Here’s the Best Way to Redeem a Newborn.
In the films, immediately after giving birth, a nurse puts a primordial newborn in her arms. In real life, however, babies usually look more like Alien 3 than in Pampers ads when they enter the world – their heads are deformed, their faces resemble grumpy old people, and they are covered in white film. The traditional protocol was to wash them with a sponge, stat.
But some doctors are now recommending new bathing procedures that may be more gentle and safer for babies who have escaped from the birth canal. Here’s what parents need to know.
Wait to take a dip
Is this smooth, creamy mass all over your child’s body? It’s called vernix, and while it looks messy, it’s a protective layer that helps ward off infection and a natural moisturizer for the skin. At UCHealth, a health care system in Colorado, newborn bathing is generally delayed for at least eight hours after birth. Doctors want to prolong the protective properties of Vernix, as well as leave some amniotic fluid on the skin, which can promote better breastfeeding. According to Dr. Christine Gold, physician at UCHealth, amniotic fluid is similar to colostrum, the first breast milk produced by mothers.
In addition, infatuation with babies for baths and other non-critical procedures immediately after birth can deprive parents of this important golden hour of skin-to-skin contact — a time when they can bond and establish a breastfeeding regimen. Placing a naked newborn on a parent’s bare chest has been shown to help stabilize the baby’s body temperature ,regulate blood sugar, and make the transition into the world less stressful.
Ask the nurses to wait to bathe your baby – they may continue to bother you about it (my nurse was staring at my cow-haired newborn all the time, asking me, “Are you sure?”), But know that it’s your choice.
Make a changing bath
Instead of the usual sponge bath, which can shock newborns who are not used to so many new temperatures, many doctors now recommend a swaddling bath, in which the baby is bathed while wrapped in a diaper. It calms babies and parents can do it at home. Here is a how-to video from UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Auckland:
First, wrap the baby securely in the diaper with your arms crossed upward. Fill the tub with 100 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit water. Slowly lower the swaddled baby into the tub until the water reaches chest and shoulder level. Then, starting with the legs, lay out each limb separately, wash and rinse. Do everything slowly and carefully.
Other tips for bathing your newborn:
- Wait at least 24 hours after circumcision to wash the boy.
- Newborns do not need to be bathed every day – once a week is enough.
- Never put your baby in the bathtub when the water is still flowing.
- Never, ever leave a baby unattended in the bathtub (if the doorbell rings, that person should wait).