Bath time for your baby! (Along with some skin conditions and care)

Bath Time Talk

Bath time for babies at first can be scary, but once you have done it the first or second time it's no sweat! When my son and I came home from the hospital I actually asked my mother to give him a bath because I was terrified I was going to mess up his umbilical cord or where he got circumcised. So I just watched her and while I did I realized I had nothing to worry about. Remember that when your newborn comes home that you should only be giving sponge baths until the umbilical cord is gone and their belly button is healed (this usually takes anywhere between 10-14 days). When you give your baby a bath make sure all the soap is rinsed off (with newborns use a wet washcloth to wipe the soap away) before drying your baby with their towel. Once your baby's belly button has healed you can start giving them a normal kind of bath with water sitting in the tub (or sink), but make sure the water is no higher than 3 inches, and never leave your baby unattended while taking a bath. It would be very heartbreaking if your baby even became close to drowning just because you realized you forgot to grab something, so make sure you have everything you need before setting your baby in for a bath!

• Tub? Check! 
• Baby wash and washcloths? Check! 
• Towel? Baby lotion? Double check!
• Grab it all!

Once your baby can sit up you can give him/her some toys to play with to make bath time also fun time! First your baby gets cleaned up but once that is all said and done your baby can be free to play as long as they like in the tub! Which most babies have a lot of fun splashing, kicking and playing in the tub. I know my son loves his bath time and he is nearly 9 months old.

Your baby does not need a bath everyday, but lotion is a must every day at least once a day. As we all know, lotion is to help keep our skin moisturized to prevent dryness. The best time to apply lotion is after bath time, but that doesn't mean it's the only time! Something you will want to avoid are the lotions that have perfumes or dyes because your baby still has very sensative skin, and sometimes they can be either be allergic or dry out due to the dyes or perfume. If you ever see any dry, flaky, red or irritated skin you should ask you doctor for a recommended lotion, ointment or cream. Sometimes your baby can only use one or the other. Like my son can't use vaseline or coconut oil. anything clear like that just doesn't work for him it only makes it worse, but that doesn't mean your baby is the same. Every child is different.

Two common conditions your baby can get is milia and cradle cap. They aren't really something to worry about as long as you know about them and how to handle the conditions for if and when they may occur.

• Milia - Not all, but most newborns get milia, which is tiny bumps on their face. They are pinhead-sized bumps that show up mostly on your baby's nose and/or cheeks that are caused by blocked pores. After your baby is about one or two months old they usually disappear. Try to not apply any kind of ointments or creams on their face while having milia. Just wash the face every day with a gentle baby soap mixed with water.

• Cradle cap - A very common scalp condition that can affect creases in the baby's armpits, neck or diaper area. A fancy word that doctors like to call it would be seborrheic dermatitis. Your baby might has yellow, scaly or crusty patches on his/her scalp, but it usually isn't itchy or painful. Something that I have always found that works is using baby oil! All you do is keep some baby oil (you can aslo use coconut oil) on your baby's head at least an hour or two before your baby gets a bath, brush your baby's head with a baby brush and wash it off in the bath. What this does is soften the skin and then cleaning off the yellow patches or crusty spots (just don't try rubbing it or forcing it off). What I personally do is keep the baby oil on my son's head at all times and making sure I re-apply it an hour or two before his bath so I know it's extra fresh and softened. Besides, baby oil on your baby's skin is healthy! Just make sure if your child is being exposed to the sun they have a hat on, since oil attracts the sun and heat. If it doesn't get any better and worsens by starting to spread call your baby's doctor about treatment.

Some baby's also can have a skin condition called eczema. With my son I haven't had to worry about that with. This is a skin condition that causes your baby to have dry, red and itchy skin. Your doctor may call it atopic dermatitis. At about 60% of babies they will outgrow the eczema, but it can come and go throughout a your baby's life. Usually it happens in infants who have allergies or a family with a history or allergies or asthma. Eczema symptoms commonly happen in stages, so your baby may not have all the symptoms at the same time. Your child may have some of these symptoms during a flare-up:

1. Small bumps on cheeks, forehead or scalp
2. Itchy, dry, red skin anywhere on the body
3. Circular, slightly raised, itchy and scaly bumps that ooze (or leak) clear fluid, often in the bends of elbows, behind the knees and on the back of wrists and ankles

So what can you do to help ease the eczema and prevent flare-ups? Here are some tips:

1. Give your child a regular 10-minute soaking bath in luke warm water. Pat the skin with a dry towel, instead of rubbing it dry.
2. Don't use sponges or washcloths on areas where your baby has symptoms. Instead use your hands.
3. Use a moisturizer (like lotion). Apply it no more than 3 minutes after bathing your baby and throughout the day to dry areas. If my son had this I, personally, would be looking for the lotions that either said they were specifically for eczema or had the oatmeal written on the bottle.
4. When buying soaps, detergents, and moisturizers look for fragrance-free and not only unscented.
5. Make sure you keep your baby's nails cut short so scratching is something you don't have to worry about because scratching can make eczema worse!
6. You cannot completely prevent eczema, but try to keep track of what may have caused the flare-ups that way you can help prevent the triggers that make it worse for your baby. Triggers usually include anything your baby may touch. An example could be a specific laundry detergent or allergens like dust mites.
7. Avoid scratchy clothes. Look for breathable clothes such as cotton.