Good day, dear parents!

I, like you, was once interested in how to bathe a child. What temperature should the water be and how long to bathe, how to bathe and when, there were a lot of questions, and this article is devoted to them.

About the benefits of swimming:

Bathing a baby is, of course, first of all, a hygienic procedure, everything is clear to everyone here. Bathing has a relaxing effect, strengthens muscles, normalizes appetite, and strengthens the nervous system. And again we play, learn the properties of water and just play around and splash around.

What to bathe in?

For bathing, you can purchase a special baby bath, which is more suitable for bathing a newborn baby for hygienic purposes. Then, with an older child, you can move to an adult bath or shower; this will be more than enough for the child.

Temperature

The room temperature should be 22-25 degrees. It should not be too hot and not too cold. What is more important is the absence of drafts. Close the windows and vents during this time.

The water temperature, as our grandmothers measured: by immersing the elbow in water: if it is normal for the elbow, then it is normal for the child. When your child is very young, you can use a thermometer.

As the child grows up, it becomes too lazy to use it, and the mother becomes more and more like an “elbow”.

The optimal temperature for bathing a one-year-old child and older is 32-33 degrees, this is exactly the temperature in children's pools. If your child is sitting in the bathtub and you are worried that the water has already cooled down, you should not add hot water if the child is comfortable in it.

Bathing in hot water does not have any benefit: it only dries the skin more, relaxes it and can have a laxative effect. Swimming, on the contrary, in cooler water strengthens and strengthens the immune system.

Just not harshly: you decided to harden the child and immersed him in an ice bath, under no circumstances! Very, very carefully, by lowering each bathing degree by degree.

When not to bathe a child

You cannot bathe a child after vaccination, with open wounds or sores, or with a fever.

How long does it take to bathe a child?

We bathe the child until he gets tired, usually at this age it is not very long, about 15 minutes. If it’s more, the kids get tired and start acting up or rubbing their eyes.

Does a child need a washcloth?

Yes, it is necessary, just like an adult. We must remove the dead layer of epidermis.

Only it should be made from natural materials and soft enough, since children's skin is still very sensitive to various types of rubbing. It instantly turns red and can cause discomfort to the baby.

Is it possible to use the shower?

You can use a shower, but you won’t get the same effect as a bath. The shower should be used in rare, I would say, in emergency cases, when the child is in the sand or is very dirty. The child needs a bath.

How often should I bathe my baby after one year?

After one year of age, it is enough to bathe a child 2-3 times a week in the cold season. But if it’s not difficult for you to organize a bath for your baby, you can swim at least every day. At the discretion of the parents.

During the warm season, shower as needed. This happens several times a day, as the children play in the sandbox and launch boats in puddles. As they say, after dirty walks. And so, with soap, again 2-3 times a week.

What cosmetics are needed for bathing a child?

For bathing, you will only need baby soap, preferably in liquid form, it is more convenient to use, and shampoo for baby hair that does not irritate the eyes. And all the rest of the beauty is secondary fun for parents, it can be bath foam, bathing gel, etc.

Why do we need bath toys?

Toys are a great way to help your child have fun in the bath. Through play, he develops, learns the properties of water and objects: some drown, some don’t, some take in air or water, etc. The fear of water, if any, is smoothed out, and children really like such games in water and they enjoy swimming.

What toys can be used during bath time?

Bathing toys are usually water-resistant: these can be rubber animals, soft bathing books, wind-up toys are now very popular, etc.

What to do if water gets into your mouth?

Sometimes this happens by accident during the game. Sometimes, if a child does not bathe in special devices, he can dive and take a sip of water accordingly. Sometimes kids do this on purpose.

My Danil really likes to play “pour over” with cups and sometimes he can specifically drink from this very cup. What to do in such cases?

Well, first of all, do not panic or yell at the child under any circumstances. He's just as scared as you are. If you scream, you will scare him even more, and what could be even worse - the child will be afraid of water and water procedures. Secondly, nothing terrible happened; a second dive will not lead to bad consequences.

If your child coughs or sneezes, which is the natural way to clear the airways, give him a good cough. If he’s just crying, you can take him out and hold him close to you, but he’s wet, so the child will understand that mom is always there and nothing bad happened.

If he goes back into the water, then you can continue swimming, but if he flatly refuses, then don’t force him, that means swimming is over for today.

What to do if water gets into your ears?

