Mandatory rules when caring for a newborn baby. The most important rules for caring for a newborn

What is the daily care of a newborn, how to wash the baby and care for the umbilical wound, how to change diapers, take care of nails, feed the baby and walk with him - we will tell you about these basic procedures for caring for a newborn in our article.

When the time comes to return home with a newborn from the maternity hospital, every mother begins to worry about how she will fare without the help and competent advice of medical personnel.

All mothers, without exception, worry whether they will be able to provide their child with the care necessary for his healthy growth: bathe the baby correctly, cut his nails, treat the umbilical wound.

Therefore, no sooner have mothers crossed the threshold of their home than they have many questions about caring for the child: is it worth washing the baby after each urination, what is better to treat the navel: with brilliant green or calendula tincture?

Today we will try to find answers to the main questions about baby hygiene and talk about the basic procedures for daily baby care.

Morning toilet of a newborn

Like every person, the baby must wash his face in the morning; of course, his mother should help him with this.

After the newborn wakes up, undress him naked and let him lie naked for a while, this is good for the baby’s skin. Then carefully examine the baby, check for redness on the skin or prickly heat. If so, prepare baby cream to lubricate problem areas after washing your baby.

The baby is washed with cotton pads soaked in warm boiled water.

1. Washing the newborn is done from top to bottom. The baby is washed with cotton pads soaked in warm boiled water.
2. Wipe the baby's eyes, from the outer edge to the inner. For hygiene of each eye, it is recommended to take a new cotton pad.
3. Gently wipe the baby's face, the outside of the ears, the skin behind the ears, and the neck with a damp cotton pad.
4. Listen to the baby's breathing, it should be free. If breathing is difficult, clear your baby's nose. To do this, you can use a special saline solution for children under one year old and an aspirator (a device that helps suck out mucus).

How to clear snot from a child’s nose - Dr. Komarovsky video

In addition, you can clean the crusts from your nose using two small cotton swabs soaked in baby oil. The flagella must be carefully inserted one by one into each nostril of the child’s nose and scrolled several times. If the baby's nose breathes well, then there is no need to clean it.

Then you need to wipe all the folds of the baby’s skin with a damp cotton pad, replace the child’s dirty diaper with a clean one, wash the baby or use baby wipes to cleanse the skin.

Caring for the umbilical wound

During the newborn period, a special place on the child’s body is the umbilical wound; it requires careful care.

As a rule, the umbilical wound is treated once a day; this can be done after bathing, when all the crusts are wet from the water and the mucus is washed away.

How to treat a newborn's navel - advice from Dr. Komarovsky (video)

There are several methods for treating the umbilical wound, each of them is quite effective:

• navel care with boiled water- to do this, once a day, moisten a cotton pad with boiled water and thoroughly wipe the umbilical wound so that it becomes clean, then dry the navel for several minutes;
• navel treatment with hydrogen peroxide and antiseptic(chlorhexidine, baneocin, levomekol, iodine, chlorophyllipt alcohol based) - to treat the navel, take two cotton swabs, dip one in peroxide, the other in an antiseptic, first treat the navel with peroxide and then with an antiseptic.

How does an umbilical wound heal?

Important! If you notice that the skin around the umbilical wound is inflamed, be sure to consult a doctor.

Tatyana Znamenskaya, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, President of the Association of Neonatologists of Ukraine: “ For complete care, we need to take care of the umbilical wound. To avoid crusts, there is a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide, which we use to wash off all the crusts from the navel. After this, we simply cauterize the remainder of the umbilical wound with diamond green. It's simple and effective.

If you see that the umbilical wound does not heal within a month, it is better to show the child to a doctor. Usually, before 14 days of life, the umbilical remnant disappears and the wound heals.”

Washing a newborn

You need to wash your baby under running water after each bowel movement.

It is convenient to wash a newborn like this:

1. Place your baby with his stomach on your left palm facing you or his back on your forearm with his head facing you.
2. Place the child's lower body under running water.
3. Lather the baby's buttocks and genitals with baby soap (it is better to choose liquid soap for children, it is more convenient to use).
4. Then rinse the soap thoroughly with water and pat the baby’s skin dry with a towel or diaper.

