Newborn Baby Care - Keeping your Baby Safe

No-one can really give you an idea of the enormity of the responsibility of having a baby!!!

Keep your newborn baby safe - make that your priority and if you are doing that, believe me you are way ahead.

I remember one day feeling so embarrassed when I saw that there was wax in my baby’s ear when I was at the Infant Health Clinic - I thought the nurse must think I am a really slack mother. (I was so exhausted and sleep deprived it was a miracle that I had managed to get to the clinic at all - even if I was half an hour late - I was even more devastated when after the baby had been weighed, I didn’t have a clean disposable with me, and the nurse had to try to find one for me - I had changed the nappy/diaper just before I left home and didn’t expect her to wet the nappy so soon. Keeping yourself, your baby and your house spotlessly clean is not a priority - healthy and happy is what counts. This was one of the hardest lessons for me - as I had always been such a spotlessly clean person, and such an efficient nurse, where babies were immediately cleaned up and lay in beautiful clean bassinets/ isolettes - and here I was not able to keep on top of the wax in my baby’s ears!!!!

Back to safety issues:

Make sure you have adequate equipment for safe car travel - check with your local council for requirements.
Keeping your newborn baby safe includes making sure that your baby is not getting too hot or cold whether they are travelling in the car, or at home etc.

Never leave your baby unattended in a car - not even for two minutes - why take a chance that something could happen to you or your newborn baby while you are away?

Make sure your baby stroller/baby pram is safe - that it won’t overturn the first time it hits a bump - visit the baby shops and get the assistants to show you all the important safety features - and then make sure you use them, not just have them.

Protecting your baby from the sun and wind is also important - most sunblocks are a bit too harsh for a newborn baby, so it’s best to make sure they are not exposed to the sun. (Early morning sunshine, or late afternoon sun is used in some countries to help clear up jaundice (yellow discolouration of the skin) that happens to new born babies. Make sure that your Health Professional has given you guidelines to ensure that your baby comes to no harm.

Make sure that all hot drinks or foods cannot come into contact with your newborn baby. Always supervise young children around your baby - some children like to do a little prodding as a means of discovery - which may not be in your baby’s best interests.

Always supervise your visitors - especially pushy relatives, and be very particular that everyone washes their hands before touching your newborn baby, and that they do not come close to your baby if they have some contagious disease. Be particularly careful about anyone with a "cold-sore", including yourself and partner, making sure that the sore does not come in contact with your baby - this can be very dangerous to your newborn baby.

Keep animals away from your newborn baby - they carry germs and diseases that can be harmful to your baby.
You need to be particularly careful with newborn babies - by about 6 months of age they have usually developed their immunity to a degree where you don’t have to be paranoid and with gradual exposure to normal household organisms - your baby's immune system is tested and develops.

Make sure that all items that come in contact with their mouths, have been sterilised.

It doesn’t matter what country you live in - there are always ways to sterilize pacifiers/dummies/teats/nipples/bottles etc. Western countries usually make it a little easier than the usual sterilising method of: 3 minutes in boiling water, or using steam sterilizing in a Microwave oven, or soaking in a chemical agent which will kill the germs such as Milton - (Milton is not used in hospitals anymore as some hospital germs aren't destroyed by it). Check with your Health Professional about the manner that you intend to use - this is to ensure that your baby does not develop gastro-enteritis which can be dangerous to any baby, because they can "dehydrate" (lose fluid) so easily.

Be very careful where you place your newborn baby, especially when bathing or changing your baby.
It is a good idea to have a safe area with a little ledge to prevent your baby rolling off the edge - if that is not possible, place a clean blanket or waterproof covering on the floor, and change your baby on the floor - at least that way - they’ve got nowhere to fall!!!! This is not as backward as it may sound - though it is not too great for your back! A lot of diaper bags come with a detachable padded waterproof working area - you’ll become an expert in no time. Of course the best place to do the nappy change is at the change table or the specially designated baby-care rooms, but this is not always possible.

Providing a safe environment where your baby sleeps - this includes SIDS prevention

Research has shown that the position the baby sleeps in is most important - your newborn baby should lie on his/her back to sleep. If you have a large cot or crib - "make-up" the bed with the blankets at the bottom of the cot.

