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The first month of a child's life. Features and general rules for caring for a newborn boy in the first month of life: practical advice for young parents
Caring for a newborn in the first month of life is very important; the health and proper development of the baby depends on it. A mother needs to know the basic rules of caring for her baby and strictly adhere to them.
How to care for a baby in the first month?
A newborn up to a month requires more attention and hygiene. Too much vernix can be irritating delicate skin.
How to care for a baby up to a month old? Babies are wiped after birth, but the cleanliness of the genitals remains with the mother. To prevent redness, excess lubricant is removed with a swab; every toilet should include washing. When the navel is healing, bathing is done only in boiled water.
The first month of a newborn at home is a period of adaptation to the new environment. Early at birth due date, it is worth paying attention to mental condition baby. The development and care of a newborn baby in the first month should be comprehensive.
Caring for a newborn baby up to 1 month requires carefully clearing the nasal passages of crusts. The cleanliness of the room and optimal air humidity should be maintained.
Even during pregnancy, a woman should take care of purchasing suitable clothing and child care products.
Items and care products
Facilities. In order to make it convenient for a young mother to care for her newborn in the first month of life, it is worth equipping an individual place in the room. All necessary and useful remedies, with the help of which you will provide quality care for your child:
- thermometer for measuring body temperature;
- water thermometer;
- room thermometer;
- 3 pipettes;
- scissors;
- warmer;
- enema;
- baby bath;
- soap dish;
- cotton wool;
- bathing ladle;
- brilliant green solution;
- herbal collection of chamomile and string;
- baby oil;
- powder.
In the room intended for the baby, there must be Wall Clock. With their help, the mother will find out the time for feeding and provide timely care for the child.
Taking care of things.
Things purchased in advance for the baby should be thoroughly washed and ironed on both sides. When washing children's clothes, you should not use synthetic detergents; it is recommended to use a special powder intended for washing children's clothes. It contains no allergens that pose a threat to newborns. For washing clothes small child
you need to purchase a new basin and in the future use it only for this purpose.
The baby’s underwear should be stored in a personal compartment of the closet; under no circumstances should baby’s underwear be mixed with the belongings of an adult family member.
Hygiene procedures Throughout the day it is very important to spend hygiene procedures
who provide high-quality and proper care for a newborn in the first month of life.
Eyes. In the morning and evening hours, the child’s eyes should be wiped with a cotton ball dipped in boiled water. You need to use a new one for each baby's eye. cotton ball
, while rubbing from the edge of the face to the nose. This method is a prevention of suppuration and the transfer of infection from one eye to another.
Nose and ears. In some cases, dried crusts form in the nasal openings; heated Vaseline oil is excellent for softening them. It is instilled into both nostrils of the baby for 15 minutes. Caring for a 1 month old baby should be done with caution. The nose and ears of newborns are carefully cleaned of contamination with cotton wool twisted into a small tourniquet. In order not to hurt sensitive skin
For the child, Vaseline oil is also applied to the cotton cord.
Face, neck, arms.
To cleanse your face, neck and hands, you can use a cotton ball dipped in warm boiled water.
When caring for a baby in the first month of life, the mother should not forget about her cleanliness. A woman must carry out all procedures related to the baby with thoroughly washed hands. For the safety of the baby, mother should not wear rings or heavy watches during this period. The skin on the mother's hands should be healthy and her nails should be cut short.
In the event of various skin diseases For a woman, it is expected that one of the relatives, for example, the father, takes care of the child. And the mother should urgently treat the disease, because many of them are quickly transmitted to the baby.
Skin care
During the mother's day, it is necessary to examine the baby's skin, it is especially important to pay attention armpits, groin area, buttocks and folds.
Irritations. If any irritation appears on the skin, be sure to carry out special care.
If the redness is not too pronounced, then after water procedures this area is treated with chlorophyllipt, and then with baby oil. On areas of the body with pronounced redness, it is better to apply a specialized product for the care of infant skin - Bepanten.
Heat rashes and diaper rash. In the groin area and on the butt due to long-term wearing diapers often cause heat rashes and diaper rash. In order to prevent their occurrence, the child should be left completely undressed more often during the waking period. If this rule is followed, special care for the newborn is not required in the first month.
If irritation occurs, the skin is lubricated with zinc paste or treated with chamomile decoction. These products dry out and relieve irritation.