There is nothing fatal about this either. Children accumulate a sufficient amount of sulfur, which helps protect the ear canal from external influences. And even more so, when your baby was in his mother’s belly for 9 months and his ears were in the water, nothing happened, so don’t worry!

What to do if water or soap gets into your eyes?

In this case, use a cotton swab to rinse your eyes with plenty of running water, towards the inner corner of the eye (towards the nose).

When should you feed your baby before or after bathing?

Here you must decide for yourself; you can bathe both before and after meals, the most important thing is that the baby is in a good mood and does not require food. And you tell him that first we swim, and then we eat. In this case, it is better to have lunch, it will be good for the baby and the mother will be calmer.

How to dry your baby after bathing?

If the child is still relatively young, around a year old or a little older, you can lay out a blanket with a towel and wrap it while lying down. We did this when Danilka was little, and after a year and a half we already had a terry robe or a large towel prepared. We take the child out and wrap him in a robe or towel while standing. We kiss and everyone is happy and clean!

What cosmetic products should I use after bathing?

After bathing, I smeared my son with baby moisturizing oil, the skin dried out a little, until 3 months. Now I've given it up. The skin is soft and silky, such is the quality of the water. That's why I don't apply anything at the moment.

You can use olive oil or baby moisturizing oil for dry skin.

Under no circumstances should you leave your child in the bathroom unattended, even if you think that he will not go anywhere, alas, this is not the case!

Happy swimming! All the best!

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It seems like a simple science - bathing. But when it comes to children, every little detail is important - the temperature of the water, the foam for the bath, and even what the child is sick with. Letidor will tell you how to properly wash children.

1. A healthy full-term baby can be bathed 5 days after birth. But most often, neonatologists recommend washing children immediately after discharge from the hospital (that is, even earlier) in order to wash away traces of hospital infection.

2. The water temperature should be 35-37◦C. Keep in mind that not all children feel comfortable in water of 37°C; some need cooler water. However, you will understand this when the child cries in the water.

3. The duration of a bath for a baby in the first days after birth is 2-3 minutes, gradually it can be increased to 7-10 minutes, and then to 20-30 minutes.

4. Until the umbilical wound has healed, it is worth adding a weak solution of potassium permanganate or chamomile decoction to the water. And then for bathing it is better to use soft products that are suitable for children from birth. They moisturize the skin well, soothe it, and relieve irritation.

5. If your child's skin is very dry or prone to atopy, it is better to use a bath oil designed specifically for newborns. There is no need to rinse the skin after oil bathing.

6. Children with increased excitability and muscle hypertonicity are recommended to take pine-salt baths. They relax muscles well and calm the nervous system. But such baths are done strictly according to indications and after consultation with a pediatrician or neurologist.

7. A child’s hair is usually washed once a week, but not more often. To do this, you will need baby shampoo or a 2-in-1 head and body wash.

8. Vegetable oil will help get rid of the so-called seborrheic crusts. They lubricate the skin areas where there is a crust, leave for 30-40 minutes, and then wash off while bathing with regular baby shampoo. But it’s much easier to buy a special baby product that will quickly and gently help solve the problem.

9. After a bath, it is advisable for children of the first six months to apply baby milk or light baby cream (but not oil!) to their skin. Going forward, it's also a good idea to use a moisturizer every now and then before bed.

10. It is more convenient to bathe a baby in the first month in a baby bath. During this time, parents and the baby himself will get used to the daily procedure and choose the most comfortable temperature and time conditions. And then you can transfer bathing to a larger bathtub - there is more freedom for movement and more space for games.

11. At the age of 1.5 years, if the child is already stable on his feet, you can gradually begin to teach him to take a shower. Over time, showering will replace bathing. A child can take a shower every day, and a bath 1-2 times a week.

12. If you use soap or shower gel for washing, make sure that the bottle indicates a neutral pH (from 6 to 8).

13. When a child turns 7 years old, it is time for him to wash himself. He will need a sponge - for example, a natural sea sponge - and shower gel, still from the children's line.

14. You can now wash your hair up to twice a week.

15. “If a child starts having headaches and back fatigue when he starts school, then you can give him pine-salt baths (a course of 10 days, followed by a break), comments Anna Gorbacheva, chief physician of the Family Medical Center for Children and Adults.” A-Line.” “Such baths help to relax, and the child’s headaches and muscle pain go away.”

16. With the onset of puberty (from about 11 years of age), the need for water procedures and cleansers increases, as the skin becomes oilier, greasy, and pores can become clogged. From this age, the child needs to regularly use a washcloth, preferably made from natural materials. A teenager can wash himself with soap and shower gel.

