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how to pamper your babies soft skin

Parenting is as old as the human race itself;and every parent feels that their tried and tested techniques are the best there is. In the last couple of months as a new mother I have realised the vast amount of parenting tips out in the world. Now take baby’s skin care for example, everything from ‘let the baby lie without any clothes on, let his skin breath free, don’t restrict him in clothes’ to the ‘swaddle your baby tightly, it makes them feel warm and secure, like they are still in the mothers womb’ variety of advice will be lavishly offered by friends, family and well meaning strangers alike. Every one who has ever brought up a child into adulthood is an expert.

Do I wish to add my voice of advice to this all ready very loud cacophony? Well, as a doctor myself, and having a paediatrician mom, I have been privy to some pretty good tips to keep your babies skin not only soft, but also safe.

Here are my tried and tested methods

1.       1. Moisturise,but do not keep wet: Dry skin is prone to cracks and cuts and therefore prone to infection. It’s often said that a babies skin is soft, but it is also prone to dryness. Many hospitals defer bathing the baby in the first few days of birth, so as to keep the natural skin oils intact. We also follow the oil massage pre bath routine, the oils are natural, organic, cold pressed, and free of any artificial scents. I have attached a picture of all the stuff I use for my kid, but feel free to exercise your own discretion, but keep in mind ‘hypoallergic and chemical free’ at all times. The bath soaps are equally important so that they are mild enough for a babys skin. Post bath moisturisation to replenish the lost skin oils and therefore protection is also important. Agai ,aim for a scent free , preservative free moisturiser suitable for babies. Apply the moisturiser when the skin is slightly moist, after bath, it helps retain moisture better. Be sure to dry the baby skin within the many tiny skin folds, remembering we need to moisturise but not keep wet.
some of the products we use



2.      2.  Clothe in cotton:  This seems like a no brainer. Cotton is breathable, and keeps the baies skin dry and yet protected. These days a lot of dye free, or organic cotton couture clothes are available for babies. Its all very expensive as well, keeping in mind that a child outgrows these tiny yet adorable clothes, it’s good to stick to the simple to wear, simple to remove, no pins, ribbons on lose ends sticking out variety of cute but affordable cotton clothes. Home made sweaters layered on top of the cotton clothes is best for winter. No polyesters, lace which gets caught up in the little fingers, or hooks which can potentially poke.


3.      3.  No talc: Pediatricians world wide are unanimous about their dislike for talcum powder;the stuff parents believe to help keep the baby dry and smelling like,well, a baby. The small powder particles are inhaled by the babies and lead to respiratory problems. Its nearly impossible to prevent the talc from dissipating in the air. Also the powder gets caught up in the many skin crevices and folds and hold in the moisture, whether it is around the diaper region or around the neck, milk dribble and urine trickle get absorbed by the powder and concentrate within the crevices causing more harm than good.

4.       4. Diaper care:As a doctor I am often asked if I prefer cloth diapers or disposable ones. My baby has worn disposables most of his life,and the reason being that I would rather nurse him/play with him/let him lie on any expensive upholstery, without worrying if he is going to soil himself,me,and the sofa/bedding etc. He can move from lap to lap without peeing on Nani’s sari or daddy’s pants. It’s a personal choice and if you use cloth diapers more power to you. Disposable diapers not only give my baby the freedom of sleeping, feeding ,playing on any surface, but also gives me more time to spend with him rather than wash the multiple soiled linen from his misadventures. That said, I do not let my child sit in his muck all day. Even though most of the packs say ‘upto 12 hours of dryness’ we change 6 to 8 diapers a day, again a personal preference, but I feel it prevents any diaper rashes or excoriations. Prior to making him wear a fresh diaper we always use a pre diaper cream containg zinc oxide;it works by providing a skin barrier and help heal skin irritation. When cleaning baby’s bottoms post diaper change, we use a scent free baby wipe. Yes, you may use water, but water can paradoxically dry out skin, while the wipes have a moisturiser.So basically; change often, use scentfree wipes, use a nappy cream to provide care, comfort and convenience of disposable diapers.
watching my baby grow as he graduates from newborn, to small, to medium diapers :)


5.       5. No harsh chemicals, no besan : Not using harsh chemicals is a given, and yet even the non chemical, home remedies can be equally harmful. Use of besan for a fairer, hairless more soft skin is not just harming the babies natural skin barriers by exfoliating the skin cells, but is potentially dangerous as it breaks down the skins protective layer and makes it more prone to infection not to mention the harsh rubbing can cause capillary breaks and rashes and pain to the sensitive skin of babies.

Bringing up children in todays internet world can be tricky, especially since there is just so much information out there, yet every parent has only their childs best interest in mind. Making your baby’s soft skin safe is not just about the DO’s but also about the DON’T’s.


Pampers brings you the softest ever Pampers Premium Care Pants. Its cotton-like softness is #SoftestForBabySkin and allows it to breathe, thus keeping baby’s skin soft and healthy, and your baby happy. 

blog part of Blogadda #softestforbabyskin activity 

Comments

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