Navel. In the first month of a newborn's life, daily treatment of the navel is required. It is better to do this after bathing and immediately before getting dressed. A couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide are placed in the child’s navel; after a few minutes, the crust in the wound softens and is easy to clean. cotton swab. The navel is then treated with diamond green.
Seborrheic crusts. Some inexperienced mothers They get scared when milk crusts appear on the baby’s scalp. There is nothing wrong with this; seborrheic crusts disappear on their own over time. But you can speed up this process special shampoo to remove them.
Already in the first month, scalp care can be carried out folk ways. To remove milk crusts, any oil is carefully rubbed into the child’s hair before an evening bath. While the mother washes the baby, the oil softens the crusts on the head.
Then the head must be washed thoroughly, and after drying, begin combing out the softened crust. To do this, you can take children's combs and brushes, or regular soft toothbrush. It is necessary to carry out such activities many times and over time the milk crusts will disappear.
Bathing a baby
At 1 month of a newborn’s life it is allowed daily bathing only after the umbilical process falls off and the wound heals.
In the first month, it is better to fill a baby’s bath with boiled water, to which you can add a decoction of chamomile or string. In this case, you should pour such an amount of water that you can safely immerse the child in the bath up to his shoulders. Each time, the bath should be washed with soap, and the washing equipment (a piece of flannel diaper or a baby washcloth) should be boiled for 20 minutes.
It is very important to comply temperature regime, both water and the room in which the baby is bathed. It is advisable to maintain the air temperature in the room at about 22-23 degrees, and the water should not exceed 37.2 degrees.
It is better to carry out evening water sessions before the penultimate meal, and the child should not be in the water for more than 5 minutes. Before bathing, you should prepare the necessary things for your baby; it is better to warm them up with a special heating pad.
A flannel diaper folded in several layers is placed on the bottom of the baby bath. When bathing a small child, it is important to ensure that water and soap do not get into his eyes, mouth, nose and ears. It is necessary to pour a solution of potassium permanganate into the children's bath in case of any skin diseases in the child.
For the first time, it is better to bathe the baby with one of the relatives, who will control the water temperature and serve it to the mother necessary funds. This way, caring for a baby at 1 month of age will be a pleasant procedure for parents and baby.
The child is lowered into the bath in such a way that his butt is placed in the mother’s palm, the back is positioned along the length of the arm, and the head is supported by the shoulder. With her free hand, a woman, using a special baby mitten or a piece of flannel diaper, thoroughly cleans skin child.
It is necessary to carefully wash all the folds on the baby’s body, remove any remaining powder and baby oil from the buttocks and perineum.
Once a week you need to bathe your child with baby soap. While the mother is pouring the baby warm water, an assistant soaps a glove. Then the mother takes turns removing parts of the baby’s body from the water and soaping them.
The child's head is washed last, and soaping should occur from the forehead to the back of the head. After this, you should turn it tummy down and pour clean and warm water from a ladle. At the end of the water session, he is wrapped in a towel with a corner for his head, wiped off moisture and dressed in children's clothes.
Schedule
Caring for a newborn baby in the first month of life provides for a certain daily routine, adhering to which it becomes possible for the mother to allocate time for her rest.
Feeding the child should occur at certain hours, due to this, stable functioning of the digestive and nervous systems is ensured. If the feeding regime is not followed, children often experience loss of appetite and sleep disturbances, and nervous system reacts with irritability. At the same time, the woman feels tired from constant lack of sleep and the inability to fully rest.
When sleeping, newborns should not be in one position all the time. In the first month, a newborn must be periodically shifted to the other side or back.
At correct mode The baby will sleep peacefully during the day without needing night feedings. In this case, morning breastfeeding will be carried out at 6.30, and evening latching - at 23.30. The intervals between feedings should be about 3 hours. After feeding, the baby is placed in the crib on its side so that possible regurgitation does not interfere with breathing. It will be better if the baby stays awake for 40 minutes after feeding.
Some women prefer to put their baby to sleep in their bed, believing that this way they will rest better. But at the same time, the child’s safety is in question (an accident cannot be completely ruled out), and the baby himself, being with his mother, more often looks for the breast, which leads to disruption of sleep and the entire daily routine. As a result, the baby becomes capricious and restless, and the mother becomes tired and irritable. Sleep disturbance also often occurs due to a stuffy room; daily ventilation ensures that the baby sleeps soundly and for a long time.
