First day after delivery. Caring for a newborn after birth What to do at home with a newborn

The first days of a newborn at home after the maternity hospital are the most difficult for both the baby and the parents. Often, mothers are even afraid to be discharged, because they are often not sure that they will be able to cope with caring for a baby. The little man seems quite fragile and defenseless. No less excitement covers the household, because the house needs to be prepared for a new family member. However, all worries can be removed if you read the detailed instructions on how to behave.

And now let's dwell on this in more detail.

How to prepare an apartment for the arrival of the baby?

Cleanliness in the house is a guarantee of the health of the child, and therefore, before the arrival of the baby, it is necessary to put things in order. It is not necessary to ensure complete sterility, but the floor must be washed, the crib treated with a mild detergent, the linen washed with baby powder.

Near the crib should not be placed "dust collectors" (various souvenirs and soft toys), which can become a source of allergies. The room must be well ventilated. You also need to equip the room with the following items:

  • Nightlight, which is needed for feeding the baby at night;
  • Chest of drawers for children's things;
  • It is necessary to take care not only of the quality of the crib, but also the safety and comfort of the mattress for the child. How to choose a set in a crib for a newborn;
  • In the first months, you need to change diapers often, swaddle the baby, and therefore you need to prepare a special place for this. If there is not enough money for a special table, you can adapt an old chest of drawers or a table for swaddling. A soft blanket is placed on top of it, as well as oilcloth. On the right side of the changing table, you need to place all the baby care products: powders, cotton pads, baby cream. The entire list for the first time. On the left, you can put diapers and sliders. - the subject of disputes between parents and pediatricians, this can be found in a separate article;
  • If the air in the apartment is dry, you need to buy a humidifier. In a baby, with a dry microclimate, the mucous membrane dries up, a runny nose occurs, and therefore it is so important to monitor the humidity indicators. To do this, you can carry out daily wet cleaning, place a bucket of water near the battery. However, the most reliable tool is a special humidifier.

Dust collectors should not be placed near the crib.

It is better to prepare a zone for rest and swaddling of the baby in advance. You will also need to purchase all the things that you need at first: undershirts, diapers, diapers, creams.

What to do in the first days of a newborn baby's life at home after the maternity hospital?

What to do in the first days of a newborn at home? The most important thing is not to do anything extra. The baby should be well rested. You need to subdue him, and then put him to sleep. No need to immediately organize swimming and walking. The baby, immediately after arrival from the hospital, needs only food and rest. Therefore, the number of guests should be kept to a minimum.

What the baby needs - the basics of care

A newborn has a number of needs, each of which must be taken into account:

  • Food. You need to feed your baby at least once every 3 hours. If sucking reflexes are observed, this indicates that the baby wants to eat;
  • Dream. Newborns sleep in fragments of 2-3 hours. The same interval is the time of wakefulness. Good sleep requires silence and darkness. Many pediatricians and psychologists are convinced of the beneficial effects of parent-child co-sleeping. The kid feels the presence of loved ones, which makes his rest complete.

Co-sleeping is a practical solution for breastfeeding. Mom does not have to often jump up to the child, because he is very close. With any signs of his anxiety, you can quickly respond.

  • Temperature. The best temperature for a baby is 18-19 degrees. Many parents make the mistake of putting on a "hundred" blouses and vests for a child. This is the wrong approach, which can lead to overheating and the appearance of diaper rash;
  • Psychological Needs. Physical contact is required for the baby to feel calm. Touching, hugging, kissing - all this is extremely important.

The little man must constantly feel the presence of caring parents nearby. You need to talk to him. Do not be afraid of an overabundance of attention.

How to do everything?

Compliance with a constant frequency, caring for a newborn in the first days at home - all this requires huge reserves of strength. The load can be lightened if you properly distribute responsibilities and plan time. Recommendations will help with this:

  • After the birth of a baby, many people want to congratulate the newly-made parents. However, telephone conversations should be kept to a minimum. It is advisable to warn loved ones so that they do not call themselves, but send messages. Thus, the sound of the phone will not frighten the baby and disturb the mother's sleep;
  • Each item must have its own place. It is necessary to allocate a special table where all the necessary little things will be added. This will save time searching for the right thing and prevent unnecessary worry;
  • All purchases must be made at one time. It is better to go to the supermarket, where there is everything you need;
  • Responsibilities need to be assigned and adhered to. For example, dad may be responsible for shopping and bathing the baby, while mom is responsible for breastfeeding and cleaning. This measure will ensure the coordination of all actions, prevent conflicts, and give an even load. If there are still not enough hands, you can contact relatives.

It is important for mothers to entrust the baby to fathers, because it is useful for all parties. The child will get used to the father from the very first days, and the man will more successfully adapt to his new role.

Both parents need to discuss all the significant points before the trip to the hospital, so as not to cope with all the difficulties in a hurry. It is advisable to prepare a nursery, or a corner where a newborn will be placed. Where to put soft toys and other gifts from loved ones? For now, it's easier to put them away in cellophane or factory packaging until the time the baby grows up. Purchase of all clothing and care products should be carried out in advance. After the arrival of the baby, there may not be time for all this.

For more information on how to properly care for children at home in the first days of their life, in the video:

What shouldn't you worry about? In the early days, you should not plan walks, receive guests. Maximum comfort should be provided so that the child can quickly adapt to the new world. Preparing yourself mentally and knowing what to expect will help you deal with the challenges.

The first days of a baby after birth are a kind of testing stage for new parents and for the newborn himself. The kid has radically changed his habitat, light and sound accompaniment, nutrition, type of breathing and blood circulation, etc.

Now we need to adapt to all these changes as quickly as possible. The task of adaptation to new living conditions is in the first days of the newborn.

In the first days, the staff of the maternity hospital actively helps the mother in caring for the newborn. But at home, young parents can be confused by the variety of new responsibilities and often conflicting advice that is generously handed out by surrounding relatives and not only.

This article is for those who want to hear the opinion of a specialist and an experienced parent, formulated in an accessible language, clearly and concisely.

What can mothers face in the first days after the birth of a baby in the hospital?

We repeat once again that in the first seven days the child goes through an early period of adaptation. Adaptation to new waterless conditions. Now the baby does not have to maintain a constant body temperature from the outside, uninterrupted power supply through the umbilical cord, the usual beating of a mother's heart nearby.

Immediately after delivery, your baby is taken to be examined by a neonatologist, to be processed, changed and weighed. Then the baby will be brought to you and placed on your breast.