Get rid of fluffy toys and "bumpers" and do not use "doonas" or eiderdown type covers (comforters) on your newborn baby - these may cause your baby to overheat or to suffocate.

Make sure there is good ventilation in the cot, and MOST IMPORTANTLY that you provide a SMOKE-FREE environment in which your newborn baby sleeps. Insist that smokers smoke outside the house - and if you are a smoker yourself - I know you will want the best for your baby - so you will do the same.

Also make sure that the room is not too hot or cold - an even temperature is best.

The other time your newborn baby can be exposed to danger is during bath time. I deal with how to bath your baby in a separate section, but in summary - make sure the water is not too hot or cold. Luke warm is not warm enough, as it soon becomes cold after the baby has been in it for a few minutes. Obviously, it must not be too hot either - or the baby will be scalded - it should feel warm on a sensitive part of your body.

Ensure that your newborn baby comes to no harm - that you keep your baby’s head above water at all times, and that you don’t scratch your baby with jewellery, or drop your baby - they can be awfully slippery when they are wet and soapy.

Keep your baby safe, by ensuring that he is having enough to drink so that he/she can grow into a healthy infant.- I have a section on how to tell if your baby is getting enough to drink.

Some parents feel reassured by doing a First Aid Course - hopefully you will never need to practice any of it, but it useful to have the knowledge. Ask your Health Professional what is available in your area.

See what I mean about keeping your newborn baby safe - If you get that right - believe me you are doing very well - so just let any raised eye-brows about wax in baby’s ear go straight over your head!!

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How to bath your newborn baby

Who said newborn babies have to have a bath every day - I’d like to see where that is written. I’m sure that in some very cold countries, a newborn baby would very rarely come anywhere near bath water!!

New born babies aren’t dirty - you do need to keep wee (urine) and pooh (faeces) off their skin, and keep their eyes clean (because their tear ducts don’t work too well straight off - they can develop sticky/ or mucky looking eyes). You also need to be sure they are not lying in wet or dirty clothes.

That is the purpose of the bath - but in real terms you can keep a baby clean without ever bathing your newborn baby!

Bathing your baby - if you choose to bath your newborn baby - should be pleasurable for you and your baby. Dads can get to be really good at this.

There are very few rules when it comes to bathing your newborn baby - but some universal principles apply:
Don’t let your baby come to any harm during the bath; hopefully your baby will enjoy the bath - if he/she is not - make it short and quick, and hopefully at the end of it - your baby will be clean too!

Really - you can do it! Can you bath yourself???? It’s when people, often professionals make it all too fancy that things start to go wrong, and the whole thing ends up more like a possible sinking of the Titanic!!

Everybody has their own style when it comes to baby baths.

If you asked say six midwives on a ward to show you how to bath your baby, chances are that they will all have their own variations on how to do it - depending on where they did their training - unless it is the hospital policy to offer only one method. This outdated practice does not happen much any more, as who is to say which method is "the correct way"?

What I consider are my helpful tips, are as follows (take only what feels right for you).

If you are going to bath your newborn baby - choose a time which will suit you and your baby best.

If you live in a very cold house - choose a time of day when the house is warmer, or try to warm the room you are working in.

Choose a time when you are least likely to be interrupted - take the phone off the hook, or turn the answering machine on.

Do it at a time when you won’t have people criticising you - or if you feel unsure and would prefer to have an experienced baby-bather present - wait until you can organise this.

Organise yourself for the bath before you start - this can save a lot of trouble later, and trying to reach for things with the baby doing early unscheduled swimming lessons in the bath - is not a good idea.

Set up an area where you can work easily - in other words so that you are not straining your back.

Make sure you have everything at hand: clean clothes, singlets, diapers, clean towels, cleaning items such as wash clothes and baby soap. A clean baby bath, and the ability to fill the bath, without breaking your back, to a suitable temperature - luke warm is too cold, as the water will be cold after the baby has been in it for a few minutes. Make the water warm enough so that it is pleasant when tested on a sensitive part of your skin - but not burning hot. You don’t get into a bath and scald yourself - so why should you now suddenly do that to your precious baby? Of course you’re not going to do that - and if you do particularly like very hot baths, you would know that your baby wouldn’t be ready for that! If you like, you can add a drop or two of lavender oil to the bath water - this is the only aromatherapy oil that you can use safely on your newborn baby. Also, don’t be too skimpy with the water - how would you like to sit in an inch of luke warm water? Remove any jewellery that might scratch or injure your baby.