If the baby just urinated in the diaper, then you can not wash it, but use wet wipes when changing the diaper. Choose special baby wipes without fragrances or alcohol.

Changing diapers

Most often, mothers use child care. There are several simple rules that are important to follow in this case:

• When using them, remember that the child should not be in one disposable diaper for more than 4 hours.
• You need to put a diaper on a newborn so that the umbilical part is not covered. This is necessary for the fastest healing of the umbilical wound.
• It is advisable for the baby to just lie on a diaper without a diaper for several hours a day so that the skin can breathe.
• It is also important to ensure that diaper rash does not form on the skin under the diaper.
  To prevent diaper rash, you need to dress your baby according to the weather, that is, do not overheat him, and you can also use it under a diaper.

If diaper rash has already formed, you need to consult a doctor, he will recommend a remedy for their healing, most likely it will be a cream containing dexpanthenol - effective healing medicine.

Of course, it is better to prevent, since they can hurt a lot and bother the baby.

Bathing a newborn

All mothers are interested in the question: when is it possible after discharge from the maternity hospital?

Marina Skiba, neonatologist at the clinic "Dobrobut":“You can bathe your child immediately after discharge, but if you have been vaccinated with BCG, it is better not to bathe your child within a day or two after vaccination, so as not to wet the injection site.”

Before the umbilical wound heals, babies are bathed in a small baby bath in boiled some water. Bathing time at this stage is 3-5 minutes.

Neonatologist Marina Skiba: “The water for bathing a child should be 37 degrees. You can bathe your baby in a decoction of string or chamomile. It's good for baby's skin."

After the umbilical wound has healed, you can bathe the child in a regular bath in tap water, gradually increasing the bathing time from 5 minutes to 30-40.

Every day while bathing the child, you need to wash his genitals and buttocks, 1-2 times a week you need to wash the entire baby with soap, and also wash the child’s hair with a special baby shampoo.

Important! Always bathe your child with the bathroom door open, this will prevent your child from being so cold after you take him out of the water, since the temperature difference will not be too great

Each time you lower your baby into the water slowly, starting with his feet. The child's entire body must be supported in the water. If water gets into your baby's ears or eyes while bathing, it's not scary, it's completely natural!

Already from the first days of life, you can begin to lightly harden your child. To do this, before you start bathing your baby, prepare and place a vessel with water in the bathroom, the temperature of which will be 0.5-1 degrees lower than the temperature of the water in the bath. At the end of the bath, pour water from this container onto the child.

After bathing the baby, you need to blot it with a diaper or towel, but do not dry it, as this procedure can damage the delicate baby skin.

You also need to prepare two small cotton wool flagella and gently screw them into the child’s ears so that the cotton absorbs the water that got into the ears during bathing. After the baby's skin has dried, it is advisable to treat the folds with baby oil.

Newborn nail care

It is necessary to take care of your baby’s nails 1-2 times a week, since children’s nails grow very quickly. To cut nails, you need to purchase special scissors with rounded ends. On the toes, nails should be cut straight, and on the hands, the edges should be rounded.

Walking with a child

In the summer, you can go for a walk with your baby the next day after being discharged from the hospital. It is advisable to protect the child from direct sunlight. It is better to go for a walk in the summer either in the morning (before 10 am) or in the evening (after 6 pm), at this time it is not so hot.

The first walk should be very short - 10-15 minutes. Then every day you should walk 10 minutes longer.

When preparing for a walk with their baby, mothers usually doubt whether they have dressed the baby correctly. In order not to make a mistake with clothes, you should always follow a simple rule - the baby should have as much clothes as you have, plus one more layer. This way the baby will be comfortable.

Of course, it is worth checking the child’s condition during a walk. In the summer it is important not to overheat the baby; if the child turns red, it means that you should take something off him, he is hot.

In winter, there is a high risk of freezing. If the baby is cold, he will have cold hands, feet and nose, in which case an extra blanket will not hurt.

After the birth of the long-awaited baby, all parents are ready to do anything for the comfort and well-being of the baby, because he looks so touching and unprotected. But after the baby is born, loved ones have a lot of fears and doubts associated with the fear of harming the child, as well as the huge contradiction in care recommendations from others. Often, young parents, lacking experience, are too zealous in their care, taking many misconceptions about care seriously. To avoid following their example, check out the most common of these misconceptions.