In winter, walks begin after the second week of the baby’s life, and the air temperature outside cannot exceed -5 degrees. In the first days, you should not walk with the baby for more than 15-20 minutes. In subsequent times, you should gradually increase the duration of the walk to 2 hours.
During the cold season, the child should be dressed warmly and the stroller should be covered with a warm blanket. At the same time, you should not overdo it in insulation; the child will easily overheat. When the air temperature drops below -5 degrees with additional comfortable conditions in the form of a strong wind - a walk with a child should be postponed. You can dress the child as if for a walk, put him in the stroller and leave him for a while near an open window.
Massage treatments
For various skin diseases, it is better to refuse massage procedures so as not to worsen their course. More complex massage and gymnastics can only be performed by a specialist in a children's clinic.
Caring for a newborn in the first month video:
Step-by-step instructions for caring for a newborn will help the mother quickly cope with difficult tasks and maintain the baby’s health.
With the advent long-awaited baby Many parents need information about proper care behind him. Young mothers especially often have questions about caring for a newborn baby in the first month of life.
It is during this period that the baby needs the most attentive attitude towards himself. New member family is still completely helpless and completely dependent on others. Everyday careful care, walking and maintaining cleanliness will guarantee it full development and good health.
Proper care is very important in the first days of a baby's life. Special attention should be applied to the baby's skin. To reliably protect it from harmful bacteria, it must always be clean and healthy. The skin is an indicator of changes and the condition of everything child's body.
Caring for a newborn in the first month of life includes:
- morning toilet;
- washing, bathing and massage;
- properly organized sleep;
- daily walks and keeping the children's room clean.
Such simple steps require the most scrupulous approach from parents. They must keep the tiny man healthy, because he has a long and interesting life ahead of him.
Baby's morning toilet
A newborn's routine in the first month of life will not be complete without regular morning toileting. Every day the baby needs to start with water procedures. Washing will be the first experience of accustoming to cleanliness and hygiene. This procedure can be conveniently carried out using cotton pads and boiled water. In order for washing to go smoothly, it should begin after feeding. The eyes should be cleaned first, and then the baby's entire face. baby nose definitely needs attention. It can be cleaned using special children's cotton swabs lubricated Vaseline oil. Next, the newborn needs to clean the ears, using a damp cotton pad, you need to wipe the ears and folds behind the ears. Then the neck, armpits, elbow and knee bends, palms and places between the fingers are washed.
After washing the baby's skin folds, be sure to lubricate them with oil or baby cream. It is important to take full care of these places, otherwise they will soon turn red and become inflamed. Toilet for help wet wipes only as a last resort, for example in the absence of access to water, but in no case daily.
Frequently occurring thrush will require parents to clean the baby’s mouth and tongue every day soda solution. For this you need a spoon baking soda dissolve in a glass of boiled water. Treatment is carried out up to 3 times a day using cotton swabs or swabs.
Treatment of the umbilical wound of a baby
After returning from maternity ward Treatment of the umbilical wound of a newborn should continue until the dry residue completely disappears. The procedure is carried out no more than 3 times a day. It is important to stock up on cotton swabs, hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green in advance. The first step is to treat the wound with peroxide, and then thoroughly lubricate it with brilliant green. If it does not heal well and oozes, you must inform your local pediatrician. In this case, the baby may need to be prescribed certain medications.
Washing a baby
Infants must be washed daily. It is especially important to do this after each bowel movement. It is necessary to choose a high-quality detergent that will not dry out or irritate children’s delicate skin. We must not forget about using boiled water during care. After washing, be sure to treat the folds with baby cream, powder or Vaseline oil.
The features of washing babies of both sexes have some differences. Structure female genitalia greatly facilitates the penetration of bacteria. Therefore, caring for the girl must be carried out especially carefully. Washing must be carried out in the direction from the genitals to the anus. This can significantly reduce the penetration and development of infection.
Caring for boys is somewhat simpler; you can wash them in different directions. The most important thing is not to neglect children's hygiene and wash them as often as possible. The area under the testicles and the anal area should be washed especially well. Parents should never push back the baby's foreskin unless absolutely necessary. Such manipulations can cause him harm and significant discomfort.