17. You can wash your hair with shampoo as needed, as is recommended for adults.

18. Previously, it was believed that you should not wash yourself if you had chickenpox. Modern pediatricians, on the contrary, say that during this disease it is not only possible, but also necessary to take a shower, because it helps relieve itching. Another thing is important in this matter: while washing, you should not use a sponge, and afterward, you should not rub your body with a towel, so as not to damage the rash, that is, the skin must be blotted with a towel.

19. The same applies to the situation when a child has had a Mantoux test. You really can’t scratch the injection site, but this ban does not apply to washing and bathing. In the last century, when the test was done on the skin, it was impossible to wet the injection site. Today, the sample is injected under the skin, and water cannot get there.

I remind you that the door to the bathroom is open.

It’s probably not worth sitting on a chair at first. When you get the hang of it, please.

So, we lower the baby into the water, the whole thing, so that only his face peeks out of the water. You can hold the child only by the head - the little finger under the neck, and the remaining fingers under the back of the head. The more your head is immersed, the better, and it's okay if water gets into your eyes, as long as your nose and mouth are on the surface. You can immediately notice the following: the body, which you are not holding at all, does not sink to the bottom, but, on the contrary, floats up. In this case, the chest and stomach, as a rule, stick out of the water. Therefore, with the second hand, it is necessary to regulate the immersion of the torso so that both the chest and abdomen are completely under water. Please note that there is no danger of water getting into your ears!

Once your baby is in a large bathtub, you will immediately understand the fundamental difference between this bathing option and soaking in a baby bath. You will see how easy it is for your child to move, without any risk of hitting the walls of the bathtub.

Carefully observe the child’s behavior - if he is not active, lies quietly, yawns, then this water is warm for him, and, therefore, bad. Supporting the head, guide the baby in the water from one edge of the bath to the other. There is no point in especially experimenting for the first time - all participants in the bathing process still have to get used to and adapt, but it is much more difficult for parents to do this than for a child. In principle, three poses are quite sufficient for a home bath - one is described above, the other consists of swimming on the stomach (the child is turned over, his chin is between the thumb and forefinger spread apart), and the third is sitting. It turns out that a child can sit in a large bathtub already in the newborn period! Further actions of parents do not require any special knowledge - only common sense. After all, it is obvious that after 15 minutes the temperature of the water in the bathroom will drop by 1-2 degrees, and this temperature will be already familiar to the child the next time he bathes. If you are afraid to quickly reduce the temperature, do as follows: start with 34° and after 2-3 days reduce the starting water temperature by 1 degree. We must ensure that the baby is active in the bath. What you succeed depends not only on you, but also to a large extent on the child. Each baby has its own peculiarities of regulating body temperature, and it is simply impossible to predict the minimum water temperature: one smiles at 23°, another screams at 30°.

The time and temperature guidelines are as follows:

At the beginning of swimming - 34°, 15 minutes;

By one month of age - 30-32° and 20-25 minutes;

At 2 months - 28-30°, 30 minutes.

I emphasize that these are guidelines. If a 2-month-old baby swims calmly at 24°C, it’s very good and not at all scary. But that doesn't mean he's that special. The fact of the matter is that anyone can do it! This child was just lucky with his parents. The latter are devoid of prejudices, and their level of common sense is greater than the statistical average. Everyone is interested in lengthening the bathing time and reducing the water temperature as much as possible. The more tired the child is, the more peaceful the night is guaranteed for his parents.

And some more information and some recommendations. Many books devoted to children's bathing and swimming describe the diving procedure in detail. So detailed that many parents consider it mandatory. And since they cannot overcome their own fear, they prefer not to bathe the child in a large bath at all. If you are very afraid, do not dive. But it is better to bathe without diving than to mock yourself and the baby by rinsing him in a small bath.

In fact, there is nothing terrible in diving - a newborn has a very strong reflex that prevents water from entering the respiratory tract. If you don’t dive for two to three months, this reflex fades and you can choke. But, fortunately, the procedure of bathing in a large bathtub itself is impossible without the child at some point slipping from your hand and submerging completely under the water. Do not be afraid! This is even good - pick him up, sit him down, let him scream, cough, sneeze. At the same time, he coughs up and sneezes out all the dust that has accumulated during the day in the upper respiratory tract. Calm down - continue swimming. However, a situation where parents deliberately organize diving is more preferable. This should be done with the baby lying on his stomach. Say the word “dive” loudly and hold your child underwater for a few seconds. He will very quickly develop a conditioned reflex, and just the word “dive” will be enough for the baby to hold his breath on his own.

