It is almost a rule that when the newborn comes home, the parents start panicking. Obviously, the conditions at your own home are not the same as at the maternity. Rather than having the medical staff taking care of the baby, you’re on your own now!
Luckily, these days you have the internet to help you. Sites like Baby Care Mentor are there to give the parents the answers to the most common questions related to newborn care – how to bath the baby and how often, which creams and moisturizers to use for the baby’s skin, when is the right time to cut their hair and nails, and so on.
In order to help you out a little bit, we’re now going to present you with 10 newborn care rules that each parent needs to be aware of. So, here they are!
1. What’s the Best Room Temperature for the Baby?
During the first days of baby’s life, it is important to keep it relatively warm. This is because the baby’s previous home was the womb, where the temperature is high. However, you mustn’t go too far and make it too hot for the baby. According to many experts, the ideal room temperature for an infant is between 20–22.2°C (68–72°F).
2. How Often to Bath Your Infant?
Many pediatricians think that babies should be bathed each day both for of hygiene and for the purpose of making them relaxed before going to sleep. However, the issue is that bathing the baby too often can make their skin dry. As a result, all kinds of eczema and skin infections may appear. So, what is the solution?
Assuming that you’re taking a proper care of changing the diapers, bathing your baby can be done every two or three days. And when you do it, make sure that the water temperature is suitable. It shouldn’t be higher than 36 degrees Celsius. You also need to make sure to use quality bathing products, as well as a good moisturizer right after the bath.
3. Baby Cosmetics
According to the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics), there is no need to use creams, oils or talcs on an everyday basis in order to ensure the skin care of your newborn. Of course, this doesn’t mean that baby cosmetics are bad for them. They’re just somewhat impractical, not to mention that these products can cost quite a lot.
4. How to Clean Up the Baby When Changing the Diapers?
It would be ideal to wash the baby with soap and water at least once every few days. But, that doesn’t mean you should forget about its hygiene in the meantime. In fact, you need to clean the baby’s behind properly each time you’re changing the diapers. To do that, we advise using wipes.
5. When to Cut Baby’s Nails?
Some parents believe that they shouldn’t be cut until babies are at least a month old, but pediatricians disagree. According to them, there is no minimum age to cut a baby’s nails. In fact, the rule is simple – if the nails are long, they ought to be cut!
But, how are you supposed to do it, without risking hurting your baby? You can use a file or a pair of round-tip scissors. The tricky bit is not finding the right tool for the job, but making your baby calm while you’re doing the nails.
6. How to Clean Baby’s Ears?
You do not have to do anything with their ears and nose, unless completely necessary. If you see a lot of wax in the baby’s ears, you need to deal with it. It’s crucial to only clean the part of wax that’s outside of the ear. That is, do not put anything inside the ear! Rather than using a Q-tip, it’s best to use a piece of cloth or cotton.
7. The Umbilical Cord Healing
When the blood supply to the umbilical cord is limited, it gets dry falls on its own in a few days’ time. There are different methods of curing it, starting with the one that involves using an alcohol solution to disinfect it. Other pediatricians believe that a wash with soap and water should do the work. There are also those who believe that nothing needs to be done – the nature takes care of everything.
8. How to Treat Soreness on Baby’s Legs?
If after changing the diapers, you notice that your baby’s legs and perianal area are sore and red, it means that you must treat it with cream. Each pharmacy sells special creams that can make these kinds of problems go away quickly. The best thing is that some of them can be used as a preventive measure. In fact, you can make your own baby cream by mixing cornstarch and olive oil.
9. How to Treat Milk Crust?
This issue got its name for the symptoms it creates, which resemble milk crust. Failure to spot the condition is why some parents don’t treat it on time. If there’s white crust around your infant’s lips, it probably has nothing to do with breast milk. The chance is that it’s caused by a skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis.
The good news is that the milk crust is very easy to treat. In order to remove it, you should use olive or almond oil, applying it gently on the affected area. Keep on massaging until the oil softens the scabs. Leave it on the baby’s face for thirty minutes, before cleaning it with a wet sponge.
10. The Right Way to Wash Baby’s Clothes
The skin of the infant is quite delicate and even a softener can irritate it. To avoid all possible negative reactions, it is advisable to wash the baby’s clothes separately from your own. Instead of using a regular washing detergent, makes sure to use the products that are certified to be baby-friendly. Otherwise, there’s a risk that many allergic reactions will appear on the skin of the newborn.
