An Art of Parenting

Posts Tagged ‘cleanliness’

The bottle and teat will be found in most of homes where a new born baby is present. Cleanliness is the first thing that should be followed by the mother who wants their baby to live a hygienic life. The equipments or products which they use for their children should be clean and tidy. Soaps or detergents which are of best quality should be used to clean the bottle and teat. In the teat, the milk curd will be present and salt has the tendency to remove it. After the cleaning process is done, the mother should boil water in a large pan and place the bottle and teat inside it. This is the most excellent way to kill germs that is available in the bottle and teat. In fact, bottle boiling kits are also sold in the market which will be beneficial for the mothers. The mother should try to purchase four or five bottles in order to avoiding the bottle from boiling at all times.

Sodium hypochlorite is also a solution for cleaning the bottle. Just by mixing a tablespoon of the sodium hypochlorite in one liter of water and by immersing the bottle in it, the bottle becomes dirt free. Make sure that the bottle is immersed for about four hours so that the mother gets confidence that the bottle is crystal clear and germ free. Another solution that can be used for the bottle cleaning is Lugols iodine. Many mothers think that feeding with a bottle saves time for them but their duty is to sterilize the bottle and then use it for feeding their baby. The brand of milk should not be changed always as it may lead to the illness of the baby.

When should a baby have his first bath? Many pediatricians now feel that there is no hurry to give a bath after birth. He has come out of a very comfortable and warm environment. He also has a protective whitish material called vernix, particularly in the neck folds, arm pits and groins. No effort should be made to clean this off, as the delicate skin of the baby will be damaged. The baby’s face should be cleaned, and a blood from the delivery should be wiped off. His body including head should be dried with a soft towel, and clothes put on. The less he is distributed for the first few hours the better. He can be given a bath on the second or the third day. Many hospitals do not give the baby a bath at all during the hospital stay.

To give the baby a bath at home, you will need a good size wash basin or a baby bath. Plastic ones are freely available and you can choose any attractive color. The water should be comfortably warm and should fill half to three-fourths of the basin or tub. The room should be warm and free of draught. The fan should be switched off. First the baby’s face and head should be washed. The baby can then be put in the tub while supporting his head properly. If the baby’s buttocks are soiled with stool, he should be cleaned before being put in the tub. The baby’s skin is very sensitive and only a mild soap should be used. A shampoo can be used for the head and a soft brush can be used for the hair.

Nappies must be thoroughly washed to remove all traces and ammonia and faecal bacteria which would otherwise cause irritation and possible infection. Special nappy sterility are now available which makes this process much easier and less time-consuming. With this method the nappies are soaked in the sterilizing solution for a specified length of time and then only the soiled nappies are washed with powder; the wet nappies are thoroughly rinsed. Whenever you wash nappies use pure soap flakes or powders. Avoid strong detergents as these will irritate the baby’s tender skin. If you have to use a fabric conditioner because the toweling has become stiff make sure that you rinse it all out; despite manufacturers’ instructions to the contrary, this too can cause irritation. Unless the nappies are very stained or have become rather grey, there is no need to boil them. Hot water is sufficient for both rinsing and washing after using sterilizing tablets. Never add colored clothing to the sterilizing solution – the color will run. Even if the clothing has been soiled, just remove the worst of the mess, rinse the item and then wash as normal.

Nappy Washing Routine: To balance the chores of feeding, changing and nappy washing, try to develop a routine whereby you wash the nappies in sufficiently large loads. The prerequisite of this routine is a large sufficiently large loads. The prerequisite of this routine is a large supply of nappies – I suggest no less than 24. In order to sterilize the nappies you will need two plastic bins: one for soiled nappies, one for wet ones. They should be large enough to hold at least six nappies, and they must have lids and strong, reliable handles. Special nappy bins are sold but any bin of a decent size with a lid is suitable.