“Infants don’t need water; they get it from milk and The baby needs to be fed all the time."

The first misconception is that water is not necessary in a baby’s diet. First of all, it depends on the method of feeding the baby. If the baby eats only breast milk, then along with it he receives all the necessary components. If the child is bottle-fed (or mixed-fed), then water is a must in his diet. Ideally, up to six months, its norm per day should be about 200 ml.

Remember!

Never give your baby water from the tap. The pharmacy sells special distilled water for infants.

The baby’s very sensitive and fragile body is designed in such a way that water in the first months of life gives him a feeling of fullness, which leads to refusal of the breast, thereby limiting the receipt of all useful components. Infants need to be given water after breastfeeding. Artificials are another matter. These babies are given water between feedings. In any case, children need to be given water regardless of their restless behavior.

Psychologists are convinced that maternal hugs are very important for babies, as they give them a feeling of calm and security. If you constantly restrict a child from his mother’s hands, then in the future the baby may grow up to be a withdrawn person who has problems with communication. If, in moments of crying and anxiety, a child is immediately picked up, then with a mother’s hug he receives a feeling of security, care and love. Qualified pediatricians advise parents of bottle-fed babies to be sure to hold them during the feeding period precisely for these purposes.

“Let the child scream, the voice will be louder”

“The baby should live in sterile conditions and no pets”

There is an opinion that the conditions in which the baby grows and develops should be as sterile as possible. However, for his immune system to function normally, it is not necessary to sterilize milk bottles and boil water for bathing every time. After birth, his body begins to develop immunity to all kinds of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, your baby is absolutely not defenseless. And constant contact with pets will help to avoid asthma and allergies in the future, or reduce the likelihood of their occurrence several times.

Note to moms!

Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...

But this does not mean at all that you need to rush to extremes. If the umbilical wound has not yet fully healed, then the water for bathing must be boiled. This will help keep it sanitized and soft. And a baby’s crib is not at all a place for a dog or cat.

“All herbs are safe, so you can constantly bathe your baby in herbal infusions and feed them with them.”

All medicinal herbs contain one or another chemical component, which affects the diseased organ/organism. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly bathe or treat the baby using the gifts of nature only on the recommendation of a pediatrician.

In addition, when using herbs, take 3-4 times less dry mixture than in decoctions for adults. In addition to herbs, caring mothers often like to use soap for bathing, which is also not entirely healthy. Soap is known to have a drying effect on the skin, so frequent use can be harmful to baby's sensitive skin. In addition, herbal dust can provoke an exacerbation or allergy in a child, so you need to prepare decoctions without his presence.

“There are never enough vitamins, but the excess is still excreted”

Together with mother's milk, the baby receives the amount of vitamins it needs for normal functioning. But stuffing it with additional fortified compounds is highly not recommended. Hypervitaminosis is easy to acquire, but getting rid of it is much more difficult.

“The child needs a massage every day”

All necessary physical procedures should be carried out only with a doctor’s prescription, including massage. It is carried out in courses of no more than 20 sessions, and in order to avoid overstimulation of the baby, breaks are taken for at least three weeks.

“Diaper rash is normal”

Diaper rash is a sign of poor hygiene procedures or lack of air baths. In addition, redness and diaper rash can be triggered by any allergic irritant (food, diapers, detergents). In the case of disposable diapers, you should be careful when choosing the right one. If you notice diaper rash on your baby's body, use special powders or soothing creams. The use of baby oil is recommended only on flaky and dry areas, since its excessive use prevents the baby's skin from breathing.

Returning home after childbirth, many women who have given birth to their first child simply do not know how to care for the baby in the first days. Despite the fact that there are grandmothers, girlfriends and other close people, the mother herself needs to learn how to immediately care for the baby after birth and feed him when he sleeps.

