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After a long wait of nine months, the time has finally arrived when you can hold your tiny bundle of joy. When you are at the hospital, the nurses might take care of cleaning your baby up. However, this stay only lasts for a few days. After that, it is time to return home. Finally, you are on your own (unless you have your parents at home). You might do everything to equip yourself to take care of your newborn – be it reading all those self-help books, watching videos on childcare, or even asking your own mother some tips. But, there is nothing in the world that can completely prepare you for the new-mother responsibilities.
While movies paint an unrealistic picture of how easy-breezy baby care is, it is not the same in real life. In reality, the babies are so tiny and delicate that you might feel like you would hurt them by just holding them. So, even giving them a bath might seem like a hard task. What is good is that you don’t need to bathe them on a daily basis.
Here, we bring you 9 pictures that can help you clean your little angel:
1. Bring Together The Bath Items
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This might seem obvious. But, it is a crucial step. Make sure you take a smooth and absorbent towel, preferably made of cotton. Using a harsh material on your baby’s delicate skin might give them a nasty rash. Ensure that his/her new clothing, as well as a diaper, is close by to minimize the dressing time. Even the baby soap, lotion, and oil bought for your baby should be mild.
2. Fill The Baby’s Bath Properly
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Make sure that your baby’s bath water in the tub is below his/her waist level when seated. Keep your little one’s tub on the ground and don’t pour water more than three inches. His/her bath should be warm to avoid your little one catching a cold. But, not too hot either.
3. Put Your Newborn In Tub Carefully
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Babies can be slippery so hold them tightly and support their neck. Put their feet first into the tub, giving them a chance to get accustomed to water. Keep pouring a few cups of water on their body while washing them to ensure they don’t get cold. Hold them all along so that they don’t slip and fall.
4. Buy The Mild Soap
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Use a mild soap. Don’t get carried away and use a lot of soap on your baby. Babies are not as dirty and don’t need as much soap as grownups do.
5. Treat The Cradle Cap Right
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You can apply some baby oil on your baby’s soft head and let it sit while you bathe the other parts. Be gentle in that area as it is pretty delicate. Once those flakes loosen up, you can use a soft comb to brush them off.
6. Cleaning Your Baby’s Ears
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Support your baby’s neck by holding him/her tightly to clean the ears. But, don’t put anything inside them, not even the earbud, as it might hurt the eardrum. Clean the accumulated earwax on the outside of the ear. Also, don’t put water inside as it can cause ear infections.
7. Wipe Their Eyes Clean
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While soaking the cloth into the water to clean your baby’s face, keep him/her holding to prevent slippage. Use only one hand to do so and gently wipe his/her face since it’s delicate. Use different cotton balls to clean both the eyes to prevent the spread of eye infection.
8. Clean Their Nose
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You can try and make your baby sneeze. It is good for hygiene as well as it can ease your baby’s breathing. Since babies can’t blow their nose, you can help them by using a nasal saline solution or nasal aspirator.
9. Trim Their Nails
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Some babies have big nails and it grows fast too. So, you might need to trim their nails quite regularly. Use a small nail trimmer. There are some that are specially designed for babies. And, don’t trim near the skin. Also, be slow and gentle!
You might need to give your baby a sponge bath for the first three weeks. Just follow all these tips and you’ll do just fine. Happy motherhood!
