“Dear moms, help - I have no more strength! Every day the same story repeats itself: while we’re swimming, everything is fine, as soon as we take it out of the bath, we’re screaming and hysterical!” There are a dime a dozen messages like this and very similar ones on numerous mommy Internet forums. Some people have a 2 month old baby crying, some a 5 month old one, and sometimes even a 3 year old one! Some babies begin their “session” towards the end or even in the middle of the bathing procedure, while others only after their parents pull them out of the water. But all these situations have one thing in common: the child cries after bathing, and the parents cannot understand why, and, therefore, correct the situation.

Meanwhile, there is certainly a reason for a child’s crying. This is either a cry for help or an expression of dissatisfaction. Let's try to figure out together why our children cry during and after bathing.

Why does a child cry after bathing?

Bathing a newborn is a whole science! The first “swim” should be approached with all responsibility, so as not to spoil the child’s impression of the procedure, which he will undergo every day for many months. Therefore, every parent should study in detail all the advice and recommendations that pediatricians and parents give on this matter.

If no mistakes were made, then the child will almost certainly love bathing: warm water relaxes, soothes, relieves tension, massages and trains muscles, it reminds him of the fertile prenatal period of his life, and as the child grows up, it also becomes an excellent environment for funny and fun games. Most children enjoy bathing and swimming in large bathtubs or simply splashing around in deep basins. But it very often happens that after bathing a child starts screaming! It’s impossible to dry the baby properly or calmly dress him: he’s just fighting!

First of all, we want to say that this happens very often! And many parents cannot do anything about it: a certain period of time passes until the child calms down on his own and stops the hysterics that suddenly started one day.

But it will be much better for both you and the baby if you manage to find the reason for the child’s crying in this case. And judging by the life experience of many parents, there may be several of them:

• COLD. After a warm steaming bath, the feeling of cold is especially unpleasant! Babies often cry after bathing due to the resulting temperature difference when they are taken from warm water or a steam-warmed bath and suddenly moved to a relatively cool room. If you bathe your baby in water at a temperature of 37°C, and the room is 18°C, then it is likely that he is crying for this very reason.
• HEAT. Too high a water temperature while swimming can also cause crying. Pediatricians do not recommend bathing your baby in very warm water; on the contrary: to harden the temperature of the water in the bath, you should gradually reduce it. At the very least, the child’s body should not turn red during and after bathing. If he gets too steamy, it will not only be harmful to his health, but will also worsen the child’s well-being, which will cause the baby to start crying. If the child cries after you have dressed him and started, say, feeding him after bathing, then it is also quite possible that he is hot due to excess or excessively warm clothes.
• HUNGER. It is known that water “pulls out” energy and greatly increases appetite. Many children, and adults too, become hungry after swimming in any body of water, and even in the bathroom. Hunger is a common cause of newborn crying at the end and after bathing. And you should not immediately discard this reason if you bathe your child after feeding (by the way, it is better not to do this directly after eating): after taking a bath, the baby may feel hungry, as if he had not eaten at all before.
• THIRST. The same goes for the feeling of thirst: you want to drink even after swimming in a cool river, let alone taking a warm bath, especially if the procedure lasted a long time and the child was actively swimming or playing. In addition, during bathing the body loses moisture, which must then be replenished.
• FATIGUE. It is absolutely possible, and even very likely, that the child is tired and overexcited. Some babies even fall asleep right in the water, but others start crying. The baby may not feel tired while bathing, but after the procedure is completed, he cries for this very reason: he wants to sleep. It’s impossible to either dress or feed her calmly.
• COLIC. It often happens that the evening bath procedure coincides with colic. Warm water relieves spasms and painful attacks, relaxes the muscles of the internal organs, and therefore pain in the tummy is not felt. As soon as the child is pulled out of the water, he immediately begins to twist, twist his legs and press them to his stomach. If you suspect colic, give your baby a massage right in the bathroom.
• FEAR. A small child can be afraid of anything. Even if, as you think, nothing has changed in the bathing procedure, he could still be frightened by the sound of the water, a bizarre shadow, some new object in the bathroom, or even the very moment of getting him out of the water: the child’s sudden rise from the bath feels like a fall. .
• WAIMS. A child does not always cry after bathing due to pain or discomfort. Since he is not yet able to express his desire verbally, and screaming and crying are an effective and easy way to attract attention, children actively use it to express their desires, discontent, and whims. For example, it is likely that the child has not yet fully enjoyed the bathing procedure and demands mom or dad to return him to the water! Give it a try. Or maybe your picky person doesn’t like to dress?