I am quite deliberately not trying to fool you with details regarding bathing techniques: how you must hold the child, how to turn him, how to sit him down, etc. You will quickly learn all this yourself if you follow the principles described above.

The only thing you will most likely need is a hat to support your baby's head. What is it for? First of all, in order to make the bathing procedure more enjoyable for parents. Obviously, sitting or standing half-bent for 30-40 minutes is very difficult. And you can’t make a child healthy by causing radiculitis in his dad. Therefore, at the age of about two months, you need to make a special hat, and we will now tell you how this is done.

You must have:
- an ordinary thin cotton hat (cap);
- a piece of thin fabric the size of half a diaper;
- 2 blocks of polystyrene foam, the optimal size of which corresponds to the size of a regular pack of cigarettes.

First, the foam is covered with fabric and then fixed on the cap, as shown in the figure. Please note that the top edge of the bars should rise above the child’s head. A baby in such a hat evokes a feeling of tenderness, reminiscent of the gentle and noble Cheburashka.

The procedure for bathing with a cap is no different from that described above for placing the child on his back. Over the course of a week, gradually removing the hand supporting the child, you will teach him to float on the water and will be able to calmly read the newspaper while swimming. When swimming on their own, children often push off with their feet from the edge of the bathtub and quickly swim to its opposite end, hitting their heads. That's why I drew your attention to the fact that the foam blocks should rise above the head, protecting the child from impacts from above and from the side. It is quite possible that you will come up with a more original design. To your health.

Starting from the age of two months, it is very good to hang toys on thin strings above the bathtub so that the child looks at them while swimming, and a little later he himself will touch them with his hands.

A month of swimming in a cap is enough to take it off: the child has already learned to hold his head correctly and will be able to swim on his own. If it doesn't work, it's not necessary.

Our goal is not to teach him to swim. We only need one thing - for the baby to be in cool water every day for a certain time, because regular cold exposure is most effective in stimulating the child’s vitality and his ability to resist infectious diseases.

Of course, it will be very good if a child learns to swim. A six-month-old baby emerging with a smile on its face is an unforgettable sight. But there are very few parents who can provide their children with constant swimming. In a home bath, all diving ends after the child begins to sit up. The swimming pool at the clinic is another matter, but as soon as you stop visiting it, your skills will quickly fade away. Therefore, I repeat: whether or not to be able to swim in infancy is not a matter of principle. It is determined by the availability of free time for parents and the well-being of the family. Decide it yourself, as long as it is convenient for you.

Most likely, your family is an ordinary family. And he doesn’t have the funds for an individual pool and a swimming instructor. Until 6-7 months, a home bath will be enough for you and your baby. And after that, we will simply change the bathing method - fill the bath with some cool water, lay a rubber mat on the bottom, throw in some beautiful toys, and the child will play with them while sitting or crawling, while receiving hardening contact with water.

In any case, and regardless of age, it is necessary to occasionally combine bathing with washing. For an infant, 2 times a week is quite enough, but for a baby crawling around the apartment, it may be necessary every day.

Washing a child who is bathing in a full bath is carried out as follows. Before finishing your bath, you need to take a plastic bucket and fill it with water - the easiest way is to scoop it directly from the bath. Then, using baby soap (shampoo), the child lathers himself directly in the water, several times, and washcloths are not necessary (mother’s hands are much nicer). That's all. One parent lifts the child, holding him under his arms, and the second pours a bucket of water on top.

Since we are talking about the end of bathing, it should be noted: it is necessary to strive in every possible way to ensure that the duration of the procedure is at least 15 minutes. It is quite possible that the baby will be capricious, and you will not be able to determine what he wants. Try it, experiment. Change the temperature of the water and the position of the child in the water, move him more actively in the bath, maybe he is hungry and you need to change the bathing time next time (bathe not an hour before meals, but an hour after meals).

Believe me: it is impossible to foresee all possible problems. But to solve the vast majority of these problems, you do not need special education.

Let us note that if a child is “supposed” to bathe for 20 minutes, and he continues to behave decently - does not cry, jerks, etc. - then there is no need to rush. But, as soon as one of the participants in the process is very tired, we end it.

