Caring for newborn boys 1000 characters left. Useful information for parents

The first month of a baby’s life is magical and hectic at the same time. In the first month of a newborn’s life, it is necessary to learn how to feed, put to sleep and understand its constant requirements. And the beginning of a newborn’s life is especially densely saturated with them.

The first days of a newborn are quite simple. All that really matters to him is to eat every few hours, sleep well and often, have a dry diaper, and get lots of love. But for you, as a new parent, caring for a new baby can seem much more difficult. Therefore, focus only on the main points and basic needs of the child.

Child development 1 month of life

Your newborn does little more than eat, sleep, and cry. You will discover how your baby reacts to things like light, noise, and touch. You will see that your senses are working hard.

Vision in the first month of a child’s life

Your baby sees things best at a distance of 20 - 25 cm. This is the ideal distance for looking closely into the eyes of mom or dad.

Their eyes are especially sensitive to bright light, so babies are more likely to open their eyes in low light.

Don't worry if your child sometimes squints or rolls his eyes. This is normal until your child's vision improves and the eye muscles become stronger.

Let your child look at many attractive things. People's faces, contrasting patterns, bright colors, movements - these are what newborns like most. Black and white photographs or toys will keep your child interested longer than objects or paintings with many similar colors.

The child must be able to follow slow movements of a face or object.

What can a baby hear before 1 month?

The child heard sounds while still in the womb. The mother's heartbeat, the gurgling of her digestive system, and even the sounds of her voice are part of the baby's world before birth.

When your baby is born, the sounds of the world around you are loud and clear. A child may be startled by the unexpected barking of a nearby dog ​​or calmed by the gentle whirring of a hairdryer.

Pay attention to how the newborn reacts to the voice. The voices of people, especially parents, are a child’s favorite “music.” If your baby is crying in the cradle, see how quickly your approaching voice calms him down.

Taste and olfactory sensations of a newborn in the first month

Babies have a sense of taste and smell and will be attracted to sweet tastes rather than bitter ones. For example, a newborn will prefer to suckle on a bottle of sweetened water, but will turn away or cry if given something bitter or sour to taste. Likewise, newborns will be drawn to smells they prefer and will turn away from smells they dislike.

Research has shown that mom's diet affects taste. These first aromas will help shape taste preferences later. For example, a child whose mother ate spicy foods while breastfeeding will most likely be favorable towards spicy foods.

Touch is important for a newborn. With every touch, the newborn learns about life and its surroundings.

In the womb, babies are kept warm and protected, but after birth they feel cold, heat, and hard seams of clothing for the first time.

Make sure your newborn finds the outside world a calming place. Provide plenty of comfortable clothing and soft blankets, gentle kisses, caresses, and comforting hugs.

From the moment they are born, babies begin to respond to the world around them. Their reactions to a mother's hug or a loud noise are examples of normal child development.

Doctors use these factors to determine whether development is progressing as expected. There is a wide range of what is considered normal, so some children acquire skills earlier or later than others.

What should a baby be able to do at 1 month of age?

Newborn behavior

1. Turns head towards parents' voice or other sounds.
2. Cries to communicate the need to be held or fed, changed diapers or put to bed.
3. Stops crying when his desire is satisfied (the child was picked up, fed or put to bed).

Motor and physical development of a child in the first month

From the very beginning, the child has a set of reflexes designed to protect him and provide the necessary help, even if parental instincts have not yet taken effect.

These early reflexes include the searching reflex, which helps locate the breast or feeding bottle, the sucking reflex (helps with eating), the grasping reflex (the one that causes your finger to clench when placed in your baby's palm), and the Moro reflex (a nervous response that he experiences when he is scared).

You can try testing your child's reflexes, but remember that your results may vary and will likely be less reliable than a doctor's test.

Emotional and social development of a child up to 1 month of life

• calms down from the voice and touch of the parents;
• can concentrate briefly.

Cognitive skills (thinking and learning)

1. Looks at faces.
2. Watches the parents' facial expressions.

Caring for a newborn in the first month of life

If you haven't spent much time around newborns, their fragility can be daunting.

Rules for caring for a child in the first month of life

• Be sure to wash your hands before handling your baby. Newborns do not yet have strong immunity, so they are susceptible to infection. Make sure that everyone who interacts with the child has clean hands;
• Be careful to support your baby's head and neck when carrying him or putting him in the crib;
• Don't shake your newborn, whether in play or frustration. Severe shaking can cause intracranial bleeding and even death. If you need to wake up your baby, don't do it by shaking the baby. Instead, tickle your baby's feet or gently stroke his cheek;
• You must make sure that the baby in the carrier, stroller or car seat is properly secured. Limit any activity that may be too rough or vigorous for your baby.

Remember that a 1 month old newborn is not prepared for rough play such as shaking or tossing.

How to care for a newborn in the first month?

Caring for a newborn at home includes feeding, changing a diaper, changing clothes, caring for the umbilical wound, trimming nails, bathing, and putting to bed.

Feeding a newborn

The mother decides whether to breastfeed or bottle her newborn in the first month.