Bathing a child is not only a hygienic procedure, but also a health-improving one. It must certainly bring joy and pleasure to the baby, as well as to the other participants in this process. To prevent a child’s crying after bathing from adding bitterness to the sweetness of water sessions, try to understand why your baby is crying.

A child cries after bathing: what to do?

Whatever the reason your child is crying, it is always better to find it and eliminate it. Perhaps nothing bad happens, but certainly no one gets pleasure from hysterics.

Loving and attentive parents in almost all cases manage to understand where the problem lies. And then the matter remains small. Try bathing your baby shortly after feeding. Some mothers even bathe with their babies so that the breast is always “at hand”. A bottle of the mixture, which should be kept ready by the end of the swimming session, will help prevent the artificial child from crying.

If you have tried and ruled out all possible causes, but you don’t give water to your baby on principle, maybe you should try it just once, so that the cause of thirst is also excluded from this list. Also, you shouldn’t wrap your child up after bathing if the apartment is warm: after several weeks of life, you don’t even have to wear a hat (but only if it’s really not cold in the house!), extra and overly warm blouses are also useless: the baby’s body continues to give off heat after bathing. Moreover, when he starts sucking the breast, like any physical work, he warms up even more!

If, on the contrary, he is freezing, then try wrapping him in a preheated towel and not unfolding him for a while, holding him close to you so that the body cools and dries. But if possible, pediatricians recommend abandoning this method in the future: it does not help to harden the child, and during the period of infant colic it further increases the pain due to overheating.

Remember that mother’s breast is always the best soothing agent. But if the baby cries even under the breast, then with a very high degree of probability he is bothered by heat or colic.

In a word, experiment, listen, look closely - common sense and your heart will tell you where to look for the buried dog. But don't lose sight of the fact that the reason for crying can also change with time, age and changing situations.

If the cause of the crying cannot be determined, then try to end the bathing session earlier than usual: it is better not to bathe more than to suffer from crying later. Or maybe you should try to wash your baby in the bath in the morning or afternoon - experiment. It is very important to ensure that bathing gives the baby extremely positive emotions, even if it only lasts a few minutes, if it is not possible otherwise. And even if you don’t succeed in coping with the problem (which also happens to many parents), don’t worry (after a certain period of time everything will pass) and don’t be nervous (children are very sensitive to their mother’s mood and disposition). Only in this case can the mother be advised to bathe the baby 1-2 times a week, and not every day.

We wish you that bathing brings only benefit and pleasure to all family members! Be healthy!

Especially for - Elena Semenova

For many parents, bathing an infant turns into a whole ritual. Who will bathe the baby for the first time after arriving from the hospital? What time of day should this be done? How often should I bathe? Which bath is best? This is only a small part of all the questions concerning the organization of such an important process as bathing a baby. And, undoubtedly, when the baby is first immersed in water, the whole family will be present, including grandparents, aunts and uncles. And everyone will consider it their duty to give valuable advice on where to pour it, what to bathe in, how to wash it off, etc. And everyone will be touched and rejoice, watching every movement and sigh of the baby.

Most children happily wait for the moment when they are bathed. While some children, while taking a bath, scream as if their lives were in danger. And how can you explain to an unintelligent creature that it is just water, and that there will be no harm from swimming, but just the opposite?

So, all children react differently when they see a bath. Some enjoy being in the water and are outraged when you try to get them out of there. Others are categorically against water procedures. There are also kids who are delighted with bathing one day, and terrified the next.

But what should those parents do for whom bathing an infant turns into a test for everyone? What to do if, at the sight of only the bathroom, the baby begins to become hysterical, and the child’s crying cannot be calmed down? And all children need to be bathed, regardless of their preferences.