Early attachment to the mother's breast is both skin-to-skin contact between mother and child and the beginning of an invisible emotional bond between mother and newborn. This is the baby's immunity, which is triggered by antibodies and immune cells contained in colostrum. This is the settlement of the first microflora in the baby's intestines.

Don't worry about feeding. Even if the baby literally eats two drops of colostrum or licks them off the nipple. He doesn't need much right now. And nutritious colostrum is able to satisfy all the needs of the crumbs at the moment.

The next two hours the puerperal will spend in the maternity ward under the supervision of doctors. Further stay of mother and baby can be joint or separate.

When staying together, the baby's crib is next to the mother's bed, and they are constantly nearby. With a separate stay, most of the time the child is in the children's department of the maternity hospital. They bring it to mom for feeding.

Experts recommend a joint mode of stay after childbirth. It's good for both mom and baby. For mom, this contributes to the rapid establishment of lactation and uterine contraction. It is more physiological for the baby to be in close relationship with the mother, as before.

If everything is in order with mom and baby, there is little time after childbirth before meeting and getting to know your baby. As a rule, in a few days of staying in the maternity hospital, mothers have time to enjoy the moments of acquaintance and communication with the baby, feeding.

But there are different situations when cohabitation is impossible or undesirable due to the peculiarities of the condition of the mother or child after childbirth.

It is worth dwelling separately on the states of a newborn, which parents, especially mothers, can scare in the early days. Especially when mom and baby are together.

Moreover, in some cases, mommy will be ashamed to ask a doctor about this. And sometimes, to be honest, the doctor will not be able or will not want to explain to the mother in detail and in an accessible way the features of her situation with the child. And this will even more excite and frighten parents.

Borderline or transient conditions of newborns are temporary symptoms that occur in connection with the adaptation of a small organism. These conditions do not require special treatment. As a rule, by the end of the neonatal period, that is, by the 28th day of the baby's life, everything passes without a trace.

These include:

1. Physiological weight loss

The body weight of the baby decreases due to the restructuring of the baby to a new type of nutrition. When leaving the aquatic environment "on land", there is a kind of shortage of milk and water in the first day. Also, the baby passes the original feces (meconium), the rest of the umbilical cord dries up.

In order to make up for energy costs, in the first days the body of a newborn uses its own depot of special brown fat, which is concentrated in the neck, kidneys, and upper back. Loss of body weight should not exceed 6-10% of the original weight at birth.

After 3-4 days of life, the baby begins to gain weight (from 10 to 50 g per day). By the 12th day, a healthy baby should regain the lost weight.


2. Toxic erythema

Occurs more often 3-5 days after birth. It is a pink spotted rash with yellow seals in the center. The elements of the rash can be of different sizes: from pinpoint to a centimeter, do not itch.

The rash appears most often on the chest, face, on the extensor surfaces of large joints and around them (elbow, shoulder, knee). At the same time, nothing bothers the baby, his well-being does not suffer.

This condition occurs due to the penetration into the blood of toxins of microorganisms that the baby has encountered during this time. These include even opportunistic bacteria that inhabited the baby's intestines in the first days of life.

As a rule, toxic erythema is more common in babies who have a hereditary predisposition to allergies.

This condition usually does not require treatment. With a pronounced process, it is recommended to increase the baby's drinking regimen and sometimes antihistamine (anti-allergic) drugs are prescribed. Normally, the rash disappears in 2-3 days.

3. Other transient skin manifestations

  • The bright red color of the skin of a newborn is a kind of reaction to irritants (removal of generic lubrication, dry air, unusually low ambient temperature).
  • Large-lamellar peeling of the skin in newborns is observed due to a change in habitat and excessive evaporation of moisture from the skin. It manifests itself in almost all parts of the body, but is more pronounced on the abdomen, shins and feet.
  • Milia are small white dots on the back and wings of the nose, on the chin of a newborn. The cause of this condition is blockage of the sebaceous glands. By the 2-3rd week of life, the ducts of the sebaceous glands open, and the milia gradually pass.
  • Increased pigmentation (darkening) of the skin around the nipples and scrotum in boys is a manifestation of hormonal changes in the baby's body. These rearrangements are associated with a massive release of female sex hormones during childbirth in the mother. The dark color of the skin disappears without any treatment by the 3rd week of the baby's life.
  • Telangiectasias are raspberry-colored spots in the occipital fossa, on the forehead and in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe nose of the baby. They are an extended network of capillaries (spider veins). In the people, this manifestation was called the "mark of the stork." Telangiectasias gradually fade and disappear by the year.

4. Sexual (hormonal) crisis

The reason for this condition is the high level of female sex hormones in the last days of pregnancy and at the time of childbirth and their effect on the body of the newborn.

This appears:

  • engorgement of the mammary glands, their increase and compaction for 3-5 days. Sometimes even a light sticky secret (colostrum) is secreted from the gland. Within a week, everything passes without any treatment;
  • an increase due to their swelling of the large and small labia, the clitoris in girls, the scrotum in boys;
  • the release of an abundant mucous secretion of a grayish-whitish color from the genital slit in 60-70% of girls. Sometimes there is a bloody discharge (metrorrhagia). They usually disappear after a few days.

5. Physiological jaundice

Icteric staining of the skin, sclera and mucous membranes appears on the 2nd-3rd day of the baby's life. The color intensity reaches a maximum on the 4-6th day, and disappears by the 7-10th day. At the same time, the baby feels good.

The cause of this condition is the breakdown of a large amount of fetal (fetal) hemoglobin of erythrocytes (red blood cells) of the newborn. This is a natural process of replacing fetal hemoglobin with new "adult" hemoglobin. In this case, the breakdown product of red blood cells, free bilirubin, is released into the blood, which must be utilized by the liver.

But the low enzymatic activity of the immature liver of a newborn does not allow this to be done in a short time. The level of bilirubin in the blood of a newborn ranges from 26-34 to 130-170 µmol/l.

Premature babies are more likely to develop this condition and last longer. Also, the manifestations of jaundice are more pronounced in babies who started breastfeeding late or with a lack of milk from their mother.

It is necessary to strictly monitor the time of appearance and increase in the intensity of icteric coloration of the skin, since jaundice cannot be physiological. For example, with a Rh-conflict of the blood of a mother and a baby, when the mother has Rh-negative blood, and the baby has Rh-positive.

6. Transient violations of thermoregulation (hyperthermia and hypothermia)

Immediately after birth, a decrease in body temperature of the newborn occurs as a compensatory response to a lower ambient temperature, to the evaporation of moisture from the skin.