Bathing children in comfort
A baby's first successful introduction to water is very important. Depends on a good start further attitude child to water procedures. Therefore, it must be carried out in the most comfortable conditions.
Bathing is carried out daily. The baby's first bath can be organized after discharge from the hospital. maternity hospital. Parents must have in their arsenal:
- baby bath;
- water thermometer;
- potassium permanganate;
- baby towel;
- baby cream, powder and Vaseline oil;
- processing agents umbilical wound;
- cotton buds;
- light hat and socks;
- diapers.
Until the umbilical wound heals, it is important to use only boiled water. The baby bath should be well washed and the water temperature should not exceed 37 °C. You need to add a little potassium permanganate to the water. As a result, it should acquire a pale pink tint.
The first bath of a newborn should last no more than 5 minutes. The bath should have a slide or a baby towel folded several times. It is important to ensure that water does not get into the child's mouth and ears. Then, with leisurely movements, you need to wash all parts of the body, making sure that the water does not have time to cool. The baby's head is washed last. After completing the water procedures, the little one should be thoroughly dried with a towel.
The next step is to place the baby on a dry surface and cover it with a pre-warmed diaper. You need to put a cap on your head completely dry hair. After completing the water procedures, it is important not to forget to treat the umbilical wound and apply baby cream to the skin. After all the manipulations, the baby is swaddled or changed into clothes comfortable for sleeping at night.
In the future, you can add chamomile or chamomile decoctions to the water. Gradually, the procedure time is increased, bringing its duration to an average of 15 minutes. Baby bath products can be used no more than once a week.
Evening water procedures will be the key to good good sleep infants, if carried out before the last feeding of the day. The sweet snoring of the baby in the crib will be an indication that the parents did everything right.
Sweet dreams as an indicator of a child’s health
Parents should definitely know how much newborns sleep in the first month of life. A newly born baby spends most of its time sleeping.
- On average, the daily sleep period is 18-20 hours.
- Until one year old, a baby should not sleep on soft surfaces; pediatricians and orthopedists recommend using hard orthopedic mattresses. This will help avoid proper development spine.
- The laying down process should not begin immediately after feeding. It's better to start it a little later. A quiet lullaby to your mother’s song and a light massage will relax you and relieve the fatigue that has accumulated during the day.
- To fall asleep quickly and peacefully, you need fresh air in the room, the absence of noise and bright irritating light. Best pose for infants during daily sleep is the position on the right side.
A useful and pleasant massage is the key to the proper development of the baby
Massage is one of the important aspects of care in the first month of a newborn’s life. The development of the baby requires its obligatory implementation. This procedure will bring joy to both the baby and his parents. The best time for massage evening time after swimming. For comfortable sliding of hands over the surface of the baby's skin, baby oil or cream is suitable. They will also help care for your baby's skin.
Massage movements are done with warm, clean hands. The process consists of gentle rubbing, stroking and patting. You can combine massage with light exercises for the baby’s arms and legs. As a result, the entire procedure will take no more than 5-7 minutes.
Walking in the fresh air and keeping the house clean
Competently organized walks are extremely useful for newborns, they help strengthen the child’s body and saturate the blood with oxygen. It is important to start walking immediately after returning home from the maternity ward. In some cases, the pediatrician may postpone walks and determine different dates for their start.
The first experience of going outside can be acquired in the arms of parents. The initial period when the baby is on fresh air is about 15 minutes. Then the duration of the walk is increased to 2 hours, adding another 10 minutes each time.
It is not advisable to take the baby outside in bad weather. When the air temperature is low, it is very important to dress warmly. At the same time, you should not overheat your baby while walking. The easiest way to check if it is frozen is to feel its nose. If it is cold, then the little one is not dressed warmly enough. If it is warm, everything is fine and there is no cause for concern.
Prosperous home conditions are no less important for a child than regular walks. His room should not be cold or too hot. Such a situation will not contribute good sleep baby. Considered the best room temperature about 24 degrees. Daily ventilation of the room must be carried out in the absence of the baby and for at least 20 minutes. There is no place for dust and dirt in the children's room; it is necessary to organize regular cleaning of all types.