For example, at the age of 4 months, my friends son made it a rule to poop in the bathtub. And it was winter, and there was no hot water. Therefore, we prepared in advance, actively heating the water in all possible ways. And he, a minute after the dive... Well, nothing: they got out of it - put on underpants with elastic bands and kept a bucket of warm water ready to rinse him off.

Regarding a child's screaming in the bath, I will nevertheless allow myself two practical pieces of advice.

1. The situation with water temperature often develops in such a way that a specific temperature - for example, 28° - is tolerated by the child well and with pleasure. But, immediately after immersion in water, a sharp temperature contrast causes negative emotions and you have to calm down for about 5 minutes. You can do the following: prepare a bath with an acceptable temperature for the child, say 32°, and, after a safe and calm immersion, speed up the rate of cooling of the water. For example, make sure that a thin stream of cold water constantly runs into the bathtub. This technique can also be used simply as a component of hardening procedures - to activate cold effects.

2. For no apparent reason, the child systematically screams in the bath. He didn’t scream before the bath, but he screams in the bath! Why? There is no clear answer. Parents' actions should be aimed at finding optimal conditions for a particular child that accompany the bathing process. Options:
- Change the time of day. For example, bathe not late in the evening, but early in the evening, or in the morning, or during the day;
- Change the time in relation to food. For example, bathe not an hour before meals, but an hour after meals;
- Change the water temperature, as a rule, we are talking about making the water warmer.

One of the most exciting processes of caring for a newborn is bathing the child. For a child, being in warm water is reminiscent of the times when he swam in his mother’s belly and also brings positive emotions, but there are situations when babies show fear of bathing and water in the future.

The reason for this behavior may be careless actions of parents when introducing the baby to water procedures, too cold or, on the contrary, hot water, rapid immersion and a host of factors that can spoil the baby’s first impressions and form a negative attitude towards water. To prevent this from happening, you need to carefully prepare for your baby’s first bath.

Newborn's first bath

The child's first bath occurs on the 4th - 5th day of his life; before this, the baby is only washed and his eyes are wiped with cotton swabs. Until recently, children were washed at birth, but now it has become known that the original mucus, which covers the baby’s body, perfectly protects its skin from millions of bacteria living in the walls of maternity hospitals and having a strong immunity to any antibacterial agents.

So, the baby is already at home and the whole family is preparing for the first bath in his life. What do you need to know to turn this ceremony into a process that is enjoyable for everyone, and not a daily torture with screaming and crying?

1. Bathing a newborn baby should take place in a separate bath, at least until the umbilical wound heals.
2. For the same reasons, to prevent infection from getting through the umbilical wound, bathing water is boiled for the first 2 to 3 weeks.
3. The temperature of the water for bathing a child is measured with a special water thermometer and should be 36 - 38 degrees. It is also worth considering that if a child’s bathtub is made of thin plastic, then the water in it cools much faster than in a cast-iron bathtub, and bathing time is reduced.
4. The bathing time must be chosen taking into account the fact that the child will most likely want to sleep after water procedures. Therefore, many experienced parents recommend bathing their babies at the same time before bedtime. This procedure helps to relax the tone, eliminate colic, which is important if the baby is less than 3 months old, and also sets you up for long sleep.
5. Children up to six months are bathed daily on approximately the following schedule - one day with soap, two days in plain water or with the addition of herbal decoctions. Bathing a baby at 2 months can be done in a large bathtub in warm, unboiled water. After the baby is six months old, you can bathe him every other day, not counting daily hygiene procedures with washing and washing after each bowel movement.
6. To disinfect water during the healing period of the umbilical wound, some people add potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) to the water in the old fashioned way, which dries out the baby’s skin very much, and if used improperly, can cause serious burns to the baby. It is better not to be lazy and boil the water, and if the child does not have allergies, use decoctions from special herbal mixtures every three days that help normalize the nervous system and soften the water when bathing.
7. If the baby has an allergy accompanied by a skin rash, you can bathe the child in baths with bay leaves, and also wipe the skin with this decoction. How to brew bay leaves for bathing a child - pour 6-7 bay leaves into a liter of water and boil for at least 15 minutes. Strain and add to the main bath water. In this simple way you can dry out rashes on the body and reduce allergic manifestations.