Therefore, to prevent even greater heat loss in the delivery rooms, the temperature is maintained at least 24 ° C, the newborn is placed on a heated table for examination, then wrapped in warm diapers. During the first day of life, the child's temperature is within the normal range.

By the 3-5th day of a baby's life, his body temperature may rise to 38.5 ° C. The reason for everything is the immaturity of the centers of thermoregulation of the brain of a newborn, adaptation to dry air with a variable temperature. The child bears large losses of fluid with respiration. In addition, the mother has a small amount of milk in the first days of lactation.

7. Transient neurological symptoms

Periodic shivering, intermittent strabismus, slight trembling of the chin when screaming, the difference in muscle tone on the left and right sides, inconstancy of muscle tone and reflexes, painful crying or screaming - all this is considered the norm in the first weeks of a baby's life.

The immaturity of the brain of a newborn is to blame. In addition, at the time of birth, the baby experiences an acute lack of oxygen.

There is a so-called failure of the balance of the processes of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system of the crumbs. Therefore, he needs time to rebuild and learn to perceive such a large flow of information (sound, light, tactile sensations).

8. Transient disorders of the kidneys

  • Neonatal oliguria - in the first three days, urine output is less than 15 ml per kg of the child's weight per day. So the baby's body adapts to new conditions, where the flow of fluid due to unsteady nutrition is limited and there are fluid losses with breathing.
  • The appearance of protein in the urine of a newborn in the first days of life is considered the norm. This fact indicates the activation of the function of the glomeruli of the kidneys. And, like many systems, the filtration system of the renal glomeruli and tubules in the newborn is still imperfect. Therefore, the epithelium of the renal glomeruli has increased permeability, which leads to protein loss.
  • Uric acid infarction is the deposition of uric acid crystals in the lumen of the collecting ducts of the kidneys. This condition occurs in every sixth newborn.


Since the decay product of many cells, for example, blood cells, is uric acid, its excess does not have time to utilize the kidneys of a newly born baby.

In the analysis of urine, uric acid, epithelium, hyaline casts, leukocytes appear. At the same time, brick-yellowish spots from urine appear on the diaper or diaper.

9. Transient disorder of the stool of the newborn (dyspepsia)

A newly born baby will need time for the gastrointestinal tract to rebuild to a different type of nutrition, to be populated with beneficial microflora. This process of adaptation in almost every baby proceeds through the stages below:

  • For the first 2 days, the baby passes the original feces in meager portions (thick, tarry meconium).
  • From the 3rd to the 7th day, a transitional stool appears. This is a frequent (up to 10-15 per day), non-homogeneous stool both in consistency and in color. There are impurities of mucus, lumps, a liquid component in it, which manifests itself as a spot of water on a diaper around the feces. The color of the feces gradually changes from dark olive to yellow.
  • After 7-8 days the stool returns to normal. With natural feeding, the stool is a yellow, thick, homogeneous slurry without an admixture of greenery. Whitish lumps (curdled breast milk) may appear in a small amount.

When feeding with an adapted mixture, the stool in children is denser, with a sharper odor.

10. Transient immunodeficiency

A newly born baby has a transient decrease in immune forces. The immune system is the body's defenses.

The reason for this is the stress experienced during childbirth, hormonal changes at the time of birth, the change of sterile conditions to an active attack of foreign microorganisms, unsteady nutrition in the first days of life, and so on.

The most dangerous period in terms of infection is the first three days. Therefore, it is so important to observe sterile conditions for newborns in maternity hospitals.

All of the above manifestations disappear on their own and do not require specific treatment. Therefore, you should not be afraid of them, but it is very important to monitor the dynamics of such symptoms in order to seek help from specialists in time.

Obviously, it is much calmer and better if mommy knows about the possibility of developing such conditions in advance.

The first days of a newborn at home

Now let's talk about the first days of the baby already at home. More precisely, what difficulties do parents face in caring for a baby, being left alone with him.

After all, almost all hygiene procedures in the maternity hospital were performed by the medical staff, and at home, mommy can be confused from a lack of experience in these matters.

Morning toilet (washing, nose toilet, rinsing)



After waking up, the baby needs to be washed. To do this, take a few cotton balls and moisten them with warm boiled water. Wipe baby's eyes with slightly damp cotton balls from the outer edge of the eye to the inner edge. Then wipe the entire face.

Wipe the baby's skin with blotting movements of a soft towel or diaper, in no case rub. It is necessary to ensure that water does not flow into the neck folds and does not remain there, and if this happens, then carefully wipe the moisture dry.

As a rule, after sleeping, crusts accumulate in the baby's nose, which prevent him from breathing freely. You can get rid of them with the help of cotton flagella moistened with vaseline oil or boiled water. Flagella must be made independently.

To do this, you can take a small piece of cotton wool and roll it into a dense flagellum 3-4 cm long and 0.3-0.4 cm thick. Thus, it will be easy for you to insert it into the nasal cavity. By scrolling it, you will collect and twist all the crusts from the walls of the baby's nose onto a cotton flagellum.

Babies don't need to clean their ears often. It is enough to wipe dry the auricle and the skin behind it after bathing. Often in babies, especially after sleeping in a hat, the skin behind the ear gets wet. It is important to rinse this area and wipe dry. It is necessary to ensure that this area is well ventilated and not wet.

There are small nuances in washing babies of different sexes.

The girl needs to be washed from front to back, so that the remnants of feces and all impurities do not fall into the genital gap. Due to the proximity of the exit openings of the rectum, urethra and vagina, girls have a high risk of infection entering the genitourinary tract.

When washing, the girl needs to be positioned facing herself, put the back of the baby’s head in the elbow bend of her arm and support the baby’s torso with her forearm. With a widely spaced brush, hold the girl by the buttocks, and wash the skin of the perineum with your free hand.

Boys can be washed in different ways. Over time, you will adapt to hold the baby when washing exactly the way you feel comfortable. Over time, this will be easier to do, because the baby will soon try to support the little head.

Children should be washed under running water. Washing babies in a basin is highly undesirable, as there is a high risk of introducing an infection with contaminated water into the urinary tract.

The baby's diaper should be changed regularly, approximately every three hours and as it gets dirty. Until the umbilical wound heals, the upper part of the diaper must be tucked under it.

In the first weeks of life (and in the next, too), it is important to give the baby a break from the hot and heavy diaper. After all, the number of urination and defecation can reach up to 20 per day.

It is advisable to carry out air baths without a diaper several times a day, monitoring the temperature of the baby's skin and preventing hypothermia.