You may be confused about how often to do this. It is generally recommended that this is done every time he seems hungry. The baby may give signs by crying, fist sucking, or smacking sounds.

A newborn baby needs to be fed every 2 to 3 hours. If you are breastfeeding, allow your baby to nurse for about 10 to 15 minutes on each breast. If you are formula feeding, give about 60 - 90 milliliters at each feeding. For each individual baby, you can individually calculate the one-time volume of the mixture.

When feeding with formula, you can easily control the amount of food. But if you are breastfeeding a baby, it will be a little more difficult. If the baby seems satisfied, has about six wet diapers and bowel movements several times a day, the baby sleeps well and is gaining weight well, then there is no shortage of food.

Before changing a diaper, make sure that all supplies are within reach so that you do not have to leave your baby alone on the changing table.

To change a diaper you need:

• clean diaper;
• if the baby has a rash;
• a container filled with warm water;
• clean cloth, wet wipes or cotton pads.

After each bowel movement, or if the diaper is wet, place the baby on his back and remove the dirty diaper. Using water, cotton pads and wipes, gently wipe the baby's genitals. When changing a boy's diaper, do so with caution, as exposure to air can trigger urination.

When drying a girl, wipe the perineum from the labia to the butt to avoid urinary tract infections. Apply ointment to prevent and treat rashes.

Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after changing a diaper.

Diaper rash is a common problem. As a rule, it is red and raised. After a few days, it will disappear with bathing in warm water, using diaper cream and a short amount of time spent without it. Most rashes occur because the skin is sensitive and irritated by a wet diaper.

To prevent or treat diaper rash, try a number of ways:

1. Change your baby's diaper often and as soon as possible after a bowel movement.
2. After washing, apply barrier cream. Zinc creams are preferable because they form a moisture barrier.
3. Leave your baby without a diaper for a while. This gives the skin the opportunity to take an air bath.

If the diaper rash continues for more than 3 days or seems to get worse, contact your doctor. The rash may be caused by a fungal infection that requires medication.

Cloth

You will change your baby many times a day.

Here Some tips to help make work more enjoyable - for the baby and for you:

• start with comfortable clothes. Look for stretchy fabrics; wide necks; loose sleeves, cuffs and ankles; buttons, snaps or zippers on the front of the garment rather than on the back. Lace may look adorable on your little girl, but it can be scratchy or even tangle your little one's fingers, so save it for special occasions;
• Attach a bib if your baby spits up regularly. After all, it is much easier to replace than clothes.

Caring for the umbilical wound and circumcision

Taking care of the umbilical wound is very important. Experts suggest wiping the area with alcohol until the umbilical cord dries and falls off.

The baby's navel area should not be immersed in water until the umbilical cord has fallen and the area has healed.

Consult your doctor if the navel area becomes red, smells unpleasant, or has discharge.

If a boy is circumcised, immediately after the procedure the head of the penis is covered with gauze coated with Vaseline to prevent the wound from sticking to the diaper. After changing the diaper, carefully wipe the head with clean warm water, then apply Vaseline. Redness or irritation of the penis should heal in a few days, but if the redness, swelling, or pus-filled blisters worsen, contact your doctor immediately.

Nails grow before the baby is born, so you can get a manicure in the first week of life. This procedure should be carried out every 2 - 3 days in the first month, until the nails harden and stop growing so quickly.

When trimming, hold your child's finger by pressing the fingertip down and away from the nail. Gently trim your nails, following the natural curve of the nail. Make sure you don't cut it too low or make sudden movements. While holding your tiny toes, trim your nails straight without rounding to the edges. Remember that toenails grow slower and therefore require less maintenance.

Although you won't feel very well, try not to worry if you hurt your baby. This happens to all well-meaning moms. Apply pressure to the wound with a soft, clean, lint-free cloth or gauze pad, and the bleeding will soon stop.

Bathing Basics

You should rub your baby with a soft sponge until the umbilical cord falls off and the belly button is completely healed (1 to 4 weeks).

Prepare the following items before bathing a child:

• clean soft washcloth;
• mild baby soap and unscented shampoo;
• soft brush for scalp massage;
• towel or blanket;
• clean diaper;
• fresh clothes.

Rubdown

To do this, choose a flat, safe surface in a warm room. Fill a sink, if nearby, or a bowl with warm water. Undress your child and wrap him in a towel. Wipe your baby's eyes with clean cotton balls soaked in water. Movements should be directed from the inner corner to the outer.

Use a separate cotton ball for each eye. Wipe your baby's ears and nose with a damp cloth. Then blot the cloth again and, using a little soap, gently wash your face and pat dry.

Then lather up some baby shampoo and gently wash your baby's hair. Try to wash off the foam as thoroughly as possible. Gently wipe the body with a damp cloth, especially paying attention to the armpit folds, areas around the neck, behind the ears and in the genital area. Then you need to dry your skin, put on a diaper and clothes.

When your baby is ready to take a bath, the first baths should be short.

An infant bath will be added to the accessories listed above. A baby bathtub is a plastic tub that fits in a large bathtub. This is the best size for babies and makes bathing easier.