So, everything is ready for the first ablution procedure, now all that remains is to find out how to hold a child while bathing or how to soften the water for bathing a child and the sequence of all actions. For young and inexperienced parents, it will be useful to read the process of bathing children step by step:

1. Bring two containers of water, at least 6 liters each, to a boil. One container must be boiled long before the time appointed for bathing, since with it we will dilute hot water to the desired temperature of 36 - 37 degrees.
2. We install the bath in the room where you plan to bathe the baby; it does not have to be a bathroom; it is better to choose a room that is more spacious. The temperature in the room should be 22 - 24 degrees without drafts.
3. First pour cooled, boiled water into the bath that has been previously rinsed with boiling water, and then dilute it hot to the desired temperature. The height of the water in the bath should be at least 10 - 15 cm, this is enough so that when the baby is immersed, the water covers his body.
4. At the bottom of the bath, you can put a diaper folded in four or install a special slide for swimming, which has anatomical curves that allow you to compactly place the baby without the need to hold him in the crook of your elbow.
5. Measure the temperature again with a water thermometer.
6. We expose the baby completely and, supporting his head in the crook of the elbow of his left hand, and his lower back and butt with the palm of his right hand, we make the first immersion in the water.
7. It is necessary to lower the baby into the water gradually, starting from the feet, while talking calmly, without unnecessary jokes and emotions.
8. Then lower your butt and lower back into the water; the hand supporting them can be removed.
9. When the baby is waist-deep in the water, we continue to support his head above the water with his left hand, placing it at an angle so that the palm is in the water under the lower back, and the baby’s head rests on the elbow.
10. With our other free hand, we pour some water or my soap over the baby. If baby soap is used for bathing, the baby should then be rinsed with clean boiled water at a suitable temperature. Take care of this in advance.
11. After bathing the baby, we do not dry it, but wrap it in a terry diaper and allow the moisture to be absorbed.
12. Before putting a diaper on your child, you can soften his skin with a special lotion or body milk. There is a rule to prevent diaper rash and irritation from diapers, either powder or cosmetics in the form of cream, baby oil or milk are used; they cannot be combined.
13. If your baby has irritation on the buttocks due to frequent loose stools, apply a cotton compress. To do this, use boiled sunflower oil and a layer of cotton wool, in which a small hole is made. I moisten the cotton wool with oil and place it as a layer between the diaper and the skin of the buttocks. This will create a barrier that prevents liquid stool from coming into contact with the skin.

As a rule, after bathing, the baby will become hungry and will be happy to latch onto the breast. Parents establish the further sequence of the evening ritual in accordance with the baby’s habits.

Useful innovations and devices for bathing babies

Today, there are many different gadgets that make the bathing process easier for parents, as well as making it safer and more fun for babies. One of the most popular is a baby bathing slide; it can be plastic or inflatable. Also no less popular is a visor for bathing a child, using which you can wash your hair without fear that water will flow into the baby’s eyes and ears.

Bathing a 1-month-old baby can be transferred to a large adult bathtub, securing this process with a special inflatable ring that supports the baby’s head above the surface of the water.

Bathing a child at 4 months is accompanied by active games and splashing, so in order to protect this process it is necessary to purchase a special non-slip mat for bathing a child.

Reasons why children cry when bathing

Why does a child cry after bathing or during bathing? There are reasons for this, which parents often do not take into account:

Fright. Perhaps the child was very frightened while bathing; this could happen when a sharp sound sounded nearby, soap lying on the side of the bathtub fell into the water, or the child took a sip of water while bathing. The negativity from this situation has become entrenched in the subconscious and now, without even remembering, why the baby may experience fear at the sight of a bath or water in general.
Pain. Perhaps, when bathing the baby, parents do not take into account the constitution of his body, and rub the skin with a washcloth a little harder than they should. After bathing, the baby lacks a protective layer covering the skin and the epithelium contracts, causing pain, especially if the baby has diaper rash. For the same reasons, you should not rub your baby’s skin with a terry towel; just lightly blot it.

Reluctance to part with water. If a child cries after bathing, but is quite cheerful and cheerful during the procedure, perhaps he is simply capricious, not wanting to part with his favorite activity. Often such problems arise during the process of bathing a child at 3–6 months.

After the first month of the child’s life, some results can be summed up.

2 month old baby distinguishes well between light and darkness, the outlines of objects, faces, some colors; the baby's squint disappears. A 2-month-old baby tirelessly looks at everything around him: his crib, the rattles above his head, his own hands...

A 2-month-old baby's hearing also improves - when there is a strong sound, the baby shudders and blinks, and when he hears a sharp sound or someone's voice, he becomes focused. He begins to utter unclear sounds; when people talk to him, he smiles. His crying takes on one or another emotional coloring. But physically a child of this age is still weak.