Newborn's first bath



Almost immediately after arriving from the maternity hospital, the newborn needs to be bathed, because the child was only washed away in the maternity hospital. The skin of the baby at this time is already peeling off on the chest and abdomen and needs to be updated. But since the umbilical wound has not yet healed, the possibility of infection is high, so the bathing water must be boiled.

Where you will bathe the child - in a bath or a bath - does not matter much. But I am for the fact that at least before the healing of the navel, the child has his own individual bath.

You must keep in mind that while bathing, the head and neck of the newborn must be supported with one hand at all times, so that water does not enter the baby's ears. Therefore, it is better to call an assistant for the first time bathing the baby.

It is better for the assistant to stand on the other side of the bath. And the approach from two sides is possible only to a free-standing bath. It is also convenient that you can put a small bath at any height convenient for you and in the warmest room in the house (relevant in winter).

In the first six months, you need to bathe the child daily. The water temperature should be 37-38°C, the air temperature in the room 22-24°C. It is better to bathe before feeding.

The first couple of days you need to bathe the baby in water with the addition of potassium permanganate, and then with a decoction of herbs (preferably a string). Potassium permanganate should be diluted in a separate container so that potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) crystals do not get on the baby's skin during bathing. The prepared concentrate of potassium permanganate in a separate container is then added to a bath of water, so that the water acquires a barely pink color.

The child may be afraid of the first immersion in the bath. In order for this dive to be smooth, so that the temperature difference is not felt so much, it is better to bathe the baby in the first time in a diaper.

The diaper also prevents a sudden hypothermia of the baby's skin, which can be with intensive evaporation of water from the baby's skin.

For bathing, the baby wrapped in a diaper is placed smoothly into the water, and first one handle is washed in turn, and then covered with a moistened diaper. Only then proceed to washing the next part of the body.

You can use soap no more than once a week.

The first bathing session should not last longer than 7-10 minutes. That's why another pair of hands will not hurt in this matter.

When bathing, pay special attention to the folds of the baby. Rinse them thoroughly, and then pat all areas of the skin dry with a soft towel.

To prevent diaper rash in the folds after bathing, it is better to use powder. Not always greasy diaper creams are suitable for a baby and prevent the appearance of redness and diaper rash.

In modern diapers, impregnation is almost always used in order to protect the skin of the baby. And in practice, not all creams and ointments interact well with the components of this impregnation. Therefore, many layers of all kinds of care products can play a cruel joke on you and your child.

A newborn needs to be treated at least once a day. With a pronounced weeping of the navel, you can toilet the wound twice a day. This is usually done after bathing.

In the first days after the removal of the umbilical cord, the navel is covered with a dense bloody crust, which must be removed. After bathing, when she gets wet, this is easier to do.

It is necessary to spread the edges of the umbilical wound with clean hands and generously drop a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide into it. Leave for 20-30 seconds, and then dry the wound, extinguishing it with a cotton swab on a stick. Then treat the bottom of the umbilical wound with a cotton swab on a stick with a 1% solution of brilliant green (brilliant green).


Haircut (trimming) of nails

You can cut your baby's nails right after the hospital. As a rule, during this period it is already necessary, since a full-term baby is born with a small but sharp manicure. Nails are very scratchy and break easily.

Trim your nails in a straight line with scissors with rounded ends. This will reduce the risk of burrs and infection of the nail bed.

Baby's first walk

If the child feels well and the weather is favorable, you can walk with the child on the street immediately after discharge from the hospital. The duration of the first walk should not exceed 15-20 minutes.

So that the fees for the street are not delayed, the child does not overheat and does not sweat during the fees for a walk, choose spacious and easily closed clothes.

With severe anxiety, the first short walk can be taken in the arms of the mother.

It is worth going out for a walk after feeding. So it is more likely that the child has a good sleep in the fresh air.

During the summer, active solar time should be avoided. That is, it is better to walk with a child before 11 am or after 4 pm. In winter, walks should be canceled when the temperature drops below -10 ° C.

In the summer, the baby needs to put on one more clothes than on himself, and in the winter - two more. Plus, keep in mind that a child at this age often sleeps on the street, so you need to cover him with a blanket.

Feeding regimen in the first days

You can talk about food endlessly. The topic of feeding can be developed for the same volume of the article. Therefore, for newly-made mothers, I will only touch on regime moments here.

An important question - to feed on demand or by the hour?

Answer: It is desirable to feed a newborn baby with breast milk on demand. If desired, after a month of life, the crumbs gradually switch to a feeding regimen every two hours.

When feeding with milk replacers, a regimen is necessary. Therefore, it is not necessary to give the mixture earlier than 3-3.5 hours after feeding. Food must be digested. Otherwise, you cannot avoid increased gas formation and colic.

The period of the first weeks of a baby's life consists practically of feedings, smoothly flowing into sleep. A newborn in the early days can be awake up to 4 hours a day.

In conclusion, I will summarize. The first days of the baby is the most crucial moment, which the necessary information on the topic will help the mother to pass more smoothly. You have just received this information!

Health to you and your children!

A practicing pediatrician, twice mother Elena Borisova-Tsarenok told you about the features of the first days of a newborn.

The birth of a baby is a great joy in the life of any family, and it can hardly be compared with anything. However, no matter how well young parents are prepared for this event, they will still have a huge number of questions, and they will definitely meet the first obstacles in their path right away. after discharge from the hospital .

Organization of household and children's room

By the time of arrival home, all preparations must be completely completed, the child must immediately be brought to his personal room. And if for some reason this is impossible, provide him with a separate, spacious corner in the room.

The house where your baby will live should always be light and clean. Daily wet cleaning is recommended. No need to try to achieve absolute sterility - this is not very rational. After all, the baby has its own immune system, and gradually he still has to get acquainted with the microflora that surrounds him.

Home microbes and the home environment are unlikely to harm the baby, he knows them from the womb, the mother gave him some of the antibodies. But they will train immunity to fight other microbes.

The room must be regularly ventilated, and in the warm season, the window or window should always be open.

Many parents fear that their baby will freeze, but no one thinks that overheating is much more dangerous for a child. If the baby moves intensively when freezing and lets you know about his condition with a cry, then when overheated, the baby does not show at all until he becomes completely ill, and you yourself do not observe it.

And in general, hardening children from an early age has a beneficial effect on health and immunity. The main thing is not to overdo it.

If you have at home dry air or central heating is on, it does not hurt to purchase a special humidifier in advance and use it constantly, maintaining the most optimal level of humidity in the room (60%).

What should be done on the first day?

