Our Baby News

How often should I bath my baby?

First baths. When to give baby her first bath is a matter of some debate. It is still general practice to advise parents to sponge bathe baby until the cord falls off and the circumcision heals. Some physicians question the necessity of this advice, feeling that an immersion bath does not increase the risk of infection. Check with your doctor. Our own personal recommendation is to sponge bathe baby until the cord falls off and the circumcision is well healed.

It’s up to you how often you bath your baby. Some babies love being in the water, and giving your baby a warm bath can become a fun and relaxing daily ritual.

We advise sponge bathing if there is discharge around the base of the cord or the circumcision site or if a putrid odor emanates from the cord.

Where should I bath my baby?

To begin with you may find it easier to use the kitchen sink or a small plastic baby bath.

Check the water temperature in your basin or tub before you begin bathing. Water should be warm, not hot. While bathing, keep baby wrapped in a towel exposing only the area you are bathing to avoid heat loss.

Follow-up Formulas

This type of formula can be based on cow’s milk or soy. Follow-up formulas are iron-fortified. They are better choice than whole cow’s milk for older infants between ages of 6 to 12 months.

They contain lower renal solute load than whole’s cow milk and are therefore easier on a baby’s kidney. It is proven that follow-up formulas offer more benefits than traditional infant formulas.

Parents can comfortably use the same “starter” formula from birth until 12 months of age.

Example:

• Nestle Follow-up
• Nestle Follow-up Soy
• Enfapro A+

Of the long list of things new mothers have to worry about, whether or not the baby is eating enough is one of the more common concerns. Although many women worry about baby’s food intake, most babies are getting enough to eat and it’s rare that this becomes an actual problem.

If you find out your baby dirty, you can try washing it by firmly supporting the head and shoulders with your free arm. If shampoo is being used, ensure that it is properly rinsed off. After the bath, baby should be dried well with a warm and soft towel.

Soon after the bath, a good quality moisturizing lotion can be applied all over the body. Then, the baby can be dressed in clean and fresh diapers.

Bathing a newborn baby is probably a traumatic event for a first time mom. Newborns can seem so fragile, and wet, slippery ones downright frightening. But, don’t fear; once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel like a pro. There’s no need to give your newborn a bath every day. Bathing your baby more than several times a week can dry out his or her skin.

If you’re quick with clean diapers and burp cloths, you’re already cleaning the parts that really need attention — the face, neck and diaper area.

First of all, it’s important not to put your newborn in any sort of bathtub until her umbilical cord has fallen off. If your baby is circumcised, you need to wait until this has healed, as well. Until then, give your baby a sponge bath.

Coordination Disorder

The symptoms of developmental coordination disorder vary greatly from child to child. The general characteristic is that the child has abnormal development of one or more types of motor skills when the child’s age and intelligence quotient (IQ) are taken into account.

In some children these coordination deficiencies manifest as an inability to tie shoes or catch a ball, while in other children they appear as an inability to draw objects or properly form printed letters.

Some investigators believe that there are different subtypes of developmental coordination disorder. While there is disagreement over how to define these different subtypes, they can provide a useful framework for the categorization of symptoms. There are six general groups of symptoms.

These include:

• general unsteadiness and slight shaking
• an at-rest muscle tone that is below normal
• muscle tone that is consistently above normal
• inability to move smoothly because of problems putting together the subunits of the whole movement
• inability to produce written symbols

As a new mother, washing your baby’s hair can feel a bit daunting. Some babies don’t like being naked.  It involves holding them with one hand, and you might be worried about shampoo stinging their eyes.

If, however, you don’t have a baby bath there are some inexpensive, practical alternatives that you can use until your baby is old enough to go into the big bath. For example, a plastic household basin functions in exactly the same way as a baby bath and is useful because, like a baby bath, it can be carried anywhere you choose.

Kitchen or bathroom sinks are also practical because they are generally at a comfortable height so you don’t have to bend over too much, and they often have additional counter space to the side.

Here are a few tips to make washing your baby’s hair easier.

Choose baby natural shampoo. Baby natural shampoo should be paraben free and SLS free. It will soft on your baby’s skin and won’t sting her eyes should a little bit of lather get in.

If you’re unsure, you can ask your midwife to show you how to wash your baby’s hair.