How To Bathe Your Baby
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1. Get ready: Bath time is approaching. Whether you prefer to wash your baby in the morning or in the evening, you will have to go early to preheat the bathroom and reach an ambient temperature of about 22 or 23 °C before undressing baby.
To avoid being overwhelmed, all parents will tell you that the key word in this area is organisation! Because once baby is in your hands, you cannot run to go and find what you left in the other room. Indeed, when they are in the bath, your child will need your full attention, to avoid accidents.
So, before plunging your little one in water at 37°C, remember to keep at hand everything you will need to dry and care for your little one: towels, moisturiser, saline, nail clippers, cotton swabs, pyjamas, and clean babygros.
2. Be well-equipped: In addition to the pressure on the shoulders of new parents during the first baths, there's pressure on their backs too! In addition to being tense from concentration, your back muscles will be all the more put to the test as you bend over the bath.
But rather than writhing over the tub, some parents find a folding baby bath useful. This accessory has the advantage of placing baby at your height, that is to say that you will not need to bend to wash your child. Admittedly, this type of bathtub is bulky, but it is an inconvenience that will last only a few months.
3. Wash them well: Whilst the maternity nurse will guide the new parents during the first baths given at the maternity ward, things may seem less obvious once you get home, partly because you are alone, but also because you'll be using a different bath.
But whatever equipment is used, the first thing to do is to hold baby's head firmly out of the water. Generally, it is advisable to wash baby from top to bottom, ie from the scalp to the feet, ending with the genitals that are supposed to be the dirtiest.
To limit the risk of allergies on new skin, experts recommend to opt for neutral soaps sold in pharmacies. But Marseille soap or soap surgras will do just fine too. Once the bath is finished, wrap baby in a towel and take care to dry them well all over - paying special attention to the elbows, thighs, knees, and buttocks.