As a rule, check-out takes place in the morning. The maternity hospital issues the relevant papers: a certificate for obtaining a birth certificate from the registry office and a discharge epicrisis. The discharge summary must be given to the family doctor or district doctor, who will come to your home.

As soon as you return from maternity hospital , dress the child in household items and let him rest and eat, and even young mother need a good rest. Try to limit the number of visitors in the early days until your baby is fully adapted to his new environment.

No need to start walking and taking a bath on the first day, the most elementary hygiene measures are enough - washing, changing a diaper and washing. You can put the child in your bed for sharing sleep . First, do not forget to provide him with a practical and comfortable place by covering his territory with diapers.

At night, you will have to get up several times to feed and change the crumbs. Take care of a muffled night light in close proximity to the bed in advance so as not to wake your loved ones once again, and also prepare everything you need on the changing table in advance so that you don’t look for anything when you wake up at night.

Second day of the newborn at home

The second day at home marks the beginning of a new life, and from now on, the little man will take up almost all of your time. By the way, it is on this day that a nurse from a children's clinic and a doctor should visit you.

Now they will visit you quite often to find out about the well-being of the crumbs. They will answer all your questions and give you helpful advice on how to treat and prevent various conditions.

It is better to write down all the questions that concern you in advance so that you don’t forget to ask about everything when you visit the doctor. Also prepare shoe covers so that the doctor, without taking off his shoes, can go into the room and not leave any traces in the apartment.

The doctor will look and listen to the baby, check his reflexes, inquire about defecation and urination of the baby, feeding and sleep. By the way, if your baby is on breastfeeding , the doctor may suggest that you feed the baby with him in order to check whether you are organizing the feeding and the process of attachment to the breast correctly.

From this day on, you can begin to fully carry out all the procedures prescribed by age.

Child hygiene

So, in the morning, after waking up the baby, you will need to change the diaper, change clothes and wash the baby. All this seems complicated, but in a week you will do it all without much difficulty.

The first days after discharge from the hospital / shutterstock.com

We start the procedures. We cover the changing table with oilcloth, and on top of it we put a thick clean diaper or a special absorbent sheet designed for babies. Before placing on the table child , prepare everything you may need so as not to leave him for a minute.

We carefully put the baby on her back and unfasten the diaper no less carefully, remove the diaper from front to back so as not to stain the baby and ourselves, fold the used diaper and throw it into the bucket. Then we wash the baby in a basin or under running water, using baby soap (preferably hypoallergenic, liquid, without fragrances and dyes).

There are certain differences in the washing of a boy and a girl:

The boy is being washed away, putting his tummy on his shoulder and holding the palm of one hand, they bring his ass to a stream of water and wash it with his free hand. Thoroughly wash the genitals and ass from feces. And on the head of the penis, the skin is not shifted or pulled, it is simply washed under running water.

Then the baby is placed on the changing table and all the folds are dried with blotting movements. After that, the anus and inguinal folds are treated with a diaper cream or powder (if this area sweats). You do not need to treat the skin in the groin with oil - it will not allow the skin to breathe, which can lead to diaper rash.

The girl should be washed, laying on the forearm with her back, her head is placed in the elbow bend. You can wash girls only under running water to prevent dirt from entering the genital gap, and this is done only in the direction from the pubis to the ass, but not in the opposite direction.

Rinse the child's genitals, gently washing off the dirt between the labia majora with baby soap (preferably liquid). Then place the girl on her back on the changing table and carefully blot (do not rub) all the folds, her ass and labia.

Treat inguinal folds with diaper cream, and in order to prevent synechia, lubricate between the labia with baby oil.

Put a clean diaper on your baby. Remember that diapers need to be changed every 2-3 hours in the first months of life, even if, according to you, it is not yet full (this is important!).

If the baby is relieved, then it is impossible to keep him in a soiled diaper for a long time - because of the risk of microbes entering, which can lead to serious inflammation of the genitourinary system.

Baby washing

So, we changed the diaper, but we still have to wash, clean our ears and nose. These procedures can cause much more difficulties - after all, the baby has everything tiny. In fact, everything is not so difficult.

The first days after discharge from the hospital / shutterstock.com

Wipe the child's eyes with sterile gauze balls or cotton pads. We wet a cotton pad in warm boiled water, gently draw it in the direction from the outer edge to the inner, and only 1 time. If there is a need to wipe again, take a new clean disk.

After that, you need to clean the baby's nose. Before starting the procedure, prepare a few rolled up cotton flagella - in no case use cotton buds to clean your ears and nose! The child may twitch, and then you injure his ear or nose.

You will also need a sterile pharmacy saline solution (or, even better, saline drops), a pipette with a rounded tip, and cotton pads used to wipe the mucus.

Drip two or three drops of saline solution into the child's nose and wait a couple of minutes until the crusts completely soften, then soak a cotton flagellum in boiled water or saline solution and insert its end with a twisting motion into the nostril by 1-1.5 cm. Together with the flagellum remove the crusts.

Now you need to clean your ears, for this you will need boiled water and a cotton ball. Moisten the balloon with water (not too much) and wipe the beginning of the ear canal and the outer ear. You should not go deep inside the ear canal, especially with sticks: it is dangerous with inflammation and injury.

What can happen to a child in the first days?

In the first days of life, babies can manifest various physiological conditions that constantly frighten inexperienced parents. Usually this concerns stool, skin and body temperature.

The first days after discharge from the hospital / shutterstock.com

The first week and a half in babies, the skin may be red. This manifestation is due to the adaptation of the skin child to the extrauterine environment, due to a sharp transition from the aquatic environment to the air. Subcutaneous vessels dilate, which later turns into peeling of the skin - on the palms and feet it can be more abundant, in other parts of the body - finely scaly.

There is no need to treat this phenomenon, and to avoid overdrying the skin, just do not get carried away with manganese baths and herbal baths.

Starting from the second or fourth week of life, the child may develop a rash on the body., which parents mistakenly take for an allergy. Allergies are generally not typical at 3-4 months of age, the vast majority of rashes refer to the so-called "three weeks": a rash that occurs as a result of the destruction of maternal hormones in the baby's body and the restructuring of the glands to a different rhythm of work.

She does not require treatment at all, as well as baths and other possible measures, but only needs to observe the rules of elementary hygiene. As the name suggests, it goes away in three to four weeks.

In babies up to six months, fluctuations in body temperature during the day are quite likely.- rises can reach up to 38 degrees. As a rule, such a temperature occurs when the child is screaming or crying, when the child is restless, and also when the breast is actively sucking. This is quite a common occurrence for newborns, since they do not yet have a clear thermoregulation system, they are easily overcooled and overheated.

