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Most babies like to bathe. The physical contact with the father or mother to keep relaxed and water distracts them. However, the newborn has difficulty getting used to this hygiene habit and, therefore, the baby cries a lot in the bath.
Why does the baby cry in the bath?
Each baby is unique and has particular tastes. One for example, relaxes in the water, while another baby cries a lot in the bath. One cries when he is being undressed, the other when he is dressed. Probably because the condition makes them more irritable and less tolerant of clothes, activities and routines.
It seems that they feel insecure when they find themselves without clothes and without support. Usually they tend to become familiar with the bathroom and, little by little, they feel safer and enjoy this activity more.
If bath time is a source of stress for parents, and if the baby cries a lot in the bath, they can do it on alternate days (babies are not as dirty as adults), cleaning the parts with a damp towel. intimate and face.
Babies are experts at absorbing the energies around them, so don’t scold them or be angry. Everything is a matter of time and, little by little, parents will no longer say that “the baby cries a lot in the bath”.
Some parents have found that the baby is more relaxed if they are bathed while bathing. Holding it against the body allows the baby to feel safe by preventing him from crying.
Importance of Baby Bath
Bathing is part of babies’ daily hygiene . Although they don’t get dirty like an older child, the bath is used to remove sweat and dead skin cells .
Bathing is a relaxing activity and promotes baby’s sleep . For this reason, most mothers bathe their child at night to cause more than hygiene, greater relaxation that will provide a more peaceful sleep.
The bath also favors body contact between the mother or father and the baby, which reaffirms it and gives you security. If the baby cries a lot in the bath, it is a good time to talk to him , sing, caress him or, after the bath, a massage.
The Newborn Bath
In the first few days, the newborn usually takes a bath in a different way than he will take a few weeks later. This is because, it is more sensitive, loses more heat and must be bathed quickly.
Care to be taken
Some care must be taken at the time of the newborn’s bath, which unlike older babies need a little more caution.
- The bathtub must not be filled with more than 10 or 15 cm and the water temperature must be close to the body temperature of 35-37º . If you do not have a bath thermometer, you can check the water temperature by inserting the inside of the wrist or the elbow in the water.
- The temperature of the environment must also be taken care of and must be between 22 and 25º, in addition to avoiding any draft.
- Fill the bathtub with cold water and then with hot water, this will prevent burns on the baby. Some parents prefer to boil the water.
- Do not abuse the use of soap . It is not necessary to use soap daily on babies’ skin, as it can dry out or cause allergies. It is only necessary if the diaper area is very dirty.
- The baby should not be left alone in the bathroom at any time. So you need to make sure you have everything you need before you start bathing your baby.
What Objects Should Be Available for Baby Bathing?
- A dry towel to dry the baby after bathing.
- Neutral liquid soap for babies.
- A soft sponge to lather it, cleaning the dirtiest areas without damaging the baby’s skin.
- A sterile gauze to dry well and 70% alcohol for the healing of the umbilical cord
- Ointment for roasting.
- Diaper
- The clothes that the baby will be dressed in after the bath.
- A soft bristle brush for baby’s hair.
- Gentle cologne for babies, which should be applied on clothes and in moderation.
Talc can be toxic to the baby if it is inhaled. It is preferable to dispense with its use.
Where to start the Bath?
In the newborn, the order is generally the same except for a few exceptions.
- First, the naked baby is wrapped in a soft fabric, which can be a diaper or a folded cloth diaper, the baby cries a lot in the bath, but doing so will bring more security to the newborn.
- Then a gauze is wet or it may be the hands, and the eyes, nose and mouth area are cleaned.
- The head is washed with shampoo, rinsing well (it is not necessary to use conditioner), immediately afterwards it is important to dry well, as the head is the place where the baby loses the most heat , so the ideal is to leave it wrapped in towel.
- Afterwards, remove the cloth and wash the rest of the body with mild soap, then rinse and dry it well.
- Place the baby on a flat surface and finish wiping the umbilical stump (cord). This part is very important because if the baby’s navel gets wet it can favor the spread of bacteria that can cause an infection.
- Spend 70% alcohol to disinfect and help the navel heal
- Change the baby normally
Tips so that the baby does not cry in the bath
If the baby cries a lot in the bath, the ideal is to use some tricks so that his attention is not focused only on the cleaning process:
The proper way to bathe the baby is one that is safe and comfortable for him, both physically and emotionally. Touching him gently , maintaining eye contact and talking to him about what is going on and what parts of the body will be bathed helps you to better understand the moment.
It is important to be attentive if the baby is agitated or tense , as the bath will have to be faster and the environment will need a softer lighting and tone of voice.
Over time, the baby understands what happens and starts to help in the bath: raising the foot so that it can be cleaned or tilting the head so that it can be rinsed, for example. So, parents can hear and respond according to their baby.
Leaving the baby relaxed makes him feel free to play with the water, prolonging the bath time and making him pleasant. If the baby does not like it when it is undressed, it can be wrapped in a soft fabric or cloth diaper before being placed in the water.
If the baby shows fear of water being in an unprotected environment, the bath can be given in a bucket .
See Also: Bath in the Bucket – When to Start?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.