Main indicators of psychomotor development of a 2-month-old baby:

1. The child tries to lift and hold his head while lying on his stomach. It can be fixed in a vertical position for several seconds.

2. When held under the arms, it rests with its legs.

3. Smiles when an adult talks to him.

4. Calmly awake, looking at the toys hanging above him.

5. Follows a toy moving in front of his eyes.

Everyone needs exercise, even newborns. But not everyone knows that there are special exercises for children in their first year of life. And parents should learn them in advance. At first, the exercises should be performed under the supervision of a specialist. Gymnastics should begin from the first days of life (no later than 1-1.5 months).

Otherwise, you can harm the baby's health. In the meantime, this can be massage, touch and light exercises to relax and tense various muscle groups, normalize the functioning of the digestive organs, which is very important in the first months of life.

A few important rules for working with your baby

The baby wakes up not at all so that you can do gymnastics with him, but to eat. Therefore, first you need to feed him and after 15-20 minutes you can start exercising. During these 15-20 minutes, the baby should not be placed on his back; on the contrary, it is necessary to hold him upright so that the air that could get in with the milk comes out. After 3-4 months, you can do exercises before feeding.

When doing exercises with your baby, you need to be in a good mood. There is nothing to be afraid of! Your confidence will definitely rub off on your baby.

The duration of classes depends on the child’s mood and your physical capabilities. As a rule, for newborn children it is a few minutes, and by 3 months - 20-30 minutes or more. Your clothes should be sporty. The baby can exercise naked at home, but outdoors, depending on the weather.

Never exercise “through force” or for show. Do not strive for sports results; in this case, injuries, overload, and stress are possible. If you feel that the child does not like something, he is worried and afraid, especially during the first attempts to do exercises with him, you should always reassure him. Classes should be a fun game, preferably accompanied by music. Remember: the more the baby moves in the first year of life, the more resilient, active and smart he will be in the future!

The child should be placed in a position that is comfortable for him and you and begin to stroke, touch him, and lightly massage his body, arms, and legs with light movements of your fingers. This should please him. At this moment, the child recognizes your hands, records and remembers your attitude towards him. It’s good if the baby’s dad does this. Next, placing the baby on his back, on a place prepared in advance (on a changing table or on a hard bed), do several exercises.

Bathing newborn babies

Remember firmly an important rule: a newborn baby should not be washed under the tap! You can wash it. And you can’t pour it out of the shower! In this case, irritation of the nerve endings on the skin occurs, which leads to neuroses and stress, and a disorder of the nervous system.

There is no need to cool the water for swimming to 30-28°C. The water temperature should be such that the baby is comfortable, and this is usually 33-35°C. It is better not to reduce the initial temperature of the water when the child is immersed in it, but to increase the time the baby stays in the water to 20-30 minutes or more as the child grows. At the same time, the temperature of the water in the bathroom decreases by 2-3 degrees.

Which bath should I bathe my baby in? Of course, in a big way. A small bathtub is not suitable for swimming. There is no turning around or turning around in it. And an “adult” bath for a little person is a whole swimming pool where you can spend time with comfort and health benefits.

How to bathe a child? Let's figure it out. The main thing is that the baby should be comfortable. When a child floats on his back, one hand of mom or dad supports his head, the other insures his body. At the same time, figure-eight swimming movements are performed in the water. The scalp and ears are in the water. Don't be afraid of it! Children who swim and dive, as a rule, do not suffer from ear diseases.

When the baby floats on his tummy, mom or dad supports his chin with his right hand, with the ring finger under the chin and the middle finger on the chin. The middle finger is a safety finger, it “makes sure” that water does not get into the baby’s mouth. The second hand, the left one, supports the child by the back of the head. Swimming is carried out in the same way as on the back - in a figure eight.

Should I douse my child with cold or ice water after bathing? There is no need to do this specifically. It is better to douse the baby in the middle of the day or in the morning; before doing this, be sure to warm him up, do a massage or exercise. The water temperature at first may be cool, not cold. This does not mean that everything is in vain and your baby will not receive hardening. If you do this regularly, gradually lowering the temperature to cold, your baby will not get sick.

You need to pour it from a ladle. Before doing this, immerse the child’s feet in the water that you are going to pour over the baby, and then, without hesitation, pour the water on him, head over heels, trying to get as much of the water flow onto his body as possible. As a rule, spontaneous urination occurs after this procedure. At the same time, there is a discharge of the nervous system and an outburst of emotions, that is, the baby screams, but then very quickly calms down. It's not scary. Try pouring cold water on yourself, you will agree, you want to scream, but we, adults, restrain our emotions, and an infant is not able to control himself.