Some parents don't want to see a problem with their child not wanting to bathe. They simply grit their teeth and, with the words: “the job must be done,” carefully but persistently immerse the screaming child in the water. Adults soap, foam, water and rinse the frightened and heart-rendingly screaming baby. Ten minutes of screaming from the child and irritation from the parents, and the job is done. And no one seemed to have been hurt, and the infant’s daily routine was followed. Is it so? Hardly.

Do not force or force your child into the bathroom. Some children are able to forget such unpleasant moments, while others may be permanently traumatized. And in this case, there is a high probability that your baby will stop believing you. It is very easy to lose a child's trust, but getting it back is not so easy. Such a baby may also develop a fear of water.

The most important thing in this problem is to understand the reason for the child’s hatred of bathing. For example, the temperature in the bath may be either too hot or too cold for the baby. Try to make the water temperature as comfortable as possible for your baby.

It is possible that your baby does not like you leaving him alone in the bath and he feels abandoned and lonely. In this case, the best option would be to take a shower. Or bathing in a large bath with mom.

Maybe your child feels uncomfortable in a small, enclosed space. After all, most adults close the bathroom door while bathing their baby. Try to open the door. And if possible, change the location by placing the bath in a large room. In warm summer months, if you live in a private house, you can even move this procedure to the yard.

Also make sure that the products you use to bathe your baby are safe for them. After all, shampoo or soap can irritate if it gets into the eyes, thereby killing the child’s desire to bathe forever.

The baby can also be frightened if you plunge him into the water too quickly and abruptly. In such a situation, you should start bathing very slowly. First, gently sprinkle water on the child's feet, then on his knees, and thus slowly but surely rise up.

The most important thing in this matter is to make bathing fun for your baby. Let taking a bath be an exciting adventure for him. Nowadays there are many toys for bathing and bathing: these are all kinds of waterfalls, glowing fountains, floating animals and much more. Choose the ones you and your child like the most. Even a beautiful colored bottle of shampoo can be a wonderful entertainment during bath time.

A child can also enjoy foam in the bath. You can play with her too. Try blowing soap bubbles, this can also distract your baby from unpleasant memories.

Turn on music or sing yourself.

When the child begins to sit, you can also purchase a bathing chair. Most of these high chairs are equipped with various entertainment elements, and even a restless infant will find something to do.

Perhaps your baby needs space, and a small bath, even an orthopedic one, is not a joy for him. Purchasing an inflatable ring for the neck can radically change your child's ideas about water procedures. With the help of such a circle, you can let your child frolic to his heart's content in a large bathtub for adults. It is possible that the presence of an adult in the bathroom will also have a beneficial effect on the baby’s initiation into bathing.

Entertain the baby, throw toys into the water, play with a washcloth, the child will not even notice how clean he will become. And let the baby splash, splash water and wet everything around! It’s okay, because the main thing is that whatever your child does brings joy to you and your baby.

If nothing you do helps and your baby also cries during bath time, don't be upset. Perhaps this is just such an unfavorable period for the child, and he just needs to get through it. At such moments, you can introduce the child to alternative water procedures, for example, wiping. Your baby will definitely outgrow his dislike of water, and bathing an infant as a parent will be an enjoyable time for everyone. You just have to be patient.

The first bath of a newborn is a whole science that needs to be approached responsibly, because in the future it will turn into a daily ritual. It is very important not to spoil the baby’s impression of this procedure, so that the child enjoys bathing and not constant discomfort. Therefore, parents should follow all recommendations of pediatricians and experienced parents.

Why does my baby cry after bathing?

The main reasons for a newborn and infant crying after bathing include:

Discomfort during the first bath and subsequently:

• hot or cold water for bathing;

  bathing a child while sleepy or during sleep - anxiety is caused by fear and reflex discomfort during repeated bathing;

  low temperature in the room - a pronounced temperature imbalance often causes the baby to cry immediately after bathing.

Hunger or thirst after swimming.

Fatigue - some babies relax during bath time, while others quickly get tired or become overexcited.

Intestinal colic.

Baby cries after bathing: what to do?

Bathing a baby is not just a daily hygienic, but also a health procedure that should bring pleasure to all participants in the process. Therefore, if a child cries during or after bathing, it is necessary to find out the cause and, if possible, eliminate it as soon as possible.