Individual first aid kit for infants
First aid kit for newborns
In addition to all the key points mentioned above, parents of a baby should ensure that there is a baby first aid kit in the house. It traditionally includes:
- hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green;
- manganese powder or solution;
- cotton pads and sticks;
- baby powder and cream;
- body and water thermometers;
- antipyretics for infants;
- anti-colic drugs;
- wet wipes;
- small pipette and enema
Compliance with a newborn's daily routine in the first month of life depends entirely on the mood of his family. All parents can easily master the basic rules of handling infants. Although they seem complex and unusual at first, they will soon become the norm of life and will help create for the child the conditions he needs for growth and proper development.
The skin of newborns is very delicate and sensitive, and therefore you need to take care of it very carefully to prevent irritation and inflammation. Let's discuss the basic procedures that new parents have to deal with every day. They cause difficulties only at the very beginning, until all actions become habitual. There is nothing complicated about them, but you need to take into account some features of caring for a little person. And now first things first...
How to change a diaper
First of all, parents learn how to change their baby's diaper. Any hard and flat surface is suitable for this procedure - a changing table, bed or table covered with oilcloth and a diaper. We put the baby on his back. We unfasten the Velcro straps of the diaper and carefully roll it off the baby’s tummy, tucking it inward. Then we lift the baby, clasping both ankles with our hands, and with careful movements we remove the diaper, roll it into a roll and fasten it with Velcro.How to wash a child
Now the child needs to be washed, after “big things” - with soap, after urination, just with water. For infants, it is better to choose a special baby detergent with a neutral pH level, without odor or dyes. Prepare everything for washing in advance so as not to be distracted. In addition to soap you will need warm diaper or a soft towel to dry the skin after the procedure.Washing is carried out under running water in a sink, bathtub or over a basin. If the umbilical wound has not yet healed, water should not get on it so as not to cause infection.
Girls and boys need to be washed differently.
Girls need to be held in their arms with their tummy up so that the water flows to the butt and germs with fecal particles do not fall on the area of the labia and the entrance to the vagina. Usually the baby’s head is placed on the elbow, and her body is on the forearm, and pressed tightly to you with one hand. With the second hand, thoroughly wash the area of the buttocks and labia, washing away all contaminants with soap, but without penetrating the genitals. It is necessary to thoroughly rinse the inguinal folds and thigh area. The baby is then wrapped in a diaper or soft towel and taken to a changing table or other prepared surface. Already there, with careful blotting movements, the genital area, butt, legs and all folds are dried.
Boys can be held in any position, but it is usually more comfortable to hold them tummy down. The baby's head is placed in the elbow bend, the body is on the forearm, the tummy is placed on the palm of your hand and the baby is pressed tightly to your body with one hand. With the second hand, thoroughly wash the thighs, penis, scrotum and perineum under running water. In this case, the head of the penis is not opened, washing the foreskin only from the outside. Further actions the same as for girls.
How to avoid diaper rash in a newborn?
Before putting on a diaper, you can treat your baby's skin with a special diaper cream. It protects against contact with moisture, relieves irritation and gives a feeling of comfort. The cream is not absorbed and forms a thin film on the skin, protecting the child’s sensitive skin from the irritating effects of urine and feces. It is applied to the area of the inguinal folds, around the anus and to the closure of the buttocks. Girls should not apply the cream to the labia, and boys should not apply the cream to the penis, only near the scrotum, where there are folds.The powder is applied in this way: first you need to distribute it evenly on your palm, and then “powder” the baby’s skin with patting movements.
Next, the diaper is straightened, the baby is placed on his back, his legs are lifted with one hand and the diaper is placed under the buttocks. Then the diaper is straightened in the groin area, the Velcro is fastened and the belt is adjusted. If it is not possible to wash the child with running water, you can use special baby wipes.
In the first 2-3 months, you need to change the diaper every 2-3 hours, then as it gets full, usually every 3-5 hours.
How to wash a baby
The child is washed in the morning, after sleep, before or after feeding. For washing, prepare:- warm boiled water;
- sterile cotton balls or disks;
- clean soft cloth.
How to clean a child's nose
The baby's nose must be kept clean; this is important for his proper breathing and nutrition (after all, it is difficult for a baby to eat with a stuffy nose). Cleaning the spout is quite simple, although initially this procedure sometimes causes difficulties for parents. Usually the nose is cleaned in the morning and before bed.You will need:
- saline solution ( ready-made remedy can be bought at the pharmacy) only in the form of drops; sprays can cause laryngeal spasms, so their use is not recommended;
- pipette with a rounded end;
- cotton flagella (twisted from a piece of cotton wool);
- container with warm boiled water.