This condition usually requires only control and observation of temperature. But keep in mind that fever is normal as long as there is no cough, runny nose, general well-being disorders and all possible manifestations of the disease. Measure the temperature of the crumbs during sleep: if it is normal, then you can be sure that everything is in order.

There is another factor that scares parents - it is violation of the consistency and color of the stool. Often parents mistake this for diarrhea and urgently give the child various “medicines”. In no case should you do this: if the child is healthy, he has a cheerful and cheerful mood, he eats well.

This is just the formation of a chair - sometimes a similar phenomenon is called "transitional chair". It can be green, yellow-green slimy, with a sour smell, watering around the diaper, with white lumps and foam. This is due to the adjustment of the intestines and the active settlement of its microflora, so do not try to interfere in this subtle and completely natural process.

The best advice in this case is breast-feeding , it contributes to the regulation and normalization of the stool.

How to walk with a baby?

Often parents have a number of difficulties with going outside. First

Checking the condition of your crumbs is easy. Touch the back of the child's neck with your fingers: if it is wet and hot, you overdo it with clothes, you need to remove the excess. If you find that the surface of the neck is cold - the baby is freezing, you should immediately go home.

It is better to postpone the walk in case of strong wind, heavy rain, fog and other adverse factors. It is possible to sleep in a stroller on an open loggia or balcony.

A newborn child is extremely dependent on his parents and requires care, so in the early days, give him maximum attention, then the process of his adaptation will go smoothly, and the baby will definitely please you with the first successes in his life.

In the first days, a newborn discovers a new universe for himself, where everything is new to him, and much is hostile. The first days are prohibitively difficult for him, because he has to completely rebuild his life, sensations, behavior.

In the nine months that passed inside the mother, the baby got used to the liquid environment, constant temperature, placental and umbilical nutrition. Being born into the world, the child takes the first breath, the first cry. It goes from a liquid medium to a gaseous one, where there is different lighting, different sounds, where many microbes fly.

Now he breathes on his own and will eat differently. The respiratory, digestive, urinary organs will begin to work for him. And all this happens so quickly, at the same time, that the baby does not have time to adapt to new conditions.

in the maternity hospital

It is good if the baby is immediately given to the mother after birth. Then he will again hear the beating of a loving heart, feel a familiar smell, hear his native voice. Mom will hug the baby to her, it will immediately become warm and calm. And if they take them away from their mother for a long time, then in the first days the newborn will have a hard time. How to cope alone with all the changes?

Fortunately, many maternity hospitals have switched to the "mother and child" system. According to this system, the first days of a newborn's life are spent next to the mother. Immediately after birth, he is placed on her stomach, and then the baby and mother are in the same room. As a result, the baby does not get a stressful situation, as before, when all the newborns were in the children's ward and they were brought in for feeding by the hour.

According to the new system, the mother puts the baby to the breast not when they bring it, but as soon as he gets hungry. This is correct for medical reasons and psychologically more comfortable for mother and child. The newborn does not have stress, because he is not transferred to another room. And mom can hold her happiness in her arms. As a result, lactation appears faster, more abundantly, and milk is more useful.


More and more mothers prefer to choose the “mother and child” system in maternity hospitals, when the newborn lies with the mother in the same room. Today it is believed that this is the best thing that can be offered to a baby who has experienced stress during childbirth.

First days at home

So, you were discharged from the hospital, congratulations, flowers, photographs were left behind. You brought your baby home, but suddenly realized that you do not know what to do next. If you are lucky, and your baby was in the ward with you, then you already have the experience of swaddling and washing the baby. And if you were apart from him in the old fashioned way, then you will have to learn everything on your own.

Loving mothers begin their acquaintance with the baby by undressing, and then carefully examining their bunny. It is normal if the skin of the baby is soft, elastic, the mucous membranes are pink and wet, the cry is loud and strong.

In the hospital, you have already fed the baby and, most likely, swaddled. At home, you yourself will take care of him from the first day. Wash after defecation, protect delicate skin from diaper rash. You will learn how to handle an umbilical wound in a week.

To understand the language of a newborn, you have to observe his behavior. Remember when he sleeps, asks for food, wants to be with his mother. Soon, by his grunting or crying, you will understand what the baby wants at this moment.

At home, mothers who have their first children will have to learn everything in practice. Many experience panic while washing and bathing a newborn, some fail to properly adjust feeding. However, almost all mothers cope with these tricks, and after a few weeks they behave quite confidently with babies.

Feeding

For those few days or a week that you spent in the hospital, the baby first sucked out colostrum, then milk appeared, and at home you are already fully feeding the baby with delicious breast milk. Maternal colostrum and milk are infinitely useful for the newborn. In the first days, weeks and months, breast milk protects the baby from diseases and pathogenic bacteria.

Normally, babies ask for breasts from 8 to 12 times a day. There may be variations here. If the baby is actively sucking and gaining weight well, then less than eight feedings per day are enough for him. There are children who, having suckled, immediately fall asleep without having time to eat. Such a baby may need to be breastfed more than twelve times. Each baby is individual, and each feeding regimen is different. One sucks out the norm in five minutes, the other needs half an hour or more. Mom remains to look closely and remember the requirements of the baby.


Normally, babies in the first days of life eat up to 12 times a day. But everyone is different, and a slight deviation from the norm should not cause concern.

About two or three weeks after birth, babies begin their "growth spurt". At this time, all body processes are activated, and the baby needs more milk, he begins to ask for breasts more often. After another 2-3 weeks, the next jump occurs. This happens throughout the entire period of growth and development of the newborn.

If the baby is healthy, then at night he wakes up to eat once or twice, no more.

At this time, it is possible to change clothes for the baby, change diapers, and you do not have to wake him up on purpose.

It is possible to determine that the child does not have enough milk by indirect signs:

  • the baby is not gaining weight;
  • when breastfeeding, the baby's sips are not heard;
  • sleeps for a long time;
  • crouching to the chest, falls asleep;
  • stool less than 3 times a day;
  • urinates less than 6 times a day;
  • mom has cracks in her nipples;
  • baby has jaundice.

Weight and height

The first week of a newborn's life is marked by a slight weight loss, which is replenished in the second week. Caring parents closely monitor changes in the weight of the baby, consult a doctor in time in case of a shortage. When the child is two weeks old, the doctor recommends a control weighing, then it is enough to weigh the crumbs every month. There is no reason to weigh the baby every day. According to the WHO, gaining 170 to 245 grams per week until three months of age is normal.