You need to follow a few simple bathing rules so that your baby does not feel discomfort:

The room should be well ventilated, the air temperature is not lower than 22 and not higher than 25-26 degrees, comfortable water temperature (36-37 degrees):

• if the child is cold, the skin turns pale, and the crying turns into hiccups, and so that the baby does not freeze after the bath, he must first be kept in a towel, which he is used to, and then dressed;

  if the baby is hot (hot water for bathing, high air temperature in the room and/or active dressing of the baby) - the skin turns red, sweating is observed, and body temperature may rise.

The baby needs to be fed an hour before bathing, and if he is worried after bathing, offer breastfeeding or a small amount of formula - water procedures require certain energy costs and the child may get hungry at the very moment when he needs to be dried and dressed, so the formula must be ready, and breast milk offered on time.

You should not bathe your baby immediately after sleep or while falling asleep - temperature changes, the sound of water, or pouring water over them can frighten him, and in the future he will constantly be capricious and anxious when bathing.

You can frighten not only a sleepy child during bathing (loud noise, music, bright lights, shadows, sudden movements, pain) and in the future the baby will associate bathing with these feelings, and for quite a long time the child will cry while bathing. Therefore, bathing should take place in a calm and friendly atmosphere, you need to talk to the child, and not provoke fear or anxiety. It is better if bathing turns into a certain ritual that evokes only positive emotions in the baby.

If the reason for crying during bathing is fatigue (in premature and low birth weight babies, babies with central nervous system pathology, congenital heart defects and other somatic diseases), intestinal colic or whims, you need to reduce the bathing time.

In case of intestinal colic or other functional or organic changes in a child that cause pain or persistent discomfort after bathing, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician to clarify the cause and determine further tactics of observation and treatment.

Ekaterina Rakitina

Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany

Reading time: 6 minutes

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Article last updated: 04/19/2019

Bathing a newborn baby is a simple, but at the same time very responsible procedure, which can cause quite a lot of trouble for novice parents. Babies under one year old usually love to swim or even just splash in the water and do not show signs of dissatisfaction. However, it also happens that a child literally cries sobbing after a bath and it is very difficult to calm him down. This can frighten inexperienced moms and dads, and make this pleasant procedure a complete hassle. There is no need to be afraid. It is necessary to carefully analyze the situation and find the reasons why the newborn reacts so negatively to water procedures.

Possible reasons

A baby's negative reaction to bathing can be caused by many reasons, such as:

1. uncomfortable water temperature (too cold or too hot);
2. feeling hungry or thirsty;
3. fear of the procedure;
4. fatigue;
5. bloating and colic in the intestines;
6. whims.

How to figure out what's wrong

If your baby was cheerful and cheerful before swimming, but upon contact with water began to cry and fuss, then first of all you need to check the water temperature. The optimal range is 36 - 38 degrees.

Accordingly, if the temperature is higher and lower than the specified degrees, then the baby will actively express dissatisfaction during the first seconds of bathing.

A newborn baby can be frightened by loud and strange sounds. This could be the noise of water flowing under pressure, sharp shower jets, or increased acoustics of the bathroom. Of course, the baby will gradually get used to the new conditions of the outside world, but we can make this process as gentle and comfortable as possible.

So, the immersion in water went well, but after some time the child began to cry a lot, although nothing seemed to change in the procedure. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the fact that water takes a lot of energy even from an adult, and even more so from a baby. Therefore, crying during bathing can be caused by elementary fatigue, hunger or thirst. Also, the reason why the baby begins to cry may be water flowing into the eyes or ears. This is not the most pleasant feeling and can quite frighten the child.

If your bath procedures take place in the evening, then there is a high probability that this will coincide with colic, which torments almost all children in the first months of life. Then, of course, the baby will scream, press his legs to his tummy, and this will not at all depend on the water temperature, sound effects, etc.

Evening colic in babies begins at approximately the same time every day. Try not to bathe your child during this period. This will relieve additional stress for both you and your baby.

It happens that the whole procedure goes with a bang, but as soon as you take the baby out of the bath, he starts screaming. This may be caused by a sharp temperature change between water and air, or it may simply be the whims of a child. It happens that children enjoy taking a bath so much that they do not want to stop this fun activity. The only way newborns demonstrate dissatisfaction is by crying. So in the end, after a successful water procedure, parents again face hysterics.

