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Until the baby's navel or circumcision is healed, your doctor may prefer that
you give Baby a sponge bath. Or, if your baby is particularly tiny and delicate,
or has dry or irritated skin, your doctor may even recommend that you give him a
sponge bath for the first month or six weeks.
Choose a quiet time that's convenient for you. Many mothers find it simplest to
bathe their babies before the midmorning feeding. But if it's more convenient
for you just before his 6 P.m. feeding, do it then. Don't, however, give a bath
just after a feeding. This is the time your baby should be kept quiet to enable
satisfactory digestion.
Choose a warm room, preferably one that's sunny. Be sure there are no drafts in
the room. The temperature should be from 75 to 80 degrees. Probably the most
convenient place for you will be either the bathroom or kitchen, which are
usually warm rooms and where the warm water is handy.
Before you begin, assemble all the equipment. You can't bathe a baby properly if
you have to stop frequently and hunt for various items. On a low table, place I
or 2 pans of warm water, cake of mild soap in a soap dish, cotton swabs, large
pieces of cotton or a soft washcloth, a large bath towel for covering the baby, small towel with which to dry
him, baby lotion if it's necessary, cornstarch or powder with a cornstarch base,
nursing bottle of warm sterile water, diaper, safety pins, shirt, kimono or
nightgown, and a bath apron for you. Have a few toothpicks on hand to clean the
baby's nails if they need cleaning. Use the blunt tip. A bath thermometer is a
convenience but is certainly not a necessity.
Before you begin Baby's sponge bath, scrub your hands and nails with hot, soapy
water. Keep your nails short and round so you won't scratch the baby's delicate
skin.
Fill pans with water that registers 95 to 100 degrees on the bath thermometer,
or which feels comfortably warm to your elbow. No water softener or commercial
toiletries should be added to the water because of Baby's delicate skin. These
preparations are often responsible for skin irritations and rashes.
Sit down, with the baby in your lap, and you're ready to begin. If you use a
bath table, sit beside it on a stool of convenient height. Use the photographs
as a guide. While it looks like a time-consuming project, it really takes no
more than ten minutes or so and soon becomes routine. Work out your own bath
routine and follow it each day. Your baby will expect it, become accustomed to
it, and learn to cooperate step by step with you. Baby will enjoy the water, so
enjoy it with him.
If Baby's finger- or toenails are long, they can be cut best when he's asleep.
Use a clean, sharp pair of blunt tip scissors that have been wiped off with
alcohol. Never use manicure or other sharp scissors for this job as you might
easily hurt your child.
Pay special attention to cleaning the genital organs. If your baby is an
uncircumcised boy, ask the doctor how to clean under the foreskin. For girls,
separate the folds of the vulva, and clean. Always wash and wipe from the front
toward the back in this area. |