Bathing

Different culture and countries have their own way of following the baby bath methods.

But the main objective for this is to clean the skin on the baby , to prevent infection and stimulate circulation .

Different kinds of bath

Lap Bath

Bathing the baby while keeping him in your lap . the mother sits on the stool while keeping the baby in her lap and can sponge bath the baby and get him dressed .

Sponge Bath

Using sponge to bath the baby instead of pouring water on his skin . this way you can clean the skin of the baby while on bed and can prevent him from catching cold if there is tendency of that .

Tub Bath

This is a common method to clean the baby .in this the baby is giving bath in the tub . the infant himself will enjoy this method as it can  be playful for them .

Things to keep in mind

1. Use warm room and warm water
2. Bath quickly and gently
3. Dry quickly and gently
4. Never leave the baby unattended in the tub or table
5. The infant can be given bath after 7^th-10^th day depending on if his umbilical chord has healed
6. Idea time for bathing the baby Is before his second feeding
7. Baby should not be bathed within an hour he is fed because moving may cause vomiting
8. There should be a fixed time for bath so that the baby can for a habit
9. The soap used should be very mild and avoid using talcum powders as it can irritate the baby’s respiratory tract .

Steps to bath a baby

1. Pour water in the tub and check the temperature with your elbow .
2. Undress and baby on a table kept against a wall so there is less chances of the baby to roll off
3. Place the head of the baby on your left palm (if you have right hand dominant) so u can give bath with your right hand and support his body with the forearm . this will safeguard the baby from slipping .
4. Close the ears with thumb and middle finger of your left palm while holding the head to ensure the blockage of any water inside the ears
5. Wipe the eyes from cotton swab in a motion from the nose towards the ears
6. Dip the hands in water and wipe the face of the infant making sure there is no water going inside his mouth .
7. Wet the hair and gently apply soap or shampoo . rinse with water and immediately  dry hair with towel .
8. Place the baby into the tub to wash his body while supporting his shoulder , neck and head with left hand
9. To clean the back ,transfer the baby to the other hand in such a way that the head and neck are supported over the palm.
10. Apply soaps gently in the folds of the skin to prevent skin irritation
11. Place the baby on the towel and gently dry him by dabbing the towel on his skin
12. Dress the baby and cover him in a blanket or a towel to prevent him from catching cold .