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 cotton 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. 4. 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