Make sure that the water in the bath is no more than 5 - 7 cm deep. Undress your baby in a warm room, then immediately place him in water to prevent chills. Slowly lower the baby up to his chest into the bath, holding his head with one hand.

Wash your face and hair with a washcloth. Gently massage your scalp with your fingertips or a soft baby brush.

When you rinse shampoo or soap from your baby's head, place your hand on the forehead so that the foam flows to the sides and does not get soap into the eyes.

Gently wash the rest of your baby's body with water.

Throughout the bath, constantly pour water over the child so that he does not catch a cold. After bathing, immediately wrap your baby in a towel, making sure it covers his head.

A baby towel with a hood is great for keeping a freshly washed baby warm.

When bathing your child, never leave him alone. If you need to leave the bathroom, wrap your baby in a towel and take him with you.

Sleep Basics

A newborn who seems to need you every minute of the day actually sleeps for about 16 hours or more. Newborns typically sleep for 2 to 4 hours. Don't expect him to sleep through the night. Babies' digestive systems are so small that they need food every few hours, and babies must wake up if they haven't been fed within 4 hours.

Place your baby on their back or side to sleep to reduce the risk. Also, remove all fluffy items, comforters, sheepskins, stuffed animals and pillows from the bed to make sure your baby doesn't get tangled in them and become suffocated.

Also, in order to prevent one-sided flattening of the head, be sure to alternate the position of the baby every night.

For many newborns, days and nights are “confused.” They tend to be awake at night and sleep more during the day. One way to help them is to keep nighttime agitation to a minimum. Keep the light low when using a night light. Talk and play with your baby throughout the day. When your baby wakes up during the day, try to keep him up a little longer by talking and playing.

Encouraging your newborn to learn

As parents care for their newborn, he learns to recognize touch, the sound of voices and the sight of faces.

In the first weeks you can start several simple, age-appropriate toys that develop hearing, vision and tactile sensations.

1. Rattles.
2. Kids toys.
3. Musical toys.
4. Unbreakable bed mirrors.

Try toys and mobiles with contrasting colors and patterns. Strong contrasts (such as red, white and black), curves and symmetry stimulate baby's vision development. As vision improves and children gain more control over their movements, they will increasingly interact with their environment.

While the focus these days is naturally on keeping baby healthy, it becomes much more difficult if mom doesn't stay healthy herself. So make your health a priority in the first month after giving birth. A short fifteen-minute nap will allow you to renew yourself a little.

Keep a supply of easily accessible but nutritious foods such as cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, fruits and prepared vegetables so that you can eat frequently. Know that your nutritional needs will be higher if you breastfeed.

Feeding

When the baby turns 1 month old, he needs to be fed at least 6 times a day. Try not to control feeding times too strictly; let your baby determine how much and how often he wants to eat.

Allow your 1 month old baby to sleep enough, be sensitive to his signals.

Even at this early stage, try to put your baby in his crib when he is tired but not yet asleep. Most young babies go to bed soon after feeding and their sleep window can be very short.

Behavior

You may see early smiles when your newborn is a month old. But most likely this will be due to their reflexes, and not to their reaction. Closer to six weeks, the child will give a true smile. Many children develop colic at the age of 1 month.

Motor skills of a child at 1 month

A 1 month old baby will be stronger than a newborn. He may be able to lift his head for short periods of time when holding himself upright or lying on his stomach. He might even be able to turn it from side to side. But you will still need to provide him with support.

Your baby also becomes more expressive and may start cooing when he sees family. Be sure to respond to his efforts to encourage these communication skills.

How to develop a baby at 1 month?

• Ensure that your baby is placed on his tummy every day. This will help develop muscles in the neck and upper torso;
• turn on music and try not to filter your child’s world. While it may be tempting to tiptoe around the house when your baby is sleeping, this will cause your baby to become sensitive to environmental noise. Babies who come into families with many young children do not respond to household noise and learn to adapt because they have to.

All children are unique and move through developmental milestones at their own pace. Recommendations for development simply show what the baby can realize. And if not at the moment, then in the very near future.

If you have questions or concerns, ask your doctor for possible solutions to help you and your baby grow together.

The birth of a baby is a miracle that parents await with bated breath. And when, finally, this moment comes, they are immensely happy. Even before the birth of the future man, many questions arise. One of the most important topics is “How to care for a newborn boy?” The answers to the questions that new parents most often ask themselves and their loved ones will be covered in this article.

Baby and his first days

When a baby is born, his skin is protected from infections. This is facilitated by vernix lubrication. The baby's skin is reddish for three days, but after this protective lubricant disappears, the baby becomes yellow. This condition of the integument indicates that he has jaundice. It is not dangerous for a newborn. The jaundice will disappear on its own within a week. In babies, a similar phenomenon can be caused by vaccinations, which are given in the maternity hospital. There are cases when this disease is serious, so doctors recommend drug treatment.

The skin of a newborn is sensitive to the external environment. After all, the thickness of the integument of a little man is 0.4 mm. For this reason, skin infections can often be observed in children. It is necessary to carefully select the products that mothers will use to wash their newly born babies.

