With the birth of a child, parents are faced with many challenges. Why is the baby crying? How often should it be fed, swaddled and changed? They feel insecure about these and other issues.
No matter how many parenting books they have read, many parents also face the question of whether to bathe their child every day - especially in light of the fact that the child has nowhere to get dirty in the first months of life. On the other hand, they believe that the child should get used to washing every day and that special attention and hygiene should be paid to the diaper area. Each child is individual and has their own requirements. Therefore, it often does not make sense to strictly follow the rules.
Should a baby be bathed every day?
There is no general answer to this question. First, think about what you want to achieve with daily bathing. Would you like to keep your baby’s skin perfectly clean? Achieved to be soft and smooth? Do you think that baby's skin is not gentle enough by nature? Deciding how often you will bathe your baby is very important. Experts warn that bathing too often can have the opposite effect: we remove natural protective oils from the skin, so it loses its natural moisture and becomes dry and itchy. In addition, the number of natural defense bacteria that strengthen resistance is reduced. All of this can increase the risk of skin irregularities and problems such as eczema.
More and more experts are agreeing that daily bathing is not necessary, and it would be good to bathe the baby every other day. Of course, this does not apply to exceptional situations such as severe vomiting or diarrhea. It is enough to include the face, neck, arms, diaphragms and other wrinkles in which dirt and bacteria accumulate in the daily care. Daily bathing is recommended only when the child is already starting to crawl, eat hard food and when he really gets dirty.
It is best to adapt to the child, his skin type and his needs for care and cleanliness, instead of strictly following the rules.
Why is baby's skin more sensitive?
It should be noted that the baby's skin at birth is not yet fully developed. In the first few weeks, it is thinner, more flexible, gentler, and usually more prone to irritation. The baby is not yet sweating because it does not yet have developed mechanisms to regulate body temperature. So his skin is just beginning to mature and establish its function - protective, sensory and regulating. The more intense action of sebaceous glands and sweat glands begins only in the third week of life, when we also notice the first changes on the skin, such as sweating. The navel also usually heals during this time. Therefore, then is the best time for the first swim.
Basic rules of bathing and care
Bathing and proper baby skin care are very important for long-term skin health.
The basic rules must be followed:
• The most important thing is to choose the optimal temperature of the water and the room in which the baby will bathe, so that this experience will be pleasant for him.
• We do not need special shampoos or gels for bathing, as they are usually too aggressive for the delicate and sensitive baby's skin. Remember that everything you put on your baby’s skin is absorbed through it into the body, and that many cosmetic products, including moisturizing wipes, contain too many parabens, allergens, and potentially harmful chemicals. Therefore, use only the most gentle means, preferably water and a few drops of natural almond oil.
• Apply the protective cream only to the nappy area.
• After bathing, you can rub natural oil into the baby's skin with gentle movements. Such a massage is extremely useful, as it calms the child and helps him fall asleep earlier. Touch also has a beneficial effect on his immune system.
• Depending on the baby's skin type, a moisturizer may also be needed. For normal skin, experts do not recommend the use of such creams, but for very dry skin, they recommend applying it several times a day.
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As important as deciding when to bathe your baby, is the fact that using harsher chemical in some soaps and washes will damage skin and make it dry. A lotnof times, bathing in plain water is enough to remove sweat and dust and warm water can soothe and calm the baby. Even newborn babies sometimes enjoy the 'water' feel as it feels like they are swimming in the warm amniotic fluid.