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When
baby is born a surprise gift is often given to first time parents, its germ
phobia. How real is the threat of everyday germs to a baby that has been
given a clean bill of health? I’m a believer that children should be exposed
to their real life world and the germs that come along with it. According
to a 2006 CNN report many doctors are even buying into what is called the
"Hygiene hypothesis" which holds that when babies are exposed to germs it
helps them to fight allergies and asthma later on.
I’ve
seen parents bathe their infants after each trip in the car or after a
family dinner where baby has been passed around to grandma and grandpa who
have unfamiliar germs. But just how clean is too clean for your little
one? On average, infants need to be bathed only one to three times per
week. Of course, after eating, their faces and hands should be carefully
cleansed and diaper area appropriate cleaned while changing, but until baby
begins to scoot around - unless they've had a "blow out" from either end -
consider
you baby clean -and put them in their infant bath tub no more than every
other day.
Follow these nanny tips and tricks when grooming your baby. When giving your
baby a bath, be sure to have all your bathing necessities handy. Be sure to
use gentle baby products for your infants' body and hair. If your infant has
cradle cap - resist the urge to pick and speak with your pediatrician about
which products to use. Test the water temperature with your elbow and only
allow fill the infant tub with an inch or two of water at most- and of
course, never - not ever for a second- leave baby unattended.
When
you're done, pat your baby dry and apply some baby lotion or oil to help
seal in her bodies' moisture. You can also help keep baby skin soft by
using a delicate detergent when washing her clothing. You can also help keep
babies skin soft buy using a delicate detergent when washing her clothing.
When trimming babies nails, it's best to use a nail file or rounded baby
scissors.
In a
dream world, you'd be able to complete this task with baby sound asleep, but
if you can't be sure to hold your baby still, cradled in your arm while
seated, using the arm that is around baby to grasp each finger tip as your
complete the task. Using nail clippers increases the risk that you may cut
your baby's skin, so especially if you are nervous, you may want to stick
with using a baby nail file. I’m Michelle LaRowe, author of Nanny to the
Rescue for Baby Talk Radio with real advice for real life. Be sure to
visit my site for your nanny tip of the day at
http://www.michellelarowe.com.