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How to care for your hair
The baby's head and caring for it often raise questions among mothers. Young parents are especially frightened by the presence of a fontanel (this is the area where the sutures of the skull meet, the connective tissue under which the brain is located). But the head and hair do not require particularly complex care; they are washed with baby shampoo about once a week, and after the bath they are blotted with a towel and the hair is combed with a soft bristle brush. It is necessary to brush your baby's hair daily. If milk crusts form on the head, they are not removed. Once upon a time there was a recommendation to smear the head with oil and put on a cap for 2-3 hours, then comb out the scabs with a comb. Today, this method is abandoned, since special combing of crusts injures the baby’s delicate scalp, stimulating even more crust formation.Treatment of the umbilical wound
One more difficult question for parents is caring for the umbilical wound. After birth, the umbilical cord is cut off and umbilical remnant apply a clamp or ligature. Approximately on the 3rd–5th day, the umbilical cord residue falls off, and a wound forms under it, from which blood or ichor is released. In some maternity hospitals the umbilical remnant is cut off surgically on the second day. Until the umbilical wound heals, it is necessary to treat it twice a day (in the morning and after bathing).You will need:
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution;
- pipette;
- cotton buds;
- alcohol or antiseptic (for example, brilliant green, potassium permanganate solution).
How to bathe a child
It is necessary to bathe babies only with special baby soap (liquid or bar), shampoo or foam, preferably without fragrances and dyes, without strong smell, marked “hypoallergenic”. WITH detergent It is recommended to wash the child 1-2 times a week; the rest of the time, water is sufficient.- The label must contain the inscription “allowed from the first days of life.” It is desirable that this product can be used to wash the baby from head to toe and it does not sting the eyes.
- In addition to soap, you will need a soft sponge or terry mitten for the body.
- Also prepare a water thermometer to control the temperature in the bath, although many parents rely on their own feelings (test the water with their elbow or back side brushes).
- The water temperature should be 36–37°C. You also need a ladle or water jug to rinse your baby at the end of the bath, a large a bath towel(it’s convenient if it has a corner) or a warm diaper in which you will carry the baby out of the bathroom.
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What do you need to know? You should not boil water for bathing, regular water is enough. warm water from the tap. Until the navel heals, a solution of potassium permanganate is added to the water, coloring it to a faint pink color. This solution has a disinfecting effect. This is necessary to prevent germs from getting into the umbilical wound. If a child’s navel has healed, you should not bathe him in a solution of manganese or herbal decoctions - they dry out the skin greatly, which leads to peeling and irritation, even leading to the formation of rashes.
Never, not for a second, should you leave a baby alone in the bath, even if, in your opinion, he is lying securely in the slide - this is dangerous! If you need to step away, stop bathing and remove your baby from the bath. When bathing, you should try not to get water or soap on your child's face. This is unpleasant for babies and can provoke a negative attitude towards water procedures and crying. Many children cry during bathing due to a reaction to the difference in water and air temperature. Try to keep the temperature in the bathroom at least 24°C. For bathing, choose a time when your baby is alert and not hungry, good mood. It is advisable to always wash your baby at the same time - this will accustom him to a routine. If he is agitated after a bath, it is better to bathe him in the morning; if he relaxes and calms down, it is better to bathe him before bed.
Lower the child into the water and let him wallow in it a little, move his legs and arms, and walk him back and forth across the bath. Then lather the mitten and wash the baby, first the neck folds, then the chest, tummy, legs and arms, turn him over and wash the back. Always wash the head last, tilting it slightly to prevent soap from getting into your eyes. Lather your hair and gently massage it, especially in the area of the crusts, then rinse by scooping water from the bath and pouring it on your head, towards the back of your head. At the end of the bath, fill a jug with tap water that is 1–2°C colder and pour it over your baby vigorously, first positioning him tummy down. The first baths take 4–5 minutes. Gradually lengthen the procedures to 15–30 minutes. Wrap the baby in a towel and take it to the changing table, dry the baby's skin thoroughly using blotting movements and then carry out the necessary hygiene procedures (treatment of the umbilical wound, inguinal folds, etc.).
