How to bath your newborn baby
As a nurse and a midwife I've shown many parents how to bath their baby - it's a scary thing to do for the first time, I can definitely appreciate that and had those same feelings when I first bathed Eli {our eldest son who is almost 12}. Jeremy learned to bath him first while we were in the hospital, I can still remember the face of the kind Health Care Assistant who showed him how. Here are my tips on bathing your baby;
- Warm the bathing area - this might be the bathroom or if you have a portable bath it might be in the living room or kitchen. Have the space toasty and free of draughts and where possible have the bath at a comfortable height for you. There's nothing wrong with a bath in the kitchen sink when they're still teeny tiny, in fact it's my favourite spot to bath a newborn with the bench normally at the perfect height
- Be prepared - have everything you need ready to go, hooded towel, nappy, creams, clothing and have it all within arms reach. There is nothing worse then realising your don't have everything you need while holding a slipper babe
- Check the temperature - always start with running cold water and then adding hot water. I learned to check the temperature by dipping the inside of my wrist in the water but a bath thermometer is much more reliable
- Start with the head - a hooded towel is a must have IMO, I like to start with washing the head and face. Keep you baby's body wrapped in towel while you wash their head and face with a wash cloth, drying it well before submerging the rest of their body in the water
- Master the hold - baby's are slippery and I teach the same hold the kind Health Care Assistant taught us. Place your arm around and behind the neck and then wrap your forefinger and thumb around their arm up near their armpit. This position will make you both feel secure.
Other tips;
- I like to time bathing for witching hour, it's a great wind down activity and something to pass the time
- I also like to add a drop of oil to the water to help with their dry skin - something like Nature Baby's Sweet Almond Oil or coconut oil also works well too.
- There are lots of baby baths and contraptions on the market, sometimes less is more and I think this is one of those instances, don't overcomplicate it
Photo credit : The First Hello