Caring for a newborn boy should be somewhat different than caring for a girl. Therefore, we need to dwell on this issue in more detail.

Features of caring for a newborn boy

Intimate hygiene is what worries most mothers caring for their babies. And they are right. If you care for the genitals of a newborn boy incorrectly, this will most likely lead to diseases:

2. balanoposthitis.

Phimosis

This is a pathology when the flesh fuses with the head of the penis. A newborn boy will not experience pain, but this circumstance may have a negative impact on further development: his sexual activity will be reduced.

Balanoposthitis

This is a disease in which a boy's penis becomes inflamed. As a result, the newborn baby experiences pain when urinating.

So, after all, how to care for a newborn boy so as not to harm him? In principle, doing this is not as difficult as it might seem to mothers at first glance. The main thing is to get used to it. Then the task at hand will be completely solvable.

A mother must know what to do and how to properly wash a newborn boy in order to properly care for the little one. We will describe everything in detail.

Method of performing a hygiene procedure

You can wash boys in different ways. The mother can clean the baby’s intimate organs from bottom to top or vice versa. The direction of movement does not matter. But it is not recommended to use potassium permanganate or a homemade soda solution, as these products dry out the skin.

When the water procedures are completed, there is no need to rush to put on the baby’s diaper right away. Air baths are what a child needs. They have an excellent effect on the condition of the newborn’s skin. If the baby has irritation on the skin, these areas must be treated with any hygienic oil. But there is no need to touch the penis and scrotum.

How to properly care for the genitals of a newborn baby

If you notice that when urinating, the child’s penis swells and turns red, then the boy must be shown to a urologist. In such situation

You should not try to solve the problem yourself.

When a mother is caring for a newborn boy, several more questions may arise: “During hygiene procedures, does the flesh need to be pushed back; if not, then when is the best time to start doing this?”

Experts' opinions on this matter are divided.

Some are sure that this should not be done before the age of 6, since the head will open on its own.

But other doctors believe that this is necessary. It is best to start from the moment the mother bathes the child for the first time, and continue to do this until the age of two. Such manipulations are recommended so that the head of the penis can open easily and the small child does not develop phimosis.

So how to care for a newborn boy? Should I retract the foreskin or not? A large number of experts are convinced that pushing away the baby’s flesh contributes to the formation of difficult-to-heal wounds. The consequences can be unpleasant. It follows from this that there is no need to carry out any manipulations. It is best to consult a pediatrician. He will give recommendations on what, how, and when to do.

Do I need to use diapers?

Many mothers decide not to use diapers because they have read or heard that it will harm the baby. Let us note right away that this is a myth, and it consists in the fact that diapers overheat the genitals of boys, which in the future will have a bad effect on sperm production. This is wrong. The temperature rises by only 2 degrees, and this does not affect the genitals in any way. Moms need to make sure that the diaper fits the baby in size and does not press anywhere.

If your baby has allergies, you should try a different brand of diaper or consult a doctor.

How to bathe babies

Newborns need to be bathed frequently to ensure that their skin is cleansed in a timely manner. In the first six months of a child's life, the baby is vulnerable. Subsequently, a protective layer appears and you need to know how to take care of it. Therefore, you cannot buy alkaline detergents for washing babies.

The water temperature should not be higher than 37 degrees. Bathing a child should take no more than 10 minutes. And after this, the baby must lie down naked to take an air bath. If your baby's skin is dry, it must be moisturized. Experts recommend purchasing oil at the pharmacy, preferably of plant origin. Parents must be sure to ensure that hard crusts do not form behind the child’s ears. If they do appear, they need to be lubricated with oil and carefully removed.

For the first 3-4 months, it is necessary to bathe the child every day, then once every 2 days, before going to bed at night.

Caring for baby's nails and nose

While maintaining the hygiene of a newborn, we must not forget that he needs to trim his nails and also clean his nose.

Crusts often form in the nostrils. They must be removed, otherwise the baby will have difficulty breathing. To clean your newborn's nose, follow our recommendations.

1. Make flagella from cotton wool.

2. Soak them in oil.

3. Insert into nostril and swirl.

4. Once the crusts have soaked, remove them.

A newborn's nails need to be cut when they have grown out. Special safety scissors with rounded tips are sold. There is no need to cut your nails very short, as an infection can get under the skin.

We hope that the article gave a detailed answer to the question: “How to care for a newborn boy?” If you follow all the rules of caring for your child, he will definitely grow up healthy and strong.

After the birth of a child, parents are often intimidated by the abundance of new responsibilities. Constantly maintaining the hygiene of a newborn, especially a boy, may seem like one of the most time-consuming tasks, but in reality there is no particular difficulty in this - just know some rules, and caring for a newborn will be comfortable and safe for the baby and parents.

For the parents of a newborn boy, everything still seems unusual, surprising, even frightening. It’s okay: after just a few weeks, caring for your child will become a habit and will take much less effort and nerves.

Maternity hospital care

Boy washing up

Dear reader!