Affectionate mothers lovingly examine and measure the children. Firstly, because they like to mess with the baby, secondly, to get sizes for shopping for clothes, and thirdly, in order to know if the newborn is developing correctly.

Normally, average babies up to six months grow by 2.5 cm per month, the head circumference becomes 1.27 cm larger. These indicators are also individual, depending on the natural growth, as well as the volumes of the parents.


The newborn should be weighed and measured monthly. This is important, as the results of these measurements will help tell if everything is in order with the health of your little one.

Chair

In the maternity hospital, doctors and nurses monitored the defecation and urination of the newborn, and at home, the parents themselves monitor the state of diapers and diapers. The more soiled diapers, the better. This means that the baby has enough food and water.

When the first week comes to an end, the color of the baby's feces turns yellow-green-brown. Defecation occurs 3-5 times a day every day! If there is no bowel movement, call your doctor immediately. Urination occurs at least 6-8 times.

Features of the structure of the body of the baby

While the baby is getting used to the new conditions of existence, his body, which is not yet fully developed, does not work the way it does in adults. The first days and the first week of a baby's life are restructurings and adaptations in his body, which is why his organs are so tender and sensitive to the effects of all kinds of environmental factors.

  • The first week of development may bring jaundice, which will soon pass.
  • The second week is the healing time of the umbilical wound.
  • In the third week, the baby listens and fixes his gaze.

To understand and properly care for a newborn, you need to know the structural features of a small organism.


Newly made mothers are constantly worried about their crumbs, they are scared by almost everything that happens to them. In order to avoid this fear, you should better know the structure and characteristics of the body of newborns.

Leather

His skin is too thin and vulnerable, there are many capillaries under the skin, he breathes intensively through his pores. Thin skin still does not know how to protect it from temperature extremes. Therefore, the baby quickly blushes or turns pale, the slightest touch can hurt, lead to diaper rash.

muscles

Muscles and ligaments are weak, they do not know how to interact, so the baby still moves a little and carefully. If not swaddled, the baby tries to assume the fetal position. It is understandable and familiar to him. Tense legs and arms are pressed to the tummy, the head does not hold and leans towards the chest.

Skeletal system

A child is born with a fully formed skeleton and soft pliable bones, otherwise he would not have passed through the birth canal. The bones of the skull are not yet connected to each other, advancing on each other so that at birth the head comes out.

Therefore, sometimes in newborns, the head has a somewhat elongated shape, but the natural one is soon restored. The so-called children's fontanelles, large and small, remain unprotected for a long time.


Parents need to protect the fontanels, carefully monitor them, do not injure, do not press. Normally, they are closed by bones by a year or a little later.

Respiratory system

The respiratory organs are not fully formed, so the newborn breathes rapidly, superficially, unevenly. For the development and growth of the body, the baby needs a lot of oxygen, so inhalation-exhalation occurs almost every second. The narrow larynx and short nasal passages are covered with a loose mucous membrane that quickly reacts to heat and cold.

Circulation

To pump a large amount of oxygen and deliver it to each organ, the circulatory system has to work with overloads. A tiny heart (relative to the body, the heart of an adult is much larger) contracts and pushes blood at a speed of up to 140 beats per minute. When the baby strains, cries loudly, the pulse can reach 200 beats per minute.

Digestive organs

Man is born adapted to breastfeed. The sucking rollers on the lips easily capture the breast and suck mother's milk. Teeth begin to cut after six months. The mucous membrane covering the mouth is vulnerable and susceptible to infections.

The gastrointestinal tract is not yet completely formed, the esophagus is very short, the muscles of the intestines and stomach are weak, the ventricle is the size of a fist. Looking at the fist of the crumbs, the mother can understand how much milk for one feeding is needed to saturate.

Frequent infant regurgitation after feeding occurs because the valve that closes the entrance from the esophagus to the stomach is not sufficiently developed. Two to three times a day, the intestines are emptied with soft, light yellow-brown stools. If emptying does not occur, parents should sound the alarm, consult a doctor.

genitourinary system

The urinary organs of the newborn are formed, urination is reflex, up to 25 times a day. Urine is odorless, transparent, there is not much of it, because the bladder is still small. Too frequent urination can indicate inflammation and be a reason to see a doctor.

The external genitalia are formed by birth, but due to loose mucous membranes, they require cleanliness and care.

Nervous system

The nervous system, although underdeveloped, performs basic functions. Unconditioned reflexes are in human nature, therefore he knows how to suck, blink, grab from birth. There is vision and hearing, but the baby still does not know how to distinguish between individual objects and individual sounds. But taste, smell, tactile receptors work from the first days.

If future parents carefully prepare (including informationally) for the birth of their child, then they will not have any problems. And if they arise, they will be able to quickly navigate and solve them. Remember, the “newborn” period passes very quickly, but these first days, when the baby is still so dependent on mommy, will never be forgotten.

Finally, what you have been waiting for 9 months has finally happened - a baby was born in your family. He is so tiny and fragile that it is scary to pick him up. It's scary to swaddle, and even more so to bathe. It seems to weigh almost nothing. To help the baby quickly adapt to a new life, become strong and strong, proper care for a newborn baby will help.

The first day, when the baby was taken from the hospital, is always a test for new parents. The little man at this time is especially vulnerable, he needs help and love. From mom and dad during this period is required special care and attention to the helpless child. Organizing proper care for the baby and observing it is the main task of adults.

Importance proper care in the early days due to weak immunity of the baby. From an almost sterile environment, the baby enters a world with many germs and infections. The baby is just forming the process of thermoregulation. The slightest breeze or overheating can make a child sick.

The baby has an open umbilical wound, which requires careful treatment. The navel is one of the main risk factors in the first days of life: with spontaneous movements of the arms, the baby can scratch and infect. The first days, until the baby's daily routine is established, mommy needs to spend as much time as possible with her baby.

Premature babies born underweight have a very weak immune system. Adults should carefully monitor all changes in the behavior of infants, and in case of illness, immediately call a doctor and not self-medicate.

Caring for a newborn child should be based on the desire to help the baby adapt to the outside world, create comfortable living conditions, and help get used to a new life. Start creating coziness by adjusting the lighting in the children's room. Bright lights, loud sounds - all this scares the baby, and are stress factors.

Another significant stress factor is the loss of a sense of security, the lack of clear boundaries. During uterine development, the baby all the time felt a dense, benevolent environment around him. Swaddling helps to cope with the feeling of such fear. It is important for a baby to feel touch with his whole body. Of course, mommy can try to carry the baby around the clock in her arms.

