Whether the baby can take a bath without losing the umbilical cord? How to bathe a newborn who has not had their umbilical cord different from a normal infant bath? Please find the answer in the article below!
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When is it possible to bathe a newborn that has not yet fallen umbilical?
How to bathe an unborn baby at home
Note how to bathe babies who have not shed their navel
At birth, your baby's umbilical cord is still attached to the body and will gradually dry and fall off after a few days or weeks. Folk call this phenomenon umbilical cord loss. The un-falling umbilical part of the baby does not affect the health, but it is one of the things that most troubled mothers when planning to bathe their babies. Many mothers fear that bathing their baby in water before the umbilical cord falls can cause infection. In fact, a mother only needs to know how to bathe an unborn baby and this will not happen.
How to bathe a newborn who has not yet shed their umbilical cord is as difficult as many mothers think?
Usually, when a newborn is born, babies do not need to bathe immediately. The nurses often use soft and warm cotton towels to wipe off the amniotic fluid and blood on the baby's body. Then, your baby will be brought to the mother for skin-to-skin practice or wrapped in a towel and placed near her. If you look closely at your baby, you will notice it on the baby's skincovered with a thin, waxy coating. This wax layer is called vernix caseosa or a substance that helps maintain the baby's temperature while lying in amniotic fluid, preventing infection during birth. At this time, the baby's temperature mechanism is not stable, so it is necessary to wait until the next day to take a bath. In all maternity hospitals, the first bathing of a newborn is always performed on the first day of life. Of course, this also depends on the decision of the parents. If you are not ready to let your baby shower, delaying for another 1-2 days is not a big deal. However, it is also important to note that over time, the contaminant can become an ideal habitat for bacteria.
Thus, bathing for babies who have not yet shed their umbilical cord is not taboo and bathing in hospital has nothing special compared to bathing at home.
To bathe a newborn who has not yet shed their umbilical cord, mothers need to prepare:
Warm tub: Mom should check the temperature of the bath water to make sure it's not too hot or cold.
Shower chair or shower net (if available)
Bathing cotton: Choose for babies
Massage oil
Shower gel: Choose one with the right pH and won't sting your eyes
Wipes: Choose a towel large enough to cover the baby and soft, non-irritating to the skin
Clean clothes
Bath nets will help mothers to easily manipulate the first time bathing babies who have not shed their umbilical cord
Step 1: Massage your baby
Massage for the baby will help the baby feel warm, comfortable and less scared when the mother is released into the water.
Step 2: Bathe your baby
Bathing for babies who have not yet shed their umbilical cord is no different than bathing for other normal babies.
First, mothers use a clean towel or cotton ball soaked in warm water to wipe the baby's eyes, face and ears.
Next, gently wash your baby's hair, paying attention not to let water fall into your baby's ears.
Gently splash the baby with water and gently use a cotton ball to massage the shower gel over the baby's whole body. Note folds such as neck, armpits, wrists, groin, knees, and ankles. Usually, newborn babies are very plump and mothers need to clean the upper folds, because sweat and dirt easily make babies get lumpy.
Gently scoop up clean water to rinse the shower gel off your baby's body.
Cover baby with a towel and dry
Apply diaper rash cream and diaper on your baby
Wear clothes
Wear gloves and socks for your baby if needed
You can skip step 1 and go directly to step 2 if you don't have enough time and your baby is not afraid to take a bath.
You can see the full process of bathing your baby in the video below:
Although basically, the steps to bathe an unborn baby are completely similar to bathing a baby who has a navel, you still need to note the following points to properly bathe and care for your baby's umbilical cord:
You can let the whole baby soak in a basin of water, but when wiping the body must use a clean cotton to dry the water clinging to the baby's navel.
Do not take a bath for more than 10 minutes as babies easily lose body temperature.
Use a clean cotton swab to apply an antiseptic solution (70-degree alcohol or iodine solution should be used as directed by your doctor).
Allow the belly button to dry completely and check it thoroughly before covering it with clothing / clothing
There is no need for a umbilical bandage for your baby after bathing, so the navel will dry faster.
Bathing for the baby does not affect the rate of umbilical loss as well as the speed of healing of this loss.
If you see any signs such as wet navel, navel smells, bleeding or pus ... you need to take your baby to the hospital to check
Do not apply any creams, folk remedies to your baby's navel without your doctor's approval.
Wear a diaper under the baby's navel so that the diaper does not cover the navel, causing a cellar or squash.
Note when taking care of the baby umbilical cord Do you know how long it will take for your baby to lose its umbilical cord, take care to properly care for the baby umbilical cord and recognize signs of an infection.
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