This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

Caring for a newborn boy is quite simple. First of all, you should exclude sudden and disturbing movements - your emotional state will be passed on to the child, he will worry. It is important to show tenderness and care, and movements should be confident but careful.

When washing a newborn boy, it is not recommended to retract the foreskin - this can only be done in the case of any obvious pathologies, inflammation or phimosis, and only during a medical examination. In other cases, intimate hygiene of a newborn boy is limited to gently washing his genitals without retracting the foreskin.

Hygiene procedures must be carried out after each diaper change. After washing, the skin should be thoroughly blotted and allowed to dry - the best solution would be to give it a short air bath (five to ten minutes) to avoid diaper rash and allow the skin to air out.

You need to monitor the temperature in the room - if it is comfortable (20-22 degrees), the baby will not catch a cold.

Hygiene factors

1. Convenience and comfort. It is best to position the baby with his back on your forearm so that his head is on the bend of your elbow. The arm should be slightly bent at the elbow. You can hold the boy close to you and wash him, holding his butt or thigh with your supporting hand. After the umbilical wound has healed, the baby can be positioned tummy down.
2. The boy's butt and intimate organs should be washed in running water. If the stream is too strong, you should soften its flow with your palm. It is often recommended to use boiled water in the first days and weeks of a baby's life, but filtered tap water is acceptable. For boys, the direction in which the palm moves when washing does not matter much, so you can do what is most convenient for you.
3. The water temperature should be comfortable. You can measure it using your own elbow - the skin on its inner side is sensitive enough to give an idea of ​​how the baby feels the water. Newborns are very sensitive to too hot or cold water temperature, so it is worth paying attention to monitoring it.
4. As for detergents, you should not get carried away with their use. You can wash your butt with soap after bowel movements, and after urinating you should simply rinse your genitals.
5. Drying your baby should be very gentle. In essence, we do not wipe, but blot the skin with a series of pressing movements of a towel or diaper. It is best to have a separate towel for the baby's intimate hygiene.
6. Cream and oil are additional skin care products for boys. After washing, you can apply the cream to the butt and perineal area, but you should not use these products often and in large quantities if there is no rash and dryness - due to the oily coating, the skin does not breathe well.

Using diaper oil or cream helps keep baby's sensitive skin moisturized and prevents diaper rash. However, you shouldn’t get carried away with these tools - it’s better to use them as needed.

Bathing

The first bathing is carried out shortly after discharge from the hospital - usually after the umbilical wound has dried and initially healed. During the first two weeks, it is recommended to use boiled water, but most parents, due to everyday inconvenience, decide to simply bathe in well-filtered water.

• When using water procedures that are new to you and your baby in the first days of life, it is necessary to take into account many factors - the baby must be relaxed and at the same time active enough for bathing to become a pleasant and useful activity for him.
• There is no need to bathe a child who clearly wants to sleep or eat. It is best to choose a time half an hour to an hour after feeding, and also shortly before bedtime.
• Water at a comfortable temperature usually helps the baby relax, lose excess energy, gain an appetite for evening feedings, and fall asleep peacefully. Sometimes water invigorates children too much - you can find this out by observing your child.

Up to six months of age, it is recommended to bathe children at least once a day every day. The duration of bathing in the first month is approximately 10 minutes, further depends on the child himself - if he shows obvious dissatisfaction, the process must be stopped.

However, it is still necessary to gradually accustom your baby to water procedures. They are an important basis for the development of the musculoskeletal system and coordination of movements.

Bathing position

• When bathing properly, the body is completely immersed in the water and only the face should remain on the surface. When bathing in the bath, you need to support the baby with your palm under the back of the head.
• If the baby is located on his stomach, support is provided by spreading the thumb and forefinger under the chin - in this position it is easiest for the child to begin making the first swimming movements. In any case, the boy's head should remain on your palm or wrist, and his face should be above the water. At this time, you can support the boy in the water with your other hand, wash him and stroke him. You can see examples in numerous videos.

Newborns retain a reflex to protect their respiratory tract from water, so if you accidentally dive, you shouldn’t be too scared. You need to quickly get the baby out from under the water - after this he may cry and scream, sneeze and snort, but this is necessary to restore breathing. If you want to teach a boy to dive, you should start from a position on his stomach, lowering the baby's head under the water for a few seconds each time he bathes. This requires a developed emotional relationship in order to feel when the baby is ready for experiments.

Infants have a reflexive ability to hold their breath - they inherited it from the period of their stay in the womb. If you help your baby get used to the water, he will be happy to swim and dive

Water temperature and properties

The correct water temperature is of great importance. Most pediatricians recommend a temperature range of 33 to 37°C. You should choose the right one based on observations of your baby’s reaction to water - this is his way of telling you “I feel good/bad.” If he becomes too lethargic, the water should be made a little colder; if he begins to worry, the water should be a little warmer, but not overheated.

Newborns do not tolerate sudden temperature changes well, so you can put the baby in the water directly in the diaper, gradually unrolling it and starting bathing. As the baby grows, you can gradually reduce the water temperature, but carefully monitor changes in the baby's behavior. The temperature that is comfortable for the baby is his personal feature.