How to deal with the situation

"Why baby crying after bathing? - a common question on women's forums. Moreover, tears after water procedures can appear in the eyes of both a newborn baby and a one-year-old baby. Young children rarely act up without reason. By crying and screaming, babies “ask for help” or report discomfort. What do babies scream about after a bath?

I'm cold!

Modern pediatricians advise ventilating the child’s room more often, maintaining a comfortable temperature of 18-22 degrees, while bathing the baby is recommended at 36-37 degrees. Of course, when a child “leaves” a warm bath and immediately finds himself in a cold (compared to the bathroom) room, he begins to freeze. The only available way to “report” this is to scream. When a child is cold, his skin becomes pale and cool, and crying can turn into hiccups.

To reduce the impact of temperature changes, you can hold the baby in the bathroom for a few minutes in a towel and give him the opportunity to “get comfortable.” Immediately after water and hygiene procedures, the baby must be dressed.

I feel hot!

Another common cause of crying after bathing is overheating. Many caring parents, before bathing their child, warm up the bath, pour hot water (temperature above 38 degrees), and after bathing, put on several layers of warm clothing and a cap.

The water procedures are over, the child screams, his face turns red, his skin warms up, the baby waves his arms and legs - he “says” that he is hot.

If the child overheats, you need to change into light clothing and remove the cap.

Want to eat!

Water “takes” a lot of energy; it is not surprising that after water procedures, babies want to eat. Even if the baby ate shortly before bathing, there is a high probability that he will get hungry again.

Parents who do not want to listen to their baby’s cries after bathing find interesting solutions:

• mothers bathe with their baby so that they can immediately offer the breast to the baby;
• For artificial babies, a bottle with formula on duty is started in the bathroom.

Everyone else patiently dresses the baby after bathing and only then feeds it.

Doctors do not encourage swimming “on a full stomach.” It is better to eat 30-60 minutes before water procedures.

I want to drink!

In addition to energy, the body loses fluid in water, which must be replenished after swimming.

There is an opinion that infants do not need water (mother's milk contains it in sufficient quantities), but when all methods have been tried, and the baby does not calm down after bathing, you can try giving him some boiled water.

I want to sleep!

Many kids love to swim. They move a lot in the water, so they get tired quite quickly, which is why some children fall asleep during water procedures, while others begin to be capricious after. The baby needs to regain strength, and the main thing for this is healthy sleep. The situation when baby cries after bath before bed, is familiar to many mothers and fathers. It’s easy to understand that a baby is overtired:

• dark circles appear under the eyes;
• the child yawns constantly;
• the baby’s favorite toys no longer interest him, he turns away from them and cries for no reason;
• The baby tugs at his ear and looks sleepy.

After sleep, the baby's mood will change.

My tummy hurts!

Intestinal colic is a real problem for children. They bother babies up to 3 months old and almost always appear in the evening. And since children bathe most often before bed, it is likely that tummy problems will coincide with water procedures. The child will not cry in the bathroom (warm water relaxes and relieves pain), whims will begin later. With pain caused by colic, the baby will scream loudly, press his legs to his tummy, and push.

Tummy problems can be eliminated with:

• tummy massage;
• a warm diaper, which should also be placed on the tummy;
• gas outlet tube;
• medical drugs.

Each child needs a special approach, so it is difficult to identify any specific remedy. You can only choose “your own” by trial and error.

I'm scared!

Children see the world differently. Unknown things can greatly frighten the baby and make him cry. So, while swimming, a child may be frightened by the sound of water, shadows, or a sudden rise out of the water (small children feel it like a fall). If baby crying after bath from fear, you need to hold him close (warmth soothes) and offer the breast (in case of breastfeeding).

I attract attention!

A baby's crying after bathing is not always caused by discomfort or pain. Children attract attention by shouting. A child may be capricious because he was pulled out of the water too early, he did not have time to bathe, or, on the contrary, he did not want to swim (he had a more interesting activity). Many children do not like being dressed or swaddled, and some simply get bored without their mother (if she is away).

If baby cries a lot after bathing– look for the reason for this behavior. There are many of them, but every parent, over time, begins to understand that this is how his baby “says.” Listen to your heart, it will not deceive.