It’s not a great idea to put the baby’s poohy-bottom in the water, and then clean his/her eyes with the same water - so --- if your baby has a poohy - bottom, use your wipes, or other disposable method of getting rid of the pooh, before placing the baby in the water.

A good tip is: take the dirty nappy/diaper off last thing, and put the clean one on first - this way you don’t get wee or pooh all over your nice clean towels or baby clothes.

Also, it’s a good idea to clean the baby’s eyes and face first - while your water is really clean. You usually wipe the baby’s eye from the inside corner to the outside corner - preferably with wet cotton-wool or a clean cloth, and use a separate clean swab/cotton wool to clean the other eye, using the same method.

If one eye is "sticky", clean the clean eye first, so that you do not spread germs (if there are any) from the mucky eye to the clean eye.

For the rest of it - remember that babies try to catch you out by hiding bits of pooh and vomit in their body creases - so make sure you clean well in those areas.

Also, like you, they don’t like soap in their eyes.

If you are going to wash tyour newborn baby's hair, you may like to do this at the beginning of the bath - with the baby tucked firmly under your arm, and baby's head positioned over the bath - in a slightly downwards direction - so that the water/soap does not run into their eyes. It is not necessary to wash the babies hair every time they have a bath. Some people like to try and avoid getting water in the baby’s ears, as they worry that it might increase the baby’s tendency to get ear infections. Other people just wash the baby's hair while it is in the bath - using their free hand to wet their baby's hair. Nowadays there are baby bath solutions that you add to the water - which means you don't need a separate baby soap or shampoo.

Most important though - don’t go poking cotton buds up baby’s nostrils or in their ears -the membranes inside both ears and nostrils are very fragile, and can be damaged if the baby sneezes etc. Just use a wet cotton ball or wet face cloth - that way you can do no harm.

Make sure you have a good grip on the baby, so that he/she does not slip out of your hands, and keep your newborn baby’s head above water at all times. It’s a good idea to remove any jewellery that might scratch on your baby and cause an injury..

If your baby is enjoying the bath - keep going - as long as the water is still warm.

Make sure you have a good grip on the baby when lifting him/her out - a wet baby is very slippery!

New born babies have trouble maintaining their body temperature - this is one time when you need to dry them quickly, try keeping the towel over your baby's body while you are drying them, so that very little of their body is exposed at any one time. If you have a nice warm room - obviously this is not really a problem, though I would still get the baby dressed as soon as possible.

Nice warm clothes to put on are a great touch, if you are in a cold climate - be careful about what you use to warm them - don’t cause any fire hazards, or expose your baby to any burning!!! Just a reminder - I know you’re beginning to think like a new mum/dad/carer now!!!

One other thing about bathing your baby - if you have a "vomiter" - that is, a little darling who throws up regularly, don’t bath them immediately after a feed, but wait about an hour after the feed.

If the umbilical cord hasn't dropped off from the "belly button" - just ensure it is clean and dry. Fashions come and go with regard to "cord care" - using a little alcohol - only on the cord area, not directly on the skin, can speed up the drying out process, and destroy any germs in the area. However, if it looks fine - just ensure that it is clean and dry.

Some Mums/Dads like to apply a baby lotion or cream to the baby’s skin - that’s your choice, and it’s a good idea to choose natural vegetable or plant ingredients, don’t use too much of "petroleum" or vaseline based products as they can disturb the mineral balance in your baby's body, if used for prolonged periods of time.

I used to love the smell of baby powder - it doesn’t really do any particular good though - but cause I really loved the smell, I would sprinkle a little on my baby’s clothes. Goodness sakes! If it’s not going to harm the baby, it is OUR baby after all, and why should we not do something that gives us a little pleasure???

I hope my tips make the bathing experience more pleasurable for you and your baby - they are a guide only.

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