• Various detergents can be used without fanaticism - about once a week, and the rest of the time, let them bathe in plain water.
• A newborn boy's body should be rinsed after bathing with a low-pressure shower or watered with a ladle or cup.
• After bathing, you need to check for water in the ears and, if necessary, blot them with cotton swabs. You should also carefully examine all the bends and folds of the skin - elbows and knees, armpits, intimate area, butt, behind the ears and between the toes.
• Thorough blotting and drying will ensure your baby's comfort and health.
• Depending on the skin's need for hydration or dryness, you can use oil, cream or powder as an additional care product.

It is better to carry out daily bathing with plain water, and only occasionally use detergents. The child is still very lightly soiled, so does not need intensive cleaning

Safety of care

There are five rules to ensure safe newborn care. Compliance with them ensures maximum protection of the baby from the most common dangers:

1. Hold firmly with both hands. Despite the fact that the baby is light and usually does not present much difficulty in holding it, you need to remember that it is not just a static weight in your arms. At the most inopportune moment, he may twist or make another unexpected movement and lose the balance that you gave to his body. Young fathers, who tend to be very careless with their children, especially need to be on guard.
2. Keep under constant supervision. An active creature may be at risk of falling on both the bed and changing table. Every time you leave the room, you have three options - put your baby in an enclosed crib, take him with you, or ask someone to look after him.
3. You need to hold the child especially tightly while washing, since a wet body becomes difficult to fix. If you use soap, the baby's body becomes especially slippery and you need to be very careful and focused.
4. Many people use a weak solution of potassium permanganate to bathe and wash the child in the first days of life. When adding potassium permanganate to the water, make sure that all the crystals are completely dissolved, otherwise they can cause burns to the baby. The solution should be pale pink.
5. You should always carefully read the instructions for use and the names of hygienic medicines so as not to confuse them or overdo it with use. Take your time - your haste can negatively affect your baby's health.

Try to follow the above rules and don’t be upset if everything doesn’t work out perfectly right away. Like any skill, caring for a child takes some time, but the reward will be the joy and health of your boy.

Finally, what you have been waiting for for 9 months has happened - a baby has been born into your family. He is so tiny and fragile that it is scary to pick him up. It's scary to swaddle, let alone bathe. It seems to weigh almost nothing. Proper care for a newborn baby will help your baby adapt quickly to a new life, become strong and strong.

The first day when the baby is taken from the hospital is always a test for young parents. The little man is especially vulnerable at this time; he needs help and love. During this period, mom and dad are required to provide special care and attention to the helpless child. Organizing proper care for the baby and observing it is the main task of adults.

The importance of proper care in the first days is due to the baby’s weak immunity. From a nearly sterile environment, the baby enters a world filled with germs and infections. The baby is just developing the process of thermoregulation. The slightest breeze or overheating can cause the child to become ill.

The baby has an open umbilical wound, which requires careful treatment. The navel is one of the main risk factors in the first days of life: spontaneous movements of the baby’s arms can scratch them and cause an infection. In the first days, until the baby’s daily routine is established, the mother needs to spend as much time as possible with her child.

Premature babies born with low birth weight have a very weak immune system. Adults should carefully monitor all changes in the behavior of infants, and in case of illness, immediately call a doctor and not self-medicate.

Caring for a newborn child should be based on the desire to help the baby adapt to the outside world, create comfortable living conditions, and help him get used to his new life. Start creating coziness by adjusting the lighting in the children's room. Bright lights, loud sounds - all this frightens the baby and is a stress factor.

Another significant stress factor is the loss of a sense of security and the lack of clear boundaries. During uterine development, the baby always felt a dense, friendly environment around him. Swaddling helps to cope with the feeling of such fear. It is important for the baby to feel touch with his whole body. Of course, mommy can try to carry the baby in her arms around the clock.

So, your baby is home. You dimmed the light in his room and the baby fell asleep. While your child is sleeping, do not talk in a whisper, speak in a normal voice. The main thing is to avoid shouting and scandals so that the baby does not get scared. While your baby is sleeping, prepare for him to wake up.

Basic principles

When organizing care for newborn children, it is necessary to follow certain principles that will make the life of the baby and adults easier:

• Cleanliness of the baby's body and surrounding things.
• Daily hygiene procedures.
• Daily wet cleaning of the children's room or the room in which the baby is located.
• During walks, be sure to ventilate the children's room.
• Daily change of bed linen and baby clothes: vests, caps. Wash all children's clothes with special baby powder or baby soap. Rinse thoroughly and iron with a hot iron on both sides.
• There should be no things in the baby's room that accumulate dust, such as carpets or soft toys. If there are animals in the house, then for the first months it is necessary to isolate the baby from their close presence so as not to cause an allergic reaction.

The first days after discharge from the maternity hospital, you should not have guests in your home. The baby is too weak and can easily catch an infection from those who like to hold him in their arms.

