When it comes to giving your newborn infant his or her first bath, a swaddle bath is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative method.
After 24 hours, swaddle bathing takes the place of the traditional sponge bath that is given to babies in the hospital setting. A new bathing approach that incorporates both bathing and swaddling is designed to comfort babies by recreating the experience of being within their mother’s womb.
So, what exactly is a swaddle bath, and why is it preferred over a sponge bath? We’ll tell you all about it right here.
What Is a Swaddle Bath?
A swaddle bath is a bathing method that uses a swaddle blanket to make the infant warm and comfortable during bathing. It is sometimes called “warm and calm bathing”. Swaddle baths (also known as a swaddle immersion bath) are an excellent approach to minimize babies’ pain to a bare minimum during their bath time.
The baby is wrapped loosely after being bathed using the swaddle technique and wrapped in a dry hospital swaddling blanket. Both the baby and the blanket are submerged in a heated infant tub, which has been filled to the baby’s shoulders with warm water.
The process of moving on to the next limb is called the transition phase. During the process of moving on to the next limb, each of the baby’s limbs is painstakingly unwrapped, washed, and rewrapped.
Bringing your new baby home is a joyous occasion to celebrate. Once your baby is brought home, there is a wide range of activities you can engage in to be able to bond with your newborn.
Providing a swaddling bath is one of the exciting things you can do. Although the process of bathing your infant can be a little scary and challenging at first, with a little practice, you’ll be able to do it perfectly in no time.
When Should You Give Baby Their First Bath?
Pediatricians recommend that you bathe your infant for the first time at least six hours and up to 24 hours after birth, depending on the circumstances. Delaying your baby’s first bath can assist to keep his or her body temperature and blood sugar stable. It can also help to retain the skin-to-skin bonding period between mom and baby, while also keeping their skin from drying out.
For a preterm infant, the baby’s behavior at bath time is out of the usual. The administration of conventional baths, or even sponge baths, to preemies may be quite distressing, and they are often met with cries and suffering.
In part because of the extra stimulation provided by being born prematurely, babies have a harder difficulty adapting to their new environment outside of the mother’s womb after being born early.
When newborns are bathing, not only do they feel vulnerable since their limbs are exposed and unbound, but they may also suffer a rapid decrease in body temperature, which may be dangerous for babies who are still developing. It’s becoming more difficult to find qualified nursing personnel, particularly in the newborn intensive care unit.
Before, it was imperative to get a baby into a swaddle bath as soon as possible to prevent them from being too cold, and keeping the baby warm. The fact that they liked or disliked it didn’t really matter.
It’s now more innovatively suitable for babies to feel comfortable and safe in their surroundings since this is more developmentally appropriate. For a multitude of reasons, including medical issues, bath time should not be an unpleasant experience since it will also be a major concern of parents.
What Are the Advantages of Giving a Swaddle Bath?
Giving your infant a swaddle immersion bath offers several advantages for newborns since it meets their developmental demands. Several studies have shown that swaddling baths assist to balance newborns’ body temperatures, glucose levels, and energy levels and that they are less likely to scream while in the bath because of this.
Swaddling shields your baby from their natural startle reaction, resulting in more restful sleep for both of you in the long run. It may also be beneficial in calming a colicky infant.
Swaddle baths help to reduce anxiety in your baby by emulating your touch, which helps your infant learn to soothe himself. It keeps baby’s hands away from her face and reduces the likelihood of her scratching.
How Frequently Should You Bathe Your Baby After Bringing Them Home from the Hospital?
After their first bath, babies don’t need to be washed every day since they aren’t unclean enough to need a thorough bath at this point in time. After the baby’s umbilical cord is cut, we suggest that you only give them a sponge bath.
The umbilical cord usually slips off after roughly eight weeks of pregnancy. Speak to your doctor if the umbilical cord of your baby has not come off by the time they are eight weeks old.
In order to reduce your anxiety about giving your infant their first bath at home, we suggest making their first few baths a three-person event. This would include the baby, the person administering the bath, and someone else there to supervise and help if needed.
How Safe Is a Swaddle Bath for Newborn Infants?
Swaddle baths are definitely a very safe and more satisfying alternative to sponge bathing in healthy full-term and late-preterm newborn babies. It has a number of advantages for both parents and their newborn, including significantly reduced stress and crying, more stable heart rate and temperature, and increased parental satisfaction and participation.
According to a study, babies that are swaddled remain warmer, cry less, and appear to be in a more peaceful and serene state. When compared to sponge bathing, there is no difference in the incidence of cord infection or diaper rash when this form of cleaning is used by parents.
A swaddle immersion bath is proven to make mothers feel more confident and happier, according to some research.
So, please don’t hesitate to give it a go! The following is a step-by-step guide on how to swaddle bathe your baby at home, in case you need to brush up on your bathing technique.
The Steps to Taking a Relaxing Swaddle Bath
- Taking baths for an excessive period of time or on a regular basis may cause the skin to become dry. If possible, keep them short, no more than 10 minutes, and do not do them more often than once every other day at the very least.
- Check to confirm that you are in a warm, draft-free area before continuing. It may also be good to make the room as quiet as possible and under dim lighting if you have a fussy baby.
- Ensure that you always have access to your bathing supplies (towels, diapers, wet wipes, washcloths, receiving blanket, mild baby wash, and gentle moisturizing lotion if needed).
- Hand washing should be performed in a deep baby bathtub or a clean kitchen sink.
- Fill the tub with warm water until it reaches roughly the level of the baby’s shoulders, then remove the plug.
- Bathwater should be warm and comfortable on the inside of your forearm as you get out of the shower or bath (100 to under 104 degrees Fahrenheit).
- The infant’s arms should be wrapped tightly around their torso after they have been clothed with a soft receiving blanket or towel after being dressed.
- With both hands, firmly grasp your infant’s bottom and wrap their neck and shoulders across their back and shoulders. Gently lower them into the warm water by making gentle downward strokes with your hands.
- Maintain gentle but tight control over them as they adapt to the aquatic environment.
Additional Steps
- Allowing you to use your free hand to gently wash their face with simple water while securely supporting their neck and shoulders in one hand with the other. Begin with their eyelids, wiping them from the inner to the outer corner from the inside to the outside corner.
- If required, wash from the top-down, unwrapping one side at a time, and rinsing with mild baby wash as needed. Except for the infant’s hair, wash from the top down.
- Last but not least, wash the baby’s scalp and massage it in with gentle circular motions.
- Warm water should be used to remove any cleanser residue from the baby’s skin.
- The baby should be dried as soon as possible after being washed. Make sure to pay close attention to the umbilical stump and to carefully dry the surrounding region when you have finished.
- If you want more moisture, use a little amount of moisturizing lotion. Maintain a safe distance between your hands and face and the baby’s hands and face.
- Install a diaper over the infant’s bottom and position them skin-to-skin with the parent. If you like, you can keep them swaddled in a blanket after swaddle bathing.
Conclusion
The swaddle blanket helps to keep your baby boy or girl comfortable while using the swaddle immersion bath technique, resulting in a more womb-like environment for the baby. After each limb is carefully unwrapped and disinfected, it is gently rewrapped in the blanket for the last time.
Parents who have a newborn that requires special attention might be intimidated by the prospect of cleaning them. Observing your new baby’s joy in swaddle bathing may help parents feel more secure and confident in their parenting abilities.
For the best swaddle bath experience, pick the best swaddle material like muslin or cotton. Check out the best swaddle blankets in the market appropriate for your baby.
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