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The Basics of Bathing your Baby
Bathing pg 2
Bathing Baby pg 3
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Some parents wait to trim fingernails until the child is sleeping.  It’s possible, though, that the baby will wake suddenly, with a jerking movement.  Another way is to hold the baby securely on your lap while the child is awake, holding the hand with each finger extended individually.  Cut nails straight across with a blunt scissors; pointed scissors may poke the baby’s delicate skin.  You may also choose to use nail clippers specially designed for babies that are small enough for baby finger and toenails.  

Many babies enjoy their baths immediately.  They splash and kick and squeal with delight.  But others find bathing traumatic, howling with protest as soon as they’re wet.  It may take eight or ten baths before they adjust to the water. Introduce these reluctant bathers to the experience gradually.  Soap and wash them on a towel outside the tub; then immerse them in the water to rinse them only; however be careful when you pick up the squirming, soapy infant for you can lose your hold on them more easily.  Using the “football carry”, placing your arm under the baby’s head and back, the other hand supporting the head, is a good way to hold an infant when moving them while wet or soapy.

Never leave any baby unattended in the bathtub, even for a few seconds.  A few inches of water can be dangerous to a newborn; when you turn away to for reach bathing items, always keep one hand firmly on the baby.  If an interruption occurs like the telephone or doorbell rings, wrap the dripping baby in a towel, and take him or her with you when you respond.  In a real emergency, wrap the child in a towel and put them on the floor, where the baby can neither fall nor drown.