Care accessories

Even before leaving the maternity hospital, you need to prepare for the meeting of a new family member. Buy:

• A crib. The cribs are very comfortable, the side of which can be lowered, then it can also be used as a changing table.
• Changing table or agree in advance where you will change the baby.
• Children's first aid kit. What should be included in the first aid kit, check with your doctor. The main requirement is compliance with the expiration date. Place the first aid kit in a visible place so that you don’t have to look for it for a long time.
• Hygienic care products: cotton pads, wet wipes, ear sticks, etc.
• Pacifiers and several bottles. Even if the baby is breastfed, drinking baby water should always be on hand.
• Disposable, reusable and waterproof diapers.
• Disposable and reusable diapers. Diapers can be used in conjunction with swaddling a baby.
• Children's bathtub and liner - bathtub.
• Rattles.
• Scissors with rounded tips.
• Children's cosmetics. Regarding children's cosmetics, be sure to consult your pediatrician. Overuse of creams and oils can cause allergies.

The list will expand as the baby grows. A pediatrician can tell you exactly how to care for a newborn baby and what additional supplies you will need.

In modern pediatrics, many works are devoted to the process of caring for infants, where, from a scientific point of view, the importance and significance of proper care for infants from the first days of their life is proven.

Daily procedures

1. Caring for the umbilical wound.

The navel heals on average in 2 weeks. All morning hygiene procedures must begin with treating the umbilical wound. Do not use cotton pads or cotton swabs under any circumstances, so that fibers do not get into the wound. The procedure itself goes as follows:

• Lay a disposable diaper on the changing table and place another cotton or flannel diaper on top, depending on the weather.
• Undress the baby and lay him on the surface with his back.
• Using a round-tipped pipette, drop 2 drops of hydrogen peroxide onto your belly button. Wait for the peroxide to dry.
• Rinse the pipette. Place 2 drops of brilliant green on the wound. Wait for the green stuff to dry.

Until the navel has healed, it is not recommended to bathe the child. You can perform daily wiping with warm water. The room should be warm, without drafts. If the navel does not heal, pus appears from under the crust, and you notice redness around the umbilical wound, call a doctor. Do not try to clean the belly button yourself to avoid causing additional infection.

When caring for the umbilical wound, it is necessary to ensure free access of air to the navel. You can use diapers that have a special recess for the navel. Use loose swaddling during the day.

Start your morning routine with washing your face. The water should be boiled and at room temperature. Wash your baby with a cotton pad: wet the pad and squeeze it out a little. Water should not pour over the child's face.

1. We wipe our eyes.

A baby's mucous membranes can easily fester, so wiping the eyes must be done daily. A cotton pad soaked in boiled water is carefully drawn from the outer to the inner corner of the eye. A separate disc is used for each eye. After wiping, the eyes are dried in the same way.

1. Nose care.

There are two opinions on how to care for a newborn baby’s nose. Some experts insist on daily cleansing. Others believe that it is necessary to clean your nose only in case of illness, for example, with a runny nose, so as not to injure the mucous membranes of the nose. If the baby breathes freely, then you shouldn’t go into the nose again.

For a cold:

• Make several flagella from cotton wool. Do not use cotton swabs. If the baby twitches, and spontaneous movements are common in newborns, the nasal mucous membranes can be damaged.
• Prepare hydrogen peroxide or saline solution.
• Soak the flagellum in the prepared liquid. Screw the flagellum into the spout and quickly remove it. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times, changing the flagella each time.
• If crusts have accumulated in the nose, lubricate them with sterile oil. Then quickly and carefully remove it with a flagellum.

1. We clean our ears.

Regarding the rules for cleaning ears, experts also share opinions. Some suggest brushing daily. Others believe that it is enough to clean the ears once every 3-5 days.

• Use cotton pads to wipe the outer sides of the ears. Be careful not to let water get inside. To do this, be sure to squeeze the disc.
• Make a flagellum from cotton wool and lightly moisten it with hydrogen peroxide. Without inserting the flagellum deep, clean the ears. Instead of flagella, you can use cotton swabs with limiters that will not allow you to go deep.

We wash the child correctly.

1. To understand how to properly care for and wash a newborn baby, it is necessary to take into account the physiological characteristics of boys and girls. When washing the boy, there is no need to move the foreskin; this can lead to adhesions. The baby must be washed daily, and every time after physiological functions.

Since in girls the labia still poorly cover the entrance to the vagina, you should wash in the direction of the anus so that E. coli does not get on the genitals.

• Place the child on one arm.
• Wash your baby under warm running water with baby soap.
• Wipe dry with a towel.
• Treat with talcum powder.

In the summer, babies should be washed more often, as children sweat and sweat accumulates in the folds.

We use special baby oils and creams for skin care. Be sure to consult your pediatrician. In case of rashes, stop using children's cosmetics and check your child for an allergic reaction.

Bathing

You can bathe your baby only after the umbilical wound has completely healed. To prevent your baby from being afraid of water, wrap your baby in a thin diaper for the first procedures.

Before bathing, you can play with your baby or do light gymnastic exercises. After bathing, a light relaxing massage is beneficial. If the child is afraid of water, the procedure should be stopped immediately. Repeat only after a few days.