So, your baby is at home. You dimmed the light in his room and the baby fell asleep. While the child is sleeping, do not whisper, speak in a normal voice. The main thing is to avoid screams, scandals so that the baby is not scared. While your baby is sleeping, prepare to wake him up.

Basic principles

When organizing the care of newborn children, it is necessary to follow certain principles that will make life easier for the baby and adults:

  • Cleanliness of the baby's body and surrounding things.
  • Daily hygiene procedures.
  • Daily wet cleaning of the children's room or the room in which the baby is located.
  • During walks, be sure to ventilate the children's room.
  • Daily change of bed linen and baby clothes: undershirts, bonnets. Wash all children's things with a special baby powder or baby soap. Rinse thoroughly, iron with a hot iron on both sides.
  • In the room, the baby should not have things that accumulate dust, such as carpets or soft toys. If there are animals in the house, then for the first months it is necessary to isolate the crumbs from their close presence so as not to cause an allergic reaction.

The first days after discharge from the maternity hospital, you should not gather guests in your home. The baby is too weak and can easily catch an infection from lovers to hold him in his arms.

Care accessories

Even before discharge from the hospital, it is necessary to prepare for the meeting of a new family member. Purchase:

  • Crib. The cots are very comfortable, in which you can lower the side, then it can also be used as a changing table.
  • Changing table or agree in advance where you will swaddle the baby.
  • Children's first aid kit. What should be included in the first aid kit, check with your doctor. The main requirement is compliance with the expiration date. Place the first-aid kit in a conspicuous place so that you do not have to look for it for a long time.
  • Hygienic care products: cotton pads, wet wipes, ear sticks, etc.
  • Soothers and a few bottles. Even if the baby is breastfed, drinking baby water should always be at hand.
  • Disposable, reusable and waterproof diapers.
  • Disposable and reusable diapers. Diapers can be used with baby swaddling.
  • Baby bath and insert - bath for bathing.
  • Rattles.
  • Scissors with rounded tips.
  • Children's cosmetics. For children's cosmetics, be sure to consult a pediatrician. Abuse of creams, oils can cause allergies.

The list will expand as the baby grows. How exactly to care for a newborn baby, what additional accessories will be needed, a pediatrician can tell.

In modern pediatrics, many works are devoted to the process of caring for babies, where the importance and significance of proper care for babies from the first days of their life is proved from a scientific point of view.

Daily routines

  1. Umbilical wound care.

The navel heals in an average of 2 weeks. All morning hygiene procedures must begin with the treatment of the umbilical wound. In no case do not use cotton pads or cotton buds so that fibers do not get into the wound. The procedure itself goes as follows:

  • Lay a disposable diaper on the changing table, put another chintz or flannel diaper on top, depending on the weather.
  • Undress the baby and place the back on the surface.
  • From a round-ended pipette, drop 2 times hydrogen peroxide on the navel. Wait for the peroxide to dry.
  • Rinse the pipette. Put 2 drops of brilliant green on the wound. Wait for the greenery to dry.

Until the navel has healed, it is not recommended to bathe the child. You can carry out daily rubbing with warm water. The room should be warm, without drafts. If the navel does not heal, pus comes out from under the crust, you notice redness around the umbilical wound, call a doctor. Do not try to clean the navel yourself, so as not to bring an additional infection.

During the care of the umbilical wound, it is necessary to ensure free access of air to the navel. You can use diapers that have a special notch for the navel. Use loose swaddling during the day.

Start your morning routine by washing your face. Water should be boiled, room temperature. Wash the baby with a cotton pad: wet the pad and wring it out a little. Water should not flow over the child's face.

  1. We rub our eyes.

The mucous membranes of the baby can easily fester, so rubbing the eye should be done daily. A cotton pad soaked in boiled water is gently carried out from the outer to the inner corner of the eye. A separate disc is used for each eye. After rubbing, the eyes are dried in the same way.

  1. Nose care.

There are two opinions on how to care for the nose of a newborn baby. Some experts insist on daily cleansing. Others believe that it is necessary to clean the nose only in case of illness, for example, with a runny nose, so as not to injure the nasal mucosa. If the baby breathes freely, then do not once again climb into the spout.

For a cold:

  • Make a few flagella from cotton wool. Do not use cotton swabs. If the baby twitches, and in newborns there are frequent cases of spontaneous movements, then the nasal mucosa can be damaged.
  • Prepare hydrogen peroxide or saline solution.
  • Soak the flagellum in the prepared liquid. Screw the flagellum into the spout and quickly remove it. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times, each time changing the flagella.
  • If crusts have accumulated in the spout, lubricate them with sterile oil. Then with a flagellum quickly and carefully remove.

  1. We clean our ears.

As for the rules for cleaning the ears, the opinions of experts are also divided. Some suggest brushing daily. Others believe that it is enough to clean the ears once every 3 to 5 days.

  • The outer sides of the ears are wiped with cotton pads. Make sure that water does not get inside. To do this, be sure to press the disc.
  • Make a flagellum out of cotton wool and moisten lightly with hydrogen peroxide. Without sticking the flagellum deep, clean the ears. Instead of flagella, you can use cotton swabs with limiters that will not allow you to go deep.

We wash the child properly.

  1. To understand how to properly care for and wash a newborn baby, it is necessary to take into account the physiological characteristics of boys and girls. When washing a boy, it is not necessary to move the foreskin, this can lead to adhesions. It is necessary to wash the baby every day, and every time after physiological departures.

Since in girls the labia still poorly cover the entrance to the vagina, it should be washed towards the anus so that E. coli does not get on the genitals.

  • Place the child on one hand.
  • Rinse the baby with baby soap under warm running water.
  • Wipe dry with a towel.
  • Treat with talc.

In the summer, babies should be washed more often, as babies sweat, and sweat accumulates in the folds.

For skin care we use special baby oils and creams. Be sure to check with your pediatrician. In case of rashes, stop using baby cosmetics and check the child for an allergic reaction.

Bathing

You can bathe the baby only after the umbilical wound has completely healed. So that the baby is not afraid of water, wrap the child in a thin diaper for the first procedures.

Before bathing with the baby, you can play or do light gymnastic exercises. After bathing, a light relaxing massage is useful. If the child is afraid of water, the procedure should be stopped immediately. Repeat only after a few days.

Compliance with the rules of procedures for caring for babies allows you to develop immunity in the crumbs, protect the baby from diseases.

Karina is a permanent expert of the PupsFull portal. She writes articles about play, pregnancy, parenting and learning, baby care, and mom and baby health.

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