Soon after you give birth to your little one, you find yourself being swamped with responsibilities. Be it the baby’s feeding or sleeping routines, you are always worried about one thing or another. And, ensuring that you properly clean your newborn is one of the concerns that might be constantly running through your mind. After all, as parents, you feel that one of your primary goals is to make sure that your little one is clean and healthy. But, no matter how much research goes into it, there might be several ways in which you can go wrong without an expert supervising you. Here, we bring you some of them:
1. Don’t Bathe Your Little One Too Soon
As we all know, babies don’t come into the world looking like they do in the ad commercials. They are covered with some waxy or slimy stuff, which of course, the doctor cleans up mostly. But, this might make you want to rush to give your newborn a bath as soon as possible. One thing you might want to remember, however, is that you should wait until the little one’s umbilical cord dries and falls off. This usually takes a week so don’t give any baths until then. You can perhaps opt for the sponge bath instead at that time (1).
Also, the slimy and waxy stuff that we talked about earlier is a protective covering called vernix. This too peels off on its own within a span of one week. So, there is no need to rush by treating it with baths or creams or lotions (2).
2. Don’t Bathe Your Little One Frequently
Giving frequent baths to the babies can lead to the removal of natural oils, which are actually meant to protect their skin. Frequent bathing is anything over three times a week for the newborns’ first year in this world. It might leave their skin all dry and vulnerable, which might also aggravate eczema. In fact, apart from the diaper changes and drool, the little ones really don’t get particularly dirty. So, for a month or so, giving them a sponge bath around two times a week is enough to keep the munchkins safely clean (3).
3. You May End Up Using A Lot Of Products
Baby skin is delicate, and so is their immune system. The chemicals and the fragrances present in the baby products can result in dryness, irritation, and rashes. So, try to keep it simple when it comes to the products you use. Just use the essential stuff like lotion and soap. And, make sure that the products you use are gentle and mild (4). Also, limit the use of scented baby skin product as much as possible. If you feel that the little one’s skin is too dry, use the lotion only on the affected areas.
4. You Make The Bath Either Too Hot Or Too Cold
As discussed earlier, a baby’s skin is delicate so it is important that you ensure the right temperature. Yes, much like how Goldilocks liked her porridge to be just the right temperature – neither too hot nor too cold. That’s how your little one likes his/her bath.
5. Keep Everything You Need Nearby