Compliance with the rules of procedures for caring for infants allows you to develop immunity in the baby and protect your baby from diseases.

The moment has come when, after an ultrasound, the doctor says with confidence: you are having a boy! If this is the first son, the expectant mother usually has many questions about how to organize care for a newborn boy. What are the features of intimate hygiene? Can I use disposable diapers? How to wash? How should you feel about your child exploring his body parts?

How to care for a newborn boy

Can I have diapers?

Disposable diapers make life easier for parents. And when used correctly, it can also reduce the risk of diaper dermatitis in babies. But is it possible to put diapers on boys? Will this cause any harm?

Boys can wear diapers. They do not “heat” the body so much as to lead to inflammation of the testicular tissue. Moreover, until puberty, the future reproductive organs are in a dormant state, there are no sperm in them.

While changing a newborn boy's diaper, a mother may encounter a sudden gush of urine when the skin is exposed. This is a reflex process; in response to the contrasting decrease in temperature, urination occurs. So, after unfastening and opening the diaper, it’s worth covering the crotch again with the top of the diaper for 10–15 seconds to catch this stream.

In addition, it happens that the diaper leaks on the baby’s tummy. This means that when you urinate too much, the discharge leaks out between the skin and the top of the diaper. To correct this, you should gently point the penis down when putting on a diaper, and also choose a model so that it fits more tightly over the pubis, without at the same time squeezing the tummy.

Caring for your baby's perineum

We use napkins

Perineal hygiene is an important point when organizing care for a newborn boy. Removing discharge from the skin of the perineum can be done with water or using wet wipes.

If mom has chosen napkins, then she needs to purchase the right ones. They must be made of non-woven material, be really moist and not cause irritation (intolerance) to either the baby or his mother.

To efficiently use the entire volume of the napkin, it is better not to crumple it. The napkin should be straightened and placed, as it were, on two connected fingers (index and middle). This way you can precisely control the pressure and rub less on the boy’s delicate skin. After all, precise movements clean better than repeatedly rubbing the same area with a crumpled cloth. There is no need to save money; it is better to change the napkin in time.

Cleansing the perineum during diarrhea and in the first days of life requires the closest attention. Meconium (the first feces of a newborn baby) has a viscous, sticky consistency, and the skin of the newborn has not adapted to the new conditions and is still slightly swollen after being in the amniotic fluid. Therefore, very gentle but thorough care is needed.

Wash with water

You can wash it with running water over a sink or other container. Or moisten napkins/cotton pads with water and use them similarly to wet wipes. But washing is still preferable, as a method that is more gentle on the child’s skin. The hands of a loving mother treat the baby’s delicate skin much more carefully than the most natural and soft sponge. And even heavy stains can be easily washed off with plenty of water.

To wash the boy, it is convenient to hold him over the sink, tummy up. In the first months, while the child is not too heavy, you can do it differently - put the child on your arm with his back up and his crotch on his palm.

Washing a newborn boy begins with the penis. Then the entire remaining area is cleared, and movements are possible in any direction.

You don't have to use soap every time. Even baby liquid detergent can leave your skin feeling tight. There is no point in using various antibacterial agents.

When washing your child, you need to pay special attention to the folds of skin between the legs and testicles. Also, do not forget to rinse the lower back, because the diaper fits there too.

Do I need to smear it with something?

While changing the diaper and washing the baby, the mother may wonder: is it necessary to somehow additionally treat the boy’s genitals? If diaper cream is used to care for the skin of a newborn boy, then it does not need to be applied to the penis and testicles. But the skin between the scrotum and thighs should be well dried and treated.

How to care for the head of the penis?

A boy is born with a narrow foreskin, which is partially attached to the head. It is usually recommended to slightly open the head while bathing and wash it with running water without soap or other detergents. You can add a little sterile oil, but this is not necessary.

Opening the head slightly does not mean trying to expose it. Otherwise, it may become pinched in the opening of the foreskin. This is both painful and fraught with complications. So you just need to shift the skin, pull it towards the pubis so that the hole opens slightly and gradually stretches.

During hygiene procedures, you must carefully examine the child’s genitals. An increase in size, swelling, redness, and the appearance of discharge requires a mandatory visit to a pediatric urologist or at least a pediatrician or surgeon.

What if he touches himself THERE?

Often the boy will pull himself so hard on the “household” that his mother will be horrified. But he won't tear himself off anything. Stretching of the skin, the onset of erection - all this is natural and contributes to the gradual separation of the hood of the foreskin so that the head can open completely.

Of course, you should not encourage your child or allow him to develop a bad habit. But there is no need to scold or punish him. Children do not see differences between parts of their body. And genitals are not something shameful or dirty for them. So you just need to limit access by wearing tight panties. And distract the baby by keeping his hands and head occupied with something interesting.

Mothers of children of different sexes often say that a boy’s hygiene is easier. Less risk of inflammation, easier to clean. But it’s still worth knowing about the important points and features of caring for a newborn boy, so as not to harm the baby and not miss any serious deviations.