Your newborn’s grooming needs might make you feel all mixed up, and if you are a new parent, things might not be that easy. Upkeeping their hair, nails, and skin will help them to stay healthy and comfortable. Also, you are introducing grooming habits to your baby from day one, which is a bonus indeed! It will be better for those teeny tiny tasks from bathing to getting your baby’s nails done if you had proper guidance. Don’t worry, like always, we got you back.
Coo..Coo.. It’s bath time.
Your baby’s umbilical cord might take about 1-2 weeks to heal, so until then, giving a bath is a big no. But until then, you could give your baby a sponge bath to not make that stump wet.
How to give your baby a sponge bath?
- During a sponge bath, you don’t lay your baby in a bathtub but on a towel. And you wash one section of the baby at a time.
- Your baby will also need a sponge bath if they have had any kind of surgical procedure and have stitches in the body.
- Start with washing your baby’s face with a lukewarm, wet washcloth or a baby bath sponge. It is better not to use soap, but you can squeeze some soap for washing the scalp if you want.
- Move to the rest of the baby’s body next, wipe off every part of the body, especially those little creases.
- Keep the umbilical cord and area dry.
- Pat them dry using a soft towel.
Once the stump falls off, you can give them their first baby bath. Many of the babies like the splashy splash, but some of them don’t take it well. So, introduce water to them slowly. You can lay them on a bath bed to make things easy for you. Make bath time the playtime. Once they feel bathing is fun, then things will be hassle-free for you.
- And while you bathe your baby, keep all the bathing supplies at your reach and never leave the baby unattended during bath time.
- And when you start washing your baby, try to start with the face, then hands, and work your way down, that way, you are not spreading germs.
- Use wet cotton balls to clean your baby’s eyes and face. It’s better not to use any soap.
- You can use a small amount of shampoo to wash your baby’s scalp but keep their head tilted back so that the shampoo doesn’t run into their eyes.
- Careful when you lift them out of the bathtub after the bath, give firm support to their neck and head with your hands.
- Don’t let your baby be in the bath for more than ten minutes. Any time longer than this can dry out their skin.
- Also, you don’t have to bathe them every day, two to three times a week is enough.
Giving your baby a gentle massage with suitable baby oil. Massaging a bit of baby hair oil on the scalp can help reduce conditions like Cradle caps and other issues related to dry skin. Massage oils can help babies relax, and using the right essential oil can give your baby the right kind of skincare. It aids in strengthening the bones. Plus, it can also promote the bond between you and your child.
It is really important to keep your baby’s ears clean. You can clean the outer ear during bath time or right after the bath using a cotton ball or a cotton swab. It is not safe to use cotton swabs or wet cotton balls inside the ears. Even if you see earwax inside the baby’s ears, understand that it acts as protection, and removing it can have potentially harmful damage.
To clean the outer ear, you can wet it with lukewarm water and wipe gently around the ear and behind the ear. If you see a wax buildup in your baby’s ears, you better consider consulting your pediatrician and asking for an eardrop. Remember, you can’t stick any cotton ball or washcloth inside the baby’s ear, which will result in ear damage.
We understand that you might feel a bit overwhelmed about cleaning your baby’s nose. That is normal. But try not to stick anything like the tip of washcloths or a cotton swab inside your baby’s nose. It’s better to wet them a little with lukewarm water and gently wipe them around the nostril to get rid of the mucus. If you feel like using a suctioning syringe or sinus cleaner, better consult your pediatrician and ask for some advice.
You can also make use of saline nose drops to help loosen any dried mucus if the baby has a stuffy nose. But ask for a piece of expert advice, even in this case also.
It can be sort of wonder how sharp those tiny newborn’s nails can be. That is why it is necessary to care for them immediately and always keep an eye on them. Because these nails can wound themselves, they grow faster than ever. You can use baby mittens for the first week and slowly introduce nail trimmers. But you will have to cut them sooner or later.
Make use of specialized baby nail trimmers such as Pigeon Arabia’s Safety nail scissors newborn, which are made with soft ends, which will wound your babies but will gently trim those nails. It’s safe to cut those nails after the bath. At that time, those nails will be softer. If you don’t feel like cutting them, you can also slowly file them down.
To hack those hair dramas, you will need a lot of patience. Cradle Caps can be a concern for so many new parents. As discussed earlier, massaging a little bit of petroleum jelly or any baby oil before bathing will help control that flaky skin. You can gently rub the oil into the scalp with a soft baby hairbrush. And then wash them off with mild baby shampoo.
If you want to brush those tiny hairs and groom them well before you take them out on a small outing, be sure to soft brushes like Pigeon Arabia’s Comb and Brush set, which won’t tangle them out but will give a clean look without hurting your baby.
