatic environment is most familiar to a newborn. However, the wrong behavior of the parents can cause negative emotions in the baby while bathing. Often one of these mistakes is the lack of awareness of parents about the recommended frequency of water procedures for babies.
When to start swimming?
It is necessary to accustom the child to the bathroom only after the umbilical wound heals, that is, on the 10-14th day of life. Until this time, the baby's immunity is very weak and the only way to hygiene is to wipe it off with a napkin or cotton swabs dipped in warm water. It is highly discouraged to use soap, as it can damage the delicate skin of the baby.
How often should a baby be bathed?
It all depends on what the purpose of bathing is. If bathing is a purely hygienic procedure, then according to international standards, 2-3 times a week is enough to prevent the baby's skin from becoming too dry. At the same time, you need to wash and wash your baby daily. Only when the baby starts to crawl can this process be done daily.
If we consider bathing as a hardening process, then it should be carried out daily. During the first procedure, the water temperature should be 37 ° C. Reduce the temperature gradually to 26 ° C, every day by half a degree. This process will help to improve the health of the child, normalize appetite and sleep.
How to prepare for swimming?
To make bathing safe, the water must be boiled for at least the first month of the baby's life.
You can bathe your baby in a regular bath, but before bathing, it must be treated with special means, because in addition to the child, the whole family bathes in it. Also, parents need to get an inflatable circle around their neck or a slide for swimming. These things will protect the child and greatly facilitate the task of the parents. A special baby bath can be purchased. This tub is more comfortable for parents and safer for the child, but its size will restrict the child's movement.
Before bathing, the baby should be warmed up by doing massage and light gymnastics in order to reduce the load on the body. A good time for bathing is before the last evening feed. Bathing before bed can help relax and calm your baby. In no case should you bathe your baby immediately after feeding. The duration of the bath depends on the child's mood. But up to two months of age, no more than 5-10 minutes, then this figure can be increased to 15-20 minutes.
After bathing, the baby should be blotted with a diaper, but in no case should you wipe it off with a towel. Then you need to process all the folds of the baby with special baby oil, if necessary, use a powder. Particular attention should be paid to the wound in the navel, it must be treated with hydrogen peroxide.
Also, do not overuse a variety of herbal supplements, as they can dry out the baby's skin or cause allergies.