If the house is cool, you can put a cap or a light cap on the child until the hairs are dry.
Bathing and hygiene procedures will gradually become an integral part of your baby’s daily routine, you will learn to perform them quickly and deftly, they will no longer cause any difficulties.
A child is a great joy and a serious responsibility. After his birth, the parents’ task is to provide him with maximum safety and comfort. It is important to create the right conditions for its growth and development, as well as reduce the risk of various diseases and pathologies.
And often after returning from the maternity hospital, parents have a lot of questions about caring for their baby. Therefore, in this article we will look at how to properly care for his skin and body, especially in the first months of life.
Facial skin treatment
The baby needs to carry out the following morning and daily hygiene procedures:
- We wipe the eyes with a cotton ball dipped in water, using light movements from the temple to the nose. An individual cotton ball should be used for each eye.
- We clean the baby's nose with a turunda, pre-made from cotton wool or purchased at a pharmacy. If mucus has accumulated in it, then clean it with a dry cloth. If crusts have formed, then it must first be moistened in baby oil.
Ear care
It is enough to clean a newborn’s ears of wax once a week, preferably after bathing. The procedure is performed very carefully, otherwise the baby's eardrum may be damaged. Do not try to thoroughly clean the ear canals of wax; just remove it at the exit of the canal.
Treatment of skin folds
The baby's skin in the area of the cervical, axillary and inguinal folds should be treated daily. All folds are treated with special lotions, creams, baby wipes or a regular cotton swab dipped in warm boiled water.
Caring for a newborn's belly button
A newborn's belly button must be carefully monitored. The umbilical wound is treated 2 times a day until it heals (an average of 3 weeks). If it does not heal for a long time, is inflamed, swollen, and blood is oozing from it, then the baby should be shown to the pediatrician.
To treat the umbilical wound you will need: cotton pads and swabs, 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1% solution of brilliant green.
Before handling, wash your hands thoroughly. Remove all dried particles using hydrogen peroxide and cotton pad. If foam appears, this indicates that there are particles of blood in the wound. Next, you need to thoroughly wipe the navel from peroxide and treat it with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of brilliant green (brilliant green).
The wound should not be covered with bandages or plaster, otherwise skin irritation, redness, and a weeping navel may occur.
Caring for the groin area
It is necessary to wash the child under running water after each act of defecation. The girl is washed from the pubis to the anus (if it’s the other way around, then fecal residues can get into the vagina and cause inflammation) without soap or with PH-neutral soap. The boy can be washed in any direction with baby soap. Remember, soap can only be used a couple of times a day, as it dries out the skin.
Diapers should be changed promptly—every four hours. Take your time to put on a diaper as soon as you have washed your baby. Make sure the skin is completely dry and no moisture has accumulated in the folds. Always use diaper powder or cream to protect delicate skin from the irritating effects of urine.
Air baths
Caring for a baby up to one year old includes air baths, which harden and stimulate its development, avoiding the appearance of diaper rash and prickly heat. It is recommended to do them 2 times a day. Air baths carried out at a room temperature of 23-25°C. The baby is placed on a hard surface, stripped naked and allowed to lie there for some time.
In the first month of life, the duration of air baths should not exceed 2 minutes; with age, the time gradually increases and reaches 20 minutes.
How to wash
It is recommended to bathe a baby up to 6 months of age daily before bed. Before the umbilical wound heals, it is bathed in boiled water with the addition of small quantity potassium permanganate. The water temperature should not exceed 36-37°C.
You can add herbal decoctions (chamomile, string, valerian) to the water 1-2 times a week.
Taking care of your hair
To ensure that your baby’s hair always remains beautiful and healthy, it is necessary to properly care for it from birth:
- Up to a year, it is recommended to comb your baby's hair with a soft brush. natural bristles. Combing improves blood circulation in the head and activates hair growth.
- The head is washed with a special baby shampoo, which should be marked “tear-free” and have a neutral PH. You can use the product no more than once a week.
- It is not recommended to dry your baby's hair with a hairdryer. It will be enough to lightly blot them with a towel.
