What procedures should be performed to keep baby's skin clean and healthy? What should be done to avoid diaper rash? How to change a diaper correctly? These and other similar questions are of concern to expectant mothers. Read the answers to them in the article.
Replacement of diapers. Timely and correct diaper change is the most important thing to keep your baby's skin healthy. Your choice is whether you use disposable and reusable diapers. Both options have their advantages. Reusable diapers are not cheap, after use you wash them, dry them and put them back on. You need to have several so that by the time of the next diaper change, the previous washed one has time to dry. You can sew a gauze reusable diaper yourself. This is what our mothers did, and now it is back in fashion. It looks like a triangle made of several layers of gauze.
You simply throw away the disposable diaper after use. Therefore, you should have a fairly large supply of such diapers. It is convenient to buy such diapers in large packs. But this is only when you select the brand that is right for your child. Diapers are also allergic.
It is imperative to change the diaper at every baby chair. But whether to change it after each urination - decide for yourself. The less contact the baby's skin is with urine, the less likely it is to develop diaper rash. Cheaper diapers become wet the first time your baby urinates. The more expensive ones retain moisture inside, preventing it from coming into contact with the skin.
A newborn can have a chair up to 12 times a day, that is, a diaper has to be changed every time the baby is fed (every 2-3 hours), or even more often. Please note that during sucking, the sphincters relax, it is during feeding that gases and stools go well. Therefore, if possible, it is better to change the diaper after feeding. Although not very convenient if your toddler likes to fall asleep while eating.
Skin cleansing. Every time you change a diaper, you need to cleanse your baby's skin. You can use special wet wipes or cotton wool soaked in water. It is also possible to wash the child under running water. But when it comes to a newborn, it is extremely inconvenient to do this: the mother's hand is still not firm. It is imperative to wash the girls with movements from front to back. This is to avoid getting dirt into the female reproductive system. The boy can be put under running water and booty.
When you are in the postpartum ward with your baby, you should have a lot of wet wipes. In the first days after birth, the baby will lose the so-called "first-born stool" or meconium, a thick green mass that was in the intestines before birth. This stool is much thicker and more sticky than breast milk. It is easiest to wash the original stool with water and baby soap. But in a maternity hospital it is usually very inconvenient to do this: sinks are more intended for washing hands than washing children. In addition, young mothers are often afraid to just hold the baby in their arms, not to mention doing some kind of manipulation with the canopy. You can ask the nurse to show you how to wash your baby properly. But you won't call her every time. Therefore, it is most convenient to use wet wipes. In order to cleanse the baby's skin from the original stool, a lot of napkins are needed.
Skin protection. Babies' skin is very sensitive. With high humidity and without air (primarily in a diaper), diaper rash can easily occur. They are especially common in places of folds. Diaper rash looks like a red rash or pimples. They can appear not only under the diaper, but wherever air is difficult to the baby's skin (on the neck, for example). Remember, baby's diaper rash is much easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, the baby's skin must be protected. You can use oil for this. It is suitable for chubby toddlers and toddlers with dry skin. Especially carefully it is necessary to lubricate the folds not only under the diaper, but also on the neck, in the armpits and in the places of the bends of the limbs.
Also use a protective diaper cream. It must be applied to cleansed skin under a diaper. Not all creams must be smeared with every diaper change. Some creams retain their protective layer for several hours, even when cleansing the skin with tissues. It is good if the cream contains zinc. It relieves inflammation on the skin well. There is zinc ointment, it should be used only with severe diaper rash and very carefully: it dries the skin a lot. Once the diaper rash is gone, it's best to use a cream that not only protects but also moisturizes.
To avoid diaper rash, as well as to treat them, air baths will help. When your baby is awake, leave him naked for at least a few minutes. This is also a way to harden the baby. Therefore, you should not turn on the heater at full power before undressing the child; keep the room temperature the same.
Thus, the fundamental points of caring for the skin of a newborn are cleansing, protection and timely hygiene. If your baby is dry and clean, then the occurrence of skin problems in the newborn is minimized.