The first days of mother and baby being at home immediately after giving birth turn out to be the most difficult for parents. Caring for a newborn in the first days after birth takes a lot of time and effort; the baby often eats, sleeps and requires increased attention. If there are grandmothers or other relatives in the house, they should immediately take care of all the chores around the house during this period, because in order for the mother to be able to fully care for the child and feed him when he sleeps, she herself immediately needs to get proper rest. In the absence of relatives and close people, the husband should take care of the wife by taking on part of the housework.

Baby food

Today, experts strongly recommend that young mothers feed their baby on demand from the moment of birth. It has been proven that a baby who eats at will develops much faster. He is calmer and healthier than a child who eats by the hour. Of course, many may object and say that this is very inconvenient to do, but you will only have to be patient for a few days. Later, the child will make a schedule for himself to feed him and you can calmly plan your days. It also matters how you breastfeed your baby; if your baby eats correctly, he will be full and bother you less often from the first days. After giving birth, all mothers are strongly recommended to consult a breastfeeding specialist who will show and tell you how to properly feed your baby.

Navel treatment

Modern pediatricians do not recommend treating the umbilical wound with brilliant green after childbirth and covering it with a plaster or bandage. Nature took care of everything itself. The navel heals within a few weeks of birth and does not require special care other than keeping it clean. For normal healing of the umbilical wound, it is necessary to ensure that the baby’s feces do not fall on it in the first days. You also need to make sure that the navel is dry. After bathing, carefully dry your navel with sterile cotton wool. If you follow the rules of hygiene and dryness, the navel will heal quickly and will not cause any trouble. That's all for navel care.

If you notice redness or suppuration in the area of ​​the umbilical wound, you should immediately contact your local doctor. Self-medication can only make the situation worse.

Many mothers are concerned about an umbilical hernia. Recent studies have proven that this phenomenon does not pose a danger to the child. An umbilical hernia can form due to a large umbilical ring, which, when the stomach muscles are tense, is filled in the first days with part of the baby’s intestines.

This phenomenon goes away on its own and does not require any treatment (in the absence of pathologies).

Taping and bandaging the navel is an unjustified measure and does not bring any results. So you can calm down and let Mother Nature take care of the healing of the umbilical ring. It is difficult to say how long it takes for an umbilical hernia to heal; it all depends on the individuality of the baby. The norm is considered to be overgrowth from several months to 3 years.

How dangerous is green stool for a breastfed baby?

Fontana zone

Most mothers are frightened by the pulsation in the fontanel area, and they are afraid of damaging it. There is no need to worry about this, the baby’s fontanel is protected by a special film from birth, which is extremely difficult to disturb; this care was provided by nature itself. If you do not cause damage on purpose, it is almost impossible to harm the fontanel. A cause for concern may be a situation when a child is not eating well and his fontanelle has sunk inside.

Water treatments

Despite the fact that all our grandmothers constantly tell us that the child needs to be bathed every day of the week, there is actually no such need. The mother can draw up a bathing schedule depending on the time of year and the child’s attitude towards water procedures. How many times and how to bathe the baby after childbirth? In winter, the baby can be bathed 2-3 times a week. The only thing that needs to be done with such a schedule of water procedures is daily washing and rinsing. You should wash your child after each bowel movement, and you can wash your face throughout the day, morning and evening.

To bathe your baby, you need to purchase a special bath. It is best if you additionally put a rubber mat on the bottom, which will prevent the baby from slipping; you can also use a regular diaper for this purpose. The water temperature should not exceed 37 degrees. Today in pharmacy chains you can purchase a special thermometer that will be used to bathe with your child and you will be able to control the temperature of the water during the entire bath. You need to bathe your child in the same bath all the time, then he will get used to it and will not be afraid.

The mother can choose the time of water procedures herself. The main rule should be that bathing should be done before meals; if the baby eats before the bath, he will fall asleep ahead of time. You can bathe both before daytime feedings and before the last evening meal.

When performing water procedures, make sure that water or soap does not get into the baby’s eyes, otherwise the next time he may refuse to bathe, and this fear will remain for a long time. When washing your baby, use baby soap and cotton wool. You can also use special mittens that the mother puts on her hands and washes the child. Avoid using synthetic sponges and washcloths as they may irritate your baby's skin.

