Bathing the baby is a great responsibility for new parents. But don’t get scared. With little care and with keeping these safe bathing tips in mind, bathing the baby can be fun for you as well as your kid.
• Stay at arms length of baby and keep your eyes on the baby constantly. An unattended baby can be drowned in less than an inch of water, within sixty seconds. While bathing, if the phone bell rings or there is knock at the door and you need to attend it, wrap the baby in a towel and take her along with you. Collect all the things you need to bath your baby in advance like towels, toiletries, clean nappy etc.
• The baby should be bathed in a room which is warm.
• Always test the temperature of the water before bathing on your wrist. It should, neither be too cold or too hot. Temperature should be between 100-120 degree Fahrenheit.
• Slowly ease the baby into the bath tub. Put a towel on the bottom to avoid slipping. If your baby is a new born, give support to the baby by holding firmly from the back. Start with washing baby’s face with a soft cloth gently. Use cotton balls to clean the area around the eyes.
• Now wash his / her hair with a baby shampoo. After washing and rinsing, gently rub his hair to dry before moving on to other parts of body.
• Use baby bath products that are particularly designed for babies and are mild.
• Never put the baby in running water. For babies up to six months, fill the tub with water not more than five inches. For older babies also, it should not be filled with water more than waist high. Try to make the baby sit in the bath.
• Take care that the baby does not lose heat after bath because babies can catch cold easily. Immediately wrap the baby in a towel and dry her and then put the nappy and other clothes on. Then again wrap him in a blanket and cuddle him at least for ten minutes to keep him warm.
• New born babies, who have not started crawling, do no get dirty very much. So daily bathing is not necessary for them. But if you are staying in a hot, humid weather, then the baby would likely need daily bathing. If the weather is too cold, give the baby a sponge bath. If baby’s umbilical cord is still attached, take special care to keep this portion dry.
Enjoy bathing your baby. Sing or talk to your baby while bathing so that baby feels comfortable and enjoys this ritual. It helps to develop a great bonding and in future your baby will always enjoy bathing.
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