Welcome to Moms on Call’s video: 


Baby Basics: Bathing


[Introduction music and imagery displays]


Laura Hunter:                   I'm Laura Hunter.


Jennifer Walker:                And I'm Jennifer Walker and we'd like to talk about our favorite time of the day, bath time.


Laura Hunter:                   We like to have a bouncy seat with a big fluffy human-sized towel and this acts as a docking station so that you can take the baby in and out of the bathtub while you're still on your knees and everything is very safe. Also, right next to you within arms reach is everything you need. A little basket containing the baby hairbrush, the baby soap, some extra washcloths, and some towels. Now let's get started.
                                        
You'll notice that I have a firm grip with one hand under the bottom and the other hand in a c hold behind the neck. This allows me to transfer from the bouncy seat to the bathtub safely. Once in that nice warm water, place a large washcloth over the chest and arms. This keeps them warm and they start to relax almost instantly. It's okay to keep the water running for that soothing white noise sound. And it does keep the water a little warm, which helps to make this experience fun for everyone. I like to begin with taking a soft baby washcloth with no soap and wash that face well. Make sure to wash those eyebrows and forehead as that area often has some buildup of skin and oils.
                                        
Then I like to take some baby wash and place it right on the wash cloth that is covering the chest. This allows easy access to that wash. Use your hands to scoop up some soap and wash that chest back, arms and legs. This feels almost like a baby massage and who says babies can't have a spa day anyway? Remember, we clean their bottoms on the changing table prior to coming to the bath so we don't have to clean that area here. There's just too many folds and crevices. The last thing that you will see is that I place some soap on the scalp and use that baby brush to scrub in a circular motion to help loosen any skin and oils that may build up and cause what we call cradle cap, which is skin that mixes with oils and causes crusty scabs on the scalp.
                                        
Then rinse well by scooping water with your hand and dribbling that over the head to rinse away any remaining soap or residue. They really do smell so good and that freshly washed hair is so fluffy when we're done. Then one last rinse as we get ready to take them out of the bathtub. Now, remember to never try to stand up with that slippery baby. You will notice that my hand is still securely behind the neck and I have a firm grip between the leg and bottom as I transfer to that comfy towel in the bouncy seat right next to the bathtub, wrap them up quickly because getting out is never fun. This really is a precious time that everyone can enjoy.