Particular care must be taken when washing your baby's hair. Make sure that the cotton wool or mitten is not too saturated with water, otherwise water will get into the eyes. The soap from the head should be washed off with slightly wrung out cotton wool in the direction from the forehead to the crown.

Also gently soap and wash your baby's body.

If the baby bursts into tears and does not want to continue bathing, he should be immediately pulled out of the water.

You can use a flannel diaper as a towel in the first weeks after birth. You need to wipe the baby very carefully; remember that the navel after water procedures must be wiped dry with a cotton swab.

Feeding system for children over 6 months

After swimming

After water procedures, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the baby’s ears without affecting the ear canal, cut the nails and dress the baby in clean, ironed clothes. It is advisable to trim a child’s nails using special scissors that do not have sharp ends. Upon completion of all procedures, the child can be fed and put to bed. If the child is hungry and does not want to cut his nails or clean his ears, you can postpone these activities and do it when he is sleeping.

As a rule, healthy children do not need additional cleaning of the nose, mouth and eyes. Do not torment the baby and do not bother him with unnecessary care. Treatment of the eyes and nose is necessary only if there are signs of disease in these organs.

You need to clean your nose if dried mucus appears in the nasal passages; due to a clogged nose, the child often eats poorly. In this case, the nose is cleaned with a damp cotton swab. This must be done quickly and extremely carefully. Saline solution can also help with nasal congestion. Dilute one teaspoon of salt in one liter of boiled water and drop 2 drops into each nasal passage, this product perfectly moisturizes the nasal mucosa and all impurities will come out naturally.

The use of powders and oils may be justified only on the recommendation of a pediatrician. In other cases, the baby’s healthy skin does not require additional care. Therefore, save your family budget and do not purchase advertised products that you absolutely do not need. How many unnecessary promotional products have you already bought?

Intimate area

It is extremely important for girls to cleanse themselves daily, starting on their first birthday. This is due to the risk of infection from the anus into the genital tract, so care for the girl must be thorough. Girls should be washed in the direction from the vagina to the butt. Washing should be done after each bowel movement and before bed. Boys can be washed as needed. Boys' genitals do not require special care.

Cloth

A note for every mother! Even if you use diapers and in your opinion the child does not get dirty, he needs to be changed 2 times a day - morning and evening. The baby's clothes must be washed with detergents for children's laundry and must be ironed.

Children's clothes should be comfortable and made from natural fabrics. Today in stores and markets you can find any number of inexpensive and beautiful children's clothing, which can be dangerous to the baby's health. Synthetic fabrics do not have the ability to absorb moisture, as a result of which inflammation and irritation can form on the newborn’s skin, especially if drops of milk get on clothes when the baby is eating.

You should also pay attention to the dyes used in dyeing fabrics. Do not buy bright things for newborns; aggressive dyes can provoke allergic reactions in the child. When choosing clothes, give preference to natural fabrics in bed colors. Also make sure that blouses, T-shirts and pants are easy to put on and take off. This will save you from the child's screams and protests when changing clothes.

The mistake many young mothers make is dressing their baby too warmly at home or on a walk. Understand that a child is the same person as you, only small. If you are hot and you are wearing a light sundress, you do not need to wrap your baby in 10 diapers and put 3 hats on him. Dress your child according to the climate conditions. A baby dressed too warmly begins to sweat, and at this moment a gust of wind or a draft will do its simple job. As long as the child does not sweat, he is healthy, eats well and sleeps as much as he needs. Moreover, when a child is dressed comfortably, he is also calm.

Walks

Starting from the 14th day after birth, it is necessary to include daily walks with the child in the daily schedule. You need to walk in any weather, on any day of the week and at any time of the year. Going for a walk with your child has a double positive effect for the baby. Firstly, fresh air enriches the baby’s blood, organs and tissues with oxygen, which has a beneficial effect on his development. Secondly, gradual changes in air temperature during the changing seasons teach the baby’s body to adapt to cold and heat, which is an element of hardening. With regular daily walks, the child gets sick much less often, eats and sleeps better than his peers who stay at home in cold weather.

