Bathing a Baby

———————– Bathing a baby 0-1 years old- At this very young age it is important that your baby is cleaned every night. This doesn’t mean that you should give your baby a bath every night, but you should at least ‘Top and Tail’ your baby. Topping and Tailing ‘Topping and Tailing’ means washing your baby from head to toe with warm, damp cotton wool. This method of washing doesn’t require a bath being made for the baby, however there are a few piece of equipment you will need to top and tail your baby. You will need to collect: †¢ Cotton wool pieces †¢ A towel A bowl with warm water (38 °c) †¢ A clean nappy †¢ Changing mat for nappy change How to Top and Tail your baby: 1. Gather all the equipment together before you begin. 2. Undress your baby down to their nappy and wrap them in a towel. Making sure their face isn’t covered. 3. The next step is to get a piece of c otton wool, dip it into the water and then clean your baby’s eyes, wiping from the inner corner outwards. It is extremely important to use a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye, in case your baby has an infection which could be transferred from one eye to the other. . Next clean around their nose, the skin creases around his neck and under his chin, using a different piece of cotton wool. Then clean the contours of their ears, then their face. 5. You should then use the towel to dry the baby lightly. 6. You can then clean the rest if their body if you want, using a different piece of cotton wool each time. You can clean their hands, under their arms and around their belly button, and then you can remove their nappy. 7. Changing cotton wool frequently, you then need to clean the nappy area.You must always ensure that you wipe your from front to back on a girl to avoid transferring any germs to her genitals. 8. Lastly, you should pat your baby dry then put on a clean nappy and put their clothes back on. Bathing you baby becomes part of their daily routine. When your baby is young you may find that you bath them during the day. However, it is always good to make bath time part of the night time routine before your baby goes to bed. It is very important to understand how to bath your baby correctly, so that your baby is safe.Bathing your baby When bathing your baby you need get all the equipment together beforehand, such as: †¢ Cotton wool pieces †¢ A towel †¢ A baby bath with warm water (38 °c) †¢ A clean nappy How to Bath your baby: 1. Firstly, you should wash your hands and get all the equipment together that you need for bath time. 2. You should then fill the bath with cold water first, and then add hot water to get the bath to the right temperature (38 °c). To test the temperature you should use your elbow and the water should feel lukewarm. 3.Bring your baby to the bath area and remove your baby’s clothes. Wrap your baby in a towel, keeping their head exposed so you can wash their face and hair before you put them in the bath. 4. Wash your baby’s eyes, ears, face and neck as you would for topping and tailing. 5. Hold your baby so that their head is over the bath water and wash their scalp with a wet, soapy flannel or just water. Rinse their hair carefully and dry it. 6. Now take off your baby's nappy. If there are faeces in the nappy,  clean your baby's genitals  and bottom before putting them in the bath. . Gradually slip your baby into the bath feet first, using one hand to support their neck and head. The water should be covering their shoulders so that they don't get cold. 8. Use the cotton wool pieces to clean your baby from top to bottom, front and back. 9. Rinse your baby thoroughly, and then lift them out of the bath. Lift them with one hand supporting their neck and head and your other hand under their bottom. 10. Wrap your baby in a towel and dry them thoroughly, checking t hat folds of skin around the groin and neck are dry.Then put a clean nappy on them. You can then redress your baby. 1-3 years old- Toddlers tend to become messier and dirtier as they are now mobile. Therefore, it is really important that they are regularly having baths to keep them clean. Toddlers should be bathed every night and their hair should be washed at least once a week. When bathing your toddler it is very important that the water is not too hot or cold as this will make it uncomfortable for them. Therefore, you should check the water temperature using your elbow.You should also use a non-slip mat in the bath now so that the child does not slip and you should ensure that your toddler is not stand up in the bath It is essential that your child is never left unattended in a bath, as a child can drown very quickly in only a small amount of water. To wash your child you should use a child friendly liquid soap or body wash squeezed onto a wet sponge or cloth. You should use this to wash their body and then rinse off the excess soap. You should use a cup or a little bowl to rinse the soap off. You should always your child’s face, hands, and bottom.Cleaning their face and hands helps to get rid of germs and dirt. Washing your child’s bottom reduces the chances of nappy rash or irritation of the skin. You should save washing your child’s bottom till last and once you used the sponge on their bottom or other privates, set it aside and don’t use it again until you wash it. To wash your toddler’s hair you should use a children’s shampoo that won’t sting their eyes. To wash your child’s hair you should start by tilting their head back and pouring water over their head to wet the hair.You should then add a small amount of shampoo and should work it in the wet hair. Finally, you will need to tilt their head back, shield their eyes with your hand and rinse the shampoo out by pouring water over their head again. It is useful to have a dry towel handy to wipe away water and shampoo that gets in their face or eyes. Once your toddler has been washed you should take them out of the bath and you should dry them off with a towel. At this age it is important to let your child to start learning how to wash on their own.Therefore, you should talk through the routine with your child, telling them what you are doing at each stage. You could also let your wash themselves with the sponge and rub the shampoo into their hair; however you should always be close at hand in case they get soap in their eyes. You should also make bath time fun for your toddler by using lots of bubbles and bath toys, e. g. boats, rubber ducks, cups etc. Also, toys that squirt water are always fun for your child to play with, although the chances are that you may get a little wet! -5 years old- Your child should now be becoming more independent at bath time and may undress themselves for bath time. They will become more involve d in washing themselves, although you are still there to supervise them during bath time. They will also be familiar with the routine of bath time, although they may still make a fuss about bath time. Therefore, it is important that you make it as fun as possible for them. There are lots of different, new and exciting bath time toys for children to play with. You can buy soap crayons hich allow children to draw on themself, on the bath or on tiles. These crayons come in different colours and they wash off. You could also get Stick-on shapes to stick to the sides of the bath and walls. Also, bath time books are good. These books are waterproof and you can get involved in your child’s bath time by ready them the story. You can also make up games for them to play during bath time, like I spy, or you could make a treasure hunt by throwing lots of different toys into the bath for your child to find. -8 years old- Children around 6-7 years old are now capable of bathing or showerin g alone and should be given more privacy. You should teach your child how to turn on and off the taps and you should show them how to heat up the bath properly by turning on the cold water first, then gradually warm it up and testing it. You should also go over the basic safety rules of bath time, for example, don't hop in and out of the bath, use just a small bit of shampoo, and be extra careful getting in and out of the bath.You can now also help to teach your child on how to use a shower. It is important that you stay close and within earshot of the bathroom, in case of any problems but as long as your child knows how and what to clean, you should let them have some privacy. Your child is now in control of their own cleanliness, so you should ensure that your child knows how to fully rinse their hair, and you should keep on reminding them about washing everywhere, including behind the ears and down at the feet.