Right after birth, you see your baby so tiny and so helpless. The navel is so fresh you can even see the portion of umbilical cord. You do not know what to do how to clean it or how would you care for it.
Bathing a new born baby with fresh umbilical cord is a challenge especially if it is your first time to bath a baby. The first thing to do is to prepare you and be comfortable. Remember, baby’s skin is so delicate.
Before cleaning the umbilical cord, you should bath your baby first. In bathing the baby for the first time, do not bring your baby in the bathroom. You can use a table in bathing your baby. Prepare things like one small basin (filled with Luke warm water), Baby soap, baby towel and baby dress for changing. You need also to prepare the alcohol and cotton.
Damp cotton with Luke warm water then gently clean the face starting from the inner side to the outside, do it in an upward motion and gently. Next is the eyes and forehead. Do not use soap in baby’s face. If you can carry the baby with one hand, better. Bring baby to the basin filled with water do not immerse. Just tap a little water and wet baby’s head. Gently massage scalp using baby soap then rinse by bringing in water to head using your hand. Never immerse baby in water.
If you are not confident enough to hold the baby while bathing, you can lay the baby and use wet cotton in cleaning the head. You can also use cotton to clean the body, arms and legs. Clean also the genitals. But if you can carry the baby, let baby’s extremities touch the water in the basin. Be sure to hold the baby and be careful not to let her fall. Soap baby’s body, arms and legs then rinse. Be careful not to touch baby’s umbilical cord. If possible avoid it from getting wet.
Place the baby in the towel, wipe gently. Clean the umbilical cord. Get enough cotton and encircle the baby’s navel with cotton. Do not put cotton on top of the umbilical cord, pour alcohol directly to baby’s umbilical cord.
It is natural that your baby will cry lavishly after pouring the alcohol in the navel. Do not panic this is normal. When done, dress the baby and be careful not to touch the umbilical cord. The cord clamp will be detached naturally after a week. Do not manually remove the clamp.