Although the exact period is controversial among pediatricians, we can consider children between 10 and 30 days old to be infants. The newborn period varies widely depending on the timing of pregnancy and the timing of delivery:

• Arrived on time- after pregnancy from 38 to 40 weeks. The average weight of children is 3.25 kg, height is 50 cm.
• Premature- after pregnancy less than 37 weeks. These children typically weigh less than 2.5 kg and have breathing problems and/or difficulties with thermoregulation. They can easily get infections because they lack important antibodies that are passed on through innate immunity.
• Post-term- after pregnancy more than 41 weeks. Babies may become dehydrated and lose weight because the placenta is no longer providing them with the oxygen and nutrients they need. The head of post-term babies often reaches a size that makes vaginal delivery impossible; caesarean section required.

In Montessori pedagogy, caring for a newborn in the first days of life includes:

• feeding;
• bathing;
• toilet.

Bathing

Parents of infants ask themselves the question: “How to bathe a child for the first time?”, while thinking that this is a purely hygienic procedure. In fact, the purposes of bathing are not primarily those that are designed to make the baby clean, but those that enable the baby’s body to come into contact with water. This allows him to relax and get a pleasant feeling. This kind of relaxation allows you to better prepare for sleep.

This procedure also develops hygiene habits and helps establish a bond between the adult and the baby. Therefore, it is important that dad has the opportunity to bathe the baby. Mom establishes a connection through feeding.

Bathing acts as a beneficial, calming and relaxing remedy. This process can be a very positive experience for the baby, which allows him to briefly return to the familiar sensations received in the mother's womb.

It is important to wash your baby at the same time and in the same place every day, taking into account his sleep and feeding schedule. This allows you to establish a certain regime, which creates a feeling of safety in infants.

The best time for washing is determined by each family independently, but more often it is convenient to bathe the baby before bedtime. Before the bath, you can give the baby a light massage.

Before washing your baby, you need to prepare the following things:

• Silk and wool shirts without buttons, inserted into each other, with the seams facing out.
• Two topponcino (on one you will bring the baby, on the second, clean, you will take it away).
• A basket with accessories.
• One towel for the baby, the second for the adult.
• Baskets (or buckets) for dirty linen and diapers.
• A heating pad (to keep the towel and clothes warm).
• Diapers (diapers).
• Container with sterile eye wipes.
• Tweezers.
• Wipes for wiping your face.

The bath is filled ¾ full with water, the temperature of which is 37 degrees.

Then they wash their own hands with hot water so that they are not cold.

The diaper/diapers are removed from the child. If he poops, he is cleaned with soapy cotton or special Ph-neutral wet wipes for babies.

Then the lower part of the baby’s body is wrapped in a clean diaper and the clothes are removed from the upper part, placing one hand on the baby’s chest.

Holding the child with both hands, he is gradually immersed in water, starting from his legs and ending with his shoulders. Slow actions by an adult are necessary to save the baby from a sharp and unpleasant impression. This way we will protect him as much as possible from fright.

The baby reacts to a sudden immersion in water by opening his arms, begins to cry with a breath, and this crying continues for a long time. A baby may become scared for the first time in its life during bathing. The consequences of such fear can be traumatic for many years. Therefore, children should feel safe while swimming.

After we are convinced that the child is calm, we wet his head and gently soap it, then his ears and behind the ears.

Then dry the head with a blotting motion using a napkin made of natural material.

If the child behaves calmly, then you can turn him over to wash his back.

Remember that shampoo should not be used until the baby's hair grows.

Turn your baby on his back so he can see your face and remove him from the bathtub, wrapping him in a towel.

Dry the baby.

Place the baby on the topponcino and transfer it to the changing table. Then we move on to hygiene procedures.

Toilet

Hygiene procedures can be continued after bathing by dad or performed by mom.

Caring for your newborn's skin can begin by checking the belly button. If there are cracks, the navel must be lubricated with an antiseptic.

Check your baby's skin in the groin area and folds to ensure there are no diaper rashes. If they are found, use powder.

Hygienic procedures for the genital organs of boys and girls must be performed very carefully, using sterile napkins or cotton pads soaked in boiled water.

How to care for a newborn girl

The baby has white, grayish-white or beige discharge visible on her labia - this is smegma. If there is little of it, it will disappear on its own. It is worth removing smegma only if the plaque is heavy and does not go away after a few days.