- In the first months of life, many babies develop flaking on the scalp (seborrheic crusts), accompanied by redness of the skin and itching. Reason: hard work sebaceous glands. They not only cause discomfort, but they also interfere with hair growth, so you must definitely get rid of them. 15-20 minutes before bathing, apply baby oil to the child’s scalp and put on a cap. Then it is washed off with shampoo, and the softened crusts are combed out with a soft brush. If you can’t get rid of the crusts in one go, then repeat the procedure.
Nail care
It is enough to trim your baby’s nails once a week using special scissors with blunt ends or tweezers. It's better to do this when the baby is sleeping. Do not leave sharp edges or cut your nails too short.
Washing children's clothes
In the first year of life, all baby clothes should be washed separately from the clothes of adults and older children. For washing, you can only use a special powder intended for children's laundry, which does not contain harmful chemical substances and pungent odor, causing allergic reactions. Do not use products to scent or soften baby clothes. These products contain aggressive substances that can cause not only severe allergic reaction on the skin, but also swelling respiratory tract. To make your laundry soft after washing, just iron it on both sides and steam.
Views: 9138 .This topic will combine several articles on our website, which will briefly highlight the questions that new parents have immediately after being discharged from the maternity hospital. The series of these articles is intended for parents who have had their first child, in order to draw their attention to important points life of a newborn. More detailed information on these issues will be posted in separate thematic articles.
The first days of a newborn's life- the most exciting and difficult for parents, especially if this is the first-born. What do new parents need to know? Of course, you have already carefully prepared for the arrival of a baby in your family, re-read a bunch of books, watched dozens of educational videos, listened to the advice of friends, acquaintances and not-so-familiar people... but theory is always different from practice! and, besides, how do you know which advice is correct and which is not so good?
In the maternity hospital, with the mother and newborn baby being cared for together, the mother receives the first essential skills of caring for the baby under supervision experienced doctors and midwives, she learns to wash the baby, wash it, take care of the skin, change diapers, feed properly... modern clothes for newborns (slips), which is used from birth, eliminates modern parents from the need to swaddle a baby (and this is not at all easy!). In general, upon discharge from the maternity hospital, the mother receives the most necessary skills for caring for the baby and becomes familiar with the baby’s daily routine.
Daily routine for a newborn baby
Let's start with what last years The doctors' opinion about the daily routine of a newborn has changed dramatically! If earlier feedings were recommended at strictly established times, today it is recommended to feed the child “on demand,” that is, when the baby wants to eat, which he will communicate by the only means available to him - crying. The rest of the time in the first 3 months of life healthy baby sleeping I must say that diapers made life a lot easier for parents and allowed babies to sleep peacefully as much as they wanted. Don't forget to change diapers between bedtimes and feedings.
Thus, the daily routine in the first days of a newborn’s life comes down to the fact that the child eats when he is hungry, and when he does not eat, he sleeps. Don't worry that your newborn will eat more than he needs, it's impossible!
You also need to find time for bathing, it is more convenient to do this before bedtime, between 19 and 21 hours, depending on your baby’s schedule.
If the newborn often cries and does not sleep, then this is a reason to contact the pediatrician; perhaps you do not have enough milk and the baby is hungry, perhaps something is bothering him and he needs medical help.
And in the first days after being discharged from the hospital, the mother is also advised to sleep more to regain strength. After all, my mother was tired: first she prepared for childbirth and collected clothes, then there was the most difficult thing - childbirth, after which it was over, for which she still had to prepare a set of things.
Soon the baby’s parents will have to start preparing all the necessary documents:
And 7-10 days will pass from discharge and it will be possible to walk with the baby on the street. Of course, if the weather permits, you can start if the temperature outside is not lower than -10 degrees.
Feeding the baby
Feeding is the most important thing in a newborn’s life! There are two options for feeding a baby:
- breast-feeding,
- artificial feeding,
- mixed feeding.
Incorrect latching on the breast can cause damage to the nipple
Breastfeeding, of course, is irreplaceable and incomparable in importance for a child, and we will not argue in favor of natural breastfeeding, but we’ll just briefly list what problems a nursing mother may encounter:
Mixed feeding is used if the mother has a lack of milk; in this case, also consult a pediatrician.
Artificial feeding is used in cases where natural feeding not possible for some reason. In this case, you need to, together with your pediatrician, choose the formula that you will feed the child and strictly follow all recommendations. About artificial feeding we will write a separate article. Don't miss her exit. Subscribe to our newsletter.
