Bath time is one of the most important rituals for babies. Apart from contributing to their body hygiene, it helps them relax, stimulates their senses and creates an affective link with their parents. Given its importance in babies’ wellbeing, it’s only normal that there are many doubts about how to bath a baby correctly. We’ll help you solve them in the blog, stitch by stitch, with these five basic tips.
1. What do I need to prepare my baby’s bath?
Before putting your baby in the water, it’s a good idea to have the room at the right temperature and make sure everything you need for the bath is close at hand.
Room temperature should be from 21º to 25ºC and the water between 35º and 37ºC. You only need about 10 cm of water to bath your baby – and a PH neutral gel, which is not aggressive for his skin, a natural sponge and a soft towel to dry him. We can complete the list with moisturizing products for after the bath, a nappy, clean clothes and a comb for his hair.
Most babies enjoy bath time, but if for some reason they cry or get upset, we can give them a toy to play with. Some children relax if their parents have a bath with them.
2. What’s the best time for bathing a baby?
A common doubt that parents have is deciding what the best time is for bathing their baby. Actually there are no rules as to whether it’s best in the morning or in the evening. Each family should decide in accordance with its needs. Most parents choose to bath their babies at night, before putting them to sleep, as a bath helps them relax, although bath time makes some children more active, and in this case it might be best to bath them in the morning.
Whichever time we choose, it is recommended to always bath them at the same time and for roughly the same time (about 10 minutes), in order to create a routine and a sense of security in the baby.
3. What’s the right way to bath a baby?
First of all we wash his body. We put them carefully in the water, holding his head and shoulders with one hand and the lower part of the body with the other. Once in the water, this hand will be free to gently put the soap on. It is important never to lose sight of your baby, no matter how old he is or how little water there is in the bath. It’s also good to speak to them or sing softly during their bath, and always smile at them.
You should wash the head after the body, so that your baby doesn’t get cold by having wet hair for a long time. You should wash their hair every 2 or 3 days and use a special shampoo that doesn’t make their eyes itch. For rinsing you can use the hand piece of the shower, or your own hand as a cup, depending on what your baby likes best. It is important to check the temperature of the water at all times, and if you use the shower, the pressure shouldn’t be excessive.
4. What’s the right way to dry a baby?
Once you have rinsed your baby, you need to get hold of him in the same way as when you put him in the water, then wrap him up quickly in the towel and gently dry him – rather than rubbing him it’s better to press the towel lightly onto his skin. First of all dry his head, which is where most body heat is lost from, and then the rest of the body. Areas where there are skin folds are especially delicate (groin, armpits, neck). Make sure these areas are properly dry.
5. Rituals for after the bath
After the bath you can use moisturizing creams and lotions, giving your baby a little massage, while you are still talking to him. Then put his nappy on (if he still uses one) and put on a nice warm baby or romper suit, and gently comb his hair with a soft brush.
What do you think of these tips? Do you have any other tricks to share with our readers? Share them with us in the comments 🙂