Also, in the first days of life, a newborn may have slight spotting, which indicates that maternal hormones are being removed from the child’s body. This is normal and should not be a cause for concern.

How to care for a newborn boy

Intimate hygiene of infant boys includes daily washing of the genitals with clean water without soap and other cosmetics with each diaper change and when bathing.

It is necessary to treat the inguinal folds around the penis and scrotum with baby powder or oil.

It is necessary to immediately change diapers or nappies as soon as the baby pees or poops. In the Montessori approach, diapers are not used, as this further disrupts the potty training process. It is important to periodically keep your child out of diapers while taking air baths.

Use underwear for newborns (diapers, panties) exclusively from natural materials (cotton fabric, flannel).

Remember that you should always wash babies thoroughly after using the toilet and during the washing process before bed.

At the end of intimate hygiene procedures, smear the baby's body with natural oil and wrap its lower part in a clean diaper.

Put shirts on your newborn, one inside the other (to make dressing easier and not disturb the baby once again), and proceed to facial hygiene.

Take a sterile cotton pad or cotton pad with tweezers and wipe one eye from the inner edge to the outer. Then take a second clean tissue and wipe the other eye. Use a third napkin to wipe your face. Under no circumstances use the same napkin on both eyes - in case of infection, you can transfer it from the diseased eye to the healthy one.

If your baby has snot coming out of his nose, wipe it off with a clean napkin. If they are dry, wipe them with a cotton pad soaked in warm water.

Remember that the first months of a baby's life will fly by very quickly. But the way his loved ones will take care of him will forever remain in his subconscious and affect the rest of his life.

The newborn period is the most important time for establishing contact and warm relationships between parents and child!

Illustration: ru.pngtree.com

From birth, your baby needs comprehensive care. By correctly and regularly performing hygiene and developmental activities, you make a huge contribution to the full development and health of the child. Some procedures should be performed daily, others as needed. In this article you will find tips for caring for a newborn.

Organization of newborn care

After being discharged from the hospital, many women panic and do not know where to start caring for their newborn. The knowledge gained from courses and manuals was forgotten from excitement. There is no need to worry, any mother can handle caring for a baby, and after a couple of days it will seem easy.

Newborn care plan includes the following steps.

• Washing.
• Cleaning the nose.
• Trimming nails.
• and replacement .
• Water procedures.
• Care for folds.
• Air baths.
• Feeding.
• Teeth cleaning.

Newborn care by month

Many hygienic procedures performed from birth remain necessary rules for the rest of your life. Correct newborn care regimen must be developed from the first days. Let's talk in more detail about the main stages of caring for a newborn.

After the maternity hospital, you must take care of your baby’s umbilical wound yourself until it heals completely. The procedure is performed 2 times a day using hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green. Even as your child grows up, periodically clean the navel with a cotton swab, carefully removing accumulated dirt.

• Washing.

Daily newborn care necessarily includes washing the baby. The morning should begin with cleansing the baby's face with a cotton sponge dipped in boiled water. In the evening, you can wash the baby during water procedures. When the baby begins to receive complementary foods, as well as during teething, wash and wipe the face more often, because leftover food and increased salivation can cause rashes on delicate skin.

2 times a day we wipe the baby’s eyes from the outer corner to the bridge of the nose. We use a clean cotton sponge for each eyelid.

• Cleaning the nose.

We clean the nose as needed. Mucus accumulates in the baby's nasal passages and crusts appear, making it difficult for the baby to breathe. Use cotton wool soaked in boiled water to clean your nose. Clean each nostril with a clean “turunda”.

IMPORTANT! A newborn cannot breathe through his mouth, so timely cleansing of the nasal passages is extremely necessary.

Care for your baby's ears as they become dirty. Don't forget to treat the skin behind the ears. Dirt accumulates there, which can cause inflammation. Clean the outer ear without touching the ear canal. The wax comes out of the baby's ear on its own. Your task is to clean visible areas, and not to push dirt inside.

• Trimming nails.

To prevent your baby from scratching himself, cut his nails on time. Cut straight on the legs and in a circle on the arms. Use baby scissors or wire cutters. Carry out the procedure when the baby is sleeping.

• And .

