It’s not surprising, this is the most common question for new parents who are new to the idea of taking care of a newborn baby..
Now, you may be wondering what are the best things to do to keep the baby’s skin soft, gentle, and healthy..
Worry not, Mommy.. I got you covered!
In this post, I’ll be covering:
- The right practices for cleaning the diaper area.
- Baby Face care
- Cutting the nails for the first time
Let’s get started…
Baby Bottom Cleaning
To avoid the occurrence of diaper rash, change your baby’s diaper regularly, using the following steps:
Wash your hands with soap:
Well, this is a must before every time you touch your little baby.
Use wet wipes:
Prepare on the changing table a cloth wipe or a cotton ball wet with lukewarm water, soaked in a little mild soap.
If you do not have water available, for example when traveling, you can use disposable wipes, preferably without perfume, to avoid any risk of skin allergy.
Place your baby on the changing pad:
Lay your little baby on the changing pad and remove the soiled diaper and zip it up.
With one hand, hold your child by the feet, gently lifting his buttocks. With the other hand, clean the diaper area well.
Here, focus particularly on the folds of the groin and between the buttocks, to remove traces of stool and/or urine residues (very irritating and promoting the occurrence of skin fungus).
Wash the diaper area well
If you have a girl, clean her vulva by passing gently between the labia majora, from the pubis to the rectum (to prevent contamination by fecal germs).
Also, avoid the inside of the vulva (you will remove the secretions that protect the vagina from bacteria).
If your child is a boy, wash the bursae and the penis, without retracting the latter if the foreskin adheres to the glans (phimosis). This is because you could hurt your baby!
Dry the diaper area well
Make sure to dry the diaper area thoroughly, dabbing them with a towel.
To avoid irritation, make sure that the folds are completely dry, but it is not necessary to use a barrier cream.
If the skin is irritated, however, you can apply a layer of diaper rash ointment (zinc oxide based).
Throw away the soiled diaper
Try to keep the dirty diapers away from the other waste, as they stink quickly and make the whole area smell bad.
Thus, we recommend using special diaper disposal bags to prevent the room from being stinky
Put your infant in a safe place (for example, his bed)
You have to pay good attention to this point. Babies grow up so fast!
In a blink of an eye, your baby may be ready to roll..
That’s said..
If you are using a changing table, make sure to put him down and not leaving him alone
Finally, wash your hands!
In case anything is left on your hands, like baby bottom cream, make sure to get rid of it to stay ready for holding the baby anytime…
How To Wash The Baby’s Eyes, Nose, and Face?
Washing your baby’s face
Sometimes your child may have a whitish discharge that has accumulated in the inner corner of the eyes (near the nose).
This is very common among newborns..
In this case, pour a few drops of physiological saline into the eye, then wipe off the deposits with a compress, going from the outside to the inside of the eye.
Likewise, if your child’s nose seems congested, you can:
Either apply a few drops of physiological serum in each nostril, then wipe the base of the nose. Or roll two small cotton wicks on themselves and soak them in physiological serum, then clean the nostrils with it.
To wash the rest of your child’s face, simply use compresses (or a clean washcloth) and lukewarm water.
Washing the scalp of your infant
It is not necessary to wash the scalp more than two to three times a week in the bath.
But, it is important to brush it every day with a soft brush to remove clumps of fatty secretions and avoid cradle cap.
Clean your child’s ears
Your child’s ears are washed during the bath.
To do this, clean the horns (visible parts of the ears) and the grooves behind them with soap and water.
If you wash your baby without bathing him, use a wet glove and soap. It works!
In all cases, rinse and dry the pavilions and the back of the ears well, to avoid any maceration.
Insist on the entrance to the ear canal, using a thin towel.
You can also use a small cotton wick rolled up on itself (changing wicks as many times as necessary).
On the other hand, never use cotton swabs, they could hurt your child..
When And How To Cut The Newborn’s Nails?
During the first days of life, the nails remain stuck to the skin at the fingertips.
So, if you cut them, you risk cutting the skin on your baby’s fingers.
Thus, It is recommended you wait until the nails are long enough to cut them the first time, then you can do it regularly.
To make it easier, here are some tips and tricks:
- Use scissors with a round tip, suitable for infants.
- Choose a time when your child is calm and relaxed (for example, after a bath or during a nap).
- Slightly round the corners of the fingernails, so that the baby does not scratch himself.
- Trim the toenails straight, side to side, so that the corners remain relatively long. This prevents the formation of an ingrown toenail (penetrating the skin).
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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