Another hardening method is softer. Make a cold spot in warm water during the last 3-5 minutes of bathing. That is, cold water flows from the tap into the bath, it should not get on the child, the baby swims from warm water to cool and cold, feeling the contrast and training his blood vessels and thermoregulation.

After swimming or showering, wrap your baby in a soft towel. It is better to wear it in the room. There is no need to wear a cap or scarf on your head.

We hear, we see, we touch

They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. And for newborns, these are two windows into his brain. How does a baby recognize the face of its mother or father?

In the first 5 weeks, the baby distinguishes only contrasting areas of the face - hair, facial contours, chin, neck, etc.

But from 7 weeks he is looking for eyes. By recognizing the faces of his parents, he gets to know the world around him. And at the same time learns to predict future events. This was proven by Marshall Haight, a child psychologist. He argues that infants understand the sequence of events, can collect information, and therefore learn.

Under no circumstances should you use rattles to calm your baby. Crackling and noise can cause a child to become deaf. In general, excessive noise excites a person’s nervous system, making him nervous, inattentive, and unfocused. Rattles can only be played in a calm state. They should have a quiet, melodic sound, and the sound should be enjoyable.

From the first days of life, begin to develop your child’s hearing. It has already been proven that the baby responds to the music that he listened to in utero. Therefore, it is very important to stimulate and develop the baby's hearing.

From 7-8 weeks, the baby turns his head towards the sound stimulus. From now on, it is very good to use a turntable with bright sounding toys, which is fixed above the baby’s crib.

Caring for a 2 month old baby

Every day you need to examine your child's skin. Do not wrap up or overheat the baby - this often causes small pinpoint rashes. If this happens, then there is no need to lubricate these pimples with Vaseline or any other oil or cream; it is best to take an air bath or bathe in water with the addition of a weak solution of potassium permanganate (light pink) or celandine herb. The solution of potassium permanganate must be freshly prepared, since manganese quickly decomposes, and filtered through 2-3 layers of gauze (if manganese crystals get on the skin, there will be a burn).

For extensive heat rash, UFO (ultraviolet irradiation) or sun exposure in the warm season is recommended. Don't be afraid of the sun, just use it wisely. The sun is health, it is the best prevention of rickets. You can take your child out into the open sun in the morning before 11 a.m. and in the evening after 4 p.m., when it is not very active, first for 1-2 minutes and gradually increasing the time.

There is another way to prevent prickly heat: after washing, which is best done after each toilet, instead of wiping with a cotton swab or napkin, use a hairdryer. A warm air flow will quickly dry all the wrinkles. The skin will always be clean. Children love this procedure very much. Both useful and pleasant!

Often the cause of diaper rash, a rash on the torso and face of breastfed children, is a violation of the diet by the mother. Carefully analyze your diet over the past 3 days, whether you have used any foods, delicacies (sausages, sausages, chocolate, canned food, citrus fruits, broths) even in small quantities, or ordinary products (for example, milk) in excess quantities.

There is no need to specially rinse and clean your nose, ears, or eyes. And washing is replaced by swimming twice a day - swimming and diving. It is better not to use soap for a newborn baby.

You need to wash your baby from front to back, holding him firmly and comfortably. The water for washing should be at room temperature - this is one of the hardening methods. Creams and powders should be used only when necessary; they are not recommended for prevention.

Keep an eye on your nails; they need to be cut every two to three days, treating them with a nail file afterwards. But under no circumstances should you cover your hands when wearing shirts with closed sleeves, since in this way you deprive the child of the practice of touch.

As a rule, all babies clench their thumb into a fist. From birth, every day, at least 4-6 times a day, it is necessary to work with the baby’s hands, trying to straighten the thumbs as quickly as possible.

Finger exercises are very important. The more a child moves his fingers, the faster he will speak, because everything is interconnected, especially speech and fine motor skills.

In addition, the fingers are endowed with a large number of receptors that send impulses to the central nervous system.

You need to massage starting from the tip of each finger, from the periphery to the center. When massaging, do not forget to say out loud what each finger is called. And don’t forget to massage your palm. In this way, the child will very quickly be able to open his fingers, and his hand will begin to act and grasp objects correctly. As a rule, this happens by 2.5 months.