Providing care for a newborn up to one year and after that, it is advisable to include activities for the physical development of the baby in the daily routine. For the full functioning of the joints and muscles of the newborn, as well as to ensure tactile contact, perform daily gymnastics and massage. In the first months, light exercises and stroking are enough. For older children, pinch massage and gymnastics on a fitball are suitable. With each month, the exercises and massage manipulations become more complicated, and the time required to perform them increases.

IMPORTANT! Perform the massage in a well-ventilated area! Postpone the session if your baby is sick or in a bad mood.

• and replacement .

Wash your baby not only after bowel movements, but also after sleep. Change your diaper on time. Improper hygiene can lead to diaper rash and other skin problems.

• Water procedures.

Proper care of a newborn A child’s routine necessarily includes bathing, which serves not only to cleanse from impurities. Water procedures are an excellent way to harden a baby. You can take a bath 2 days after the umbilical wound has healed or earlier, but provided that the unhealed navel does not come into contact with water. When the child learns to hold his head, try bathing in a bathtub with a circle. Your little one will surely enjoy this procedure.

Thoroughly rinse your baby's folds to remove any dirt while bathing. After water procedures, lubricate them with moisturizers. If the folds are wet and inflamed, try using a powder or cream containing zinc.

• Moisturizing body skin.

To avoid skin problems, moisturize your newborn's skin with special products for children. However, do not get carried away with excessive use of cosmetics.

• Air baths.

The little one wants to take a break from diapers and clothes. Don't rush to dress your baby after bathing. Air baths are not only a hardening procedure, but also a good way to prevent diaper rash. Try to bring the baby's skin into contact with air several times during the day.

• Feeding.

Follow the feeding schedule. If you are breastfeeding, feed on demand. If the baby eats, maintain a gap of 3 hours between meals. From 5-6 months, start introducing complementary foods in small portions, gradually increasing the volume.

• Walks.

Take your baby for walks every day. Walking improves immunity and promotes the production of vitamin D. As the child grows up, the duration of the walk can be increased.

• Teeth cleaning.

Dentists recommend brushing your baby's teeth from the moment they appear. To begin with, wiping them with a silicone brush or bandage will be enough; later, cleaning with children’s toothpaste and a brush will be necessary. Brushing your teeth should be a pleasant experience for your baby. Get your child interested by showing him with your example how to perform the movements correctly. Give him the opportunity to do the manipulations on his own. You need to brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes. Buy a special hourglass, it will make the process fun.

ATTENTION! Why brush your baby teeth if they are going to fall out anyway? The occurrence of caries is fraught with inflammatory processes and early loss of baby teeth. In addition, the risk of bite problems and other pathologies increases.

• Dream.

At first, the newborn sleeps for a long time. As you get older, your sleep schedule changes and your sleep duration decreases. In the room where the baby sleeps there should be a minimum of objects that accumulate dust. Provide the required level of humidity, make sure that the room is not hot. A baby doesn't need a pillow yet, and it increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Tips for new mothers on caring for a newborn

• Try bathing your baby before feeding. During the bath, the baby will have time to get hungry, and when he eats a hearty meal, his sleep will be stronger.
• To relieve colic, place your newborn on his tummy every day. In addition, this will help develop the neck muscles, so the baby will quickly learn to hold his head up on his own.
• If, after washing, you find that the baby has red skin in the buttocks area, apply. Use cosmetics as needed (after bowel movements, for redness and dry skin).
• Does your child suffer from atopic dermatitis? Use specialized cosmetics.
• Special cosmetics and herbs will help soften the water when bathing a newborn.

• The newborn is suffering from colic - 30 minutes after eating, place him on his tummy. Carry the baby in the “footballer” position, use a heating pad and exercises on a fitball. If this does not help, use preparations based on simethicone or special tinctures of medicinal herbs.
• As your baby grows up, don’t rush to give him foods containing white sugar.

REFERENCE! Early consumption of sugar is fraught with decreased immunity, dysbacteriosis and excess weight in the child. In addition, it creates an increased load on the pancreas, increasing the risk of allergic reactions, tooth decay, digestive disorders and cardiovascular diseases!

Caring for a newborn: advice from mothers :