Baby Basics
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By M. J. Horowitz
While nothing could be more relaxing and endearing than cuddling and cooing with your new baby, there are certain tasks that bring fear into the hearts of new parents. Both diapering and bathing are among them.
“Being a first-time parent, you are afraid you might injure or harm your baby due to your lack of experience. We have all walked in your shoes, and our children have all survived, despite us,” says Ari Brown, M.D., coauthor of Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby’s First Year (Windsor Peak Press, 2004) and a pediatrician in private practice in Austin, Texas. Relax.
With a bit of education and forethought, both bathing and diapering will be easy and fun bonding times with your baby.
Diapering 101
The rule of thumb is to change a baby’s diaper every few hours, or when it’s wet. So that’s about eight diapers or more a day, 56 a week…you get the picture. By the time your baby is a week old, you’ll be a pro. Here’s how to start:
Be organized.
Have everything—a diaper, wipes or washcloths, warm water, ointment, and a change of clothes—within reach. “Hypoallergenic, fragrance-free wipes are extremely gentle and okay for newborns,” says Anthony J. Mancini, M.D., associate professor of pediatric dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. “But if your baby is prone to recurrent diaper rash, then water and a gentle cloth are better.”
Hold on.
Place the baby on the changing table or the floor, put your hand on her firmly, and don’t let go until you’re done. Talk to her in a calming voice.
Out with the old.
Lift the baby’s legs, take away the soiled diaper, and wipe front to back if she has had a bowel movement. “There is no need to wipe after a urine-only diaper,” says Mancini. (It’s a good idea to keep a boy’s penis covered with a washcloth as you remove the diaper and put on a fresh one.) Slide in a new diaper. Watch out for the umbilical cord—either use a newborn diaper with a cut-out notch for the cord area, or fold the diaper down—until the cord falls off at about two to four weeks.
Just gotta try this Creamy Avocado Dip recipe via Momables.com - love how you can spread it on a sandwich in lieu of Mayo! 
Comment by Lauren Taylor on Oct 03 2009 09:36:26:
To sponge bathing a baby, fill a medium-sized plastic bowl with very warm (not hot) water. Place the baby, (clothed only in a diaper and loosely wrapped in a towel)on the changing table, kitchen counter or bathroom vanity. I use a large beach or bath towel to pad the counter and a waterproof ad or sheet to protect it.
Start by using a wash cloth on the baby’s face speaking to her the whole time. Tell her you are cleaning her eyes, cheeks, nose, mouth, ears. Gently lift her head and clean all the folds in the neck. Immediately blot the face and neck with a towel so the baby doesn’t get cold. Move on to the arms, still explaining the process. Gently shake the arm to relax it so you can get into the armpit. Next clean the legs and feet being careful to get in between each little toe.
Remove the diaper and use baby wipes to clean any fecal matter before cleaning with the wash cloth. I use soap on the diaper area to be sure it is cleaned well. Blot dry and put on a fresh diaper.
Finally, wrap the baby in a towel so that only her head is uncovered. I then hold the infant in my left hand and wash the hair over the bowl or sink. I squeeze water on her head and add a drop of shampoo. If possible, I let the running tap water flow onto the baby’s head so she can enjoy her spa experience. Usually, I sing,”Raindrops keep falling on my head” while I shampoo the baby.
Once the cord is off, you can immerse the baby. Be sure the water is deep enough to keep her warm and nevr take your hands off her during the bath. Even when I immerse the baby, I always finish the body, diaper and wrap the baby in a towel before doing the head. This technique keeps the baby warmer and happier. Having a pacifier nearby and immersing the baby into the water slowly can help her adjust to the water. be sure to tell her as you put her feet in that it is water. Slowly lower her into the tub just as you would enter a tub. Most of the time, babies love going into the tub this way. When parents put the baby in the water too fast, they complain because they are confused.
Bath time is my favorite time so i try to make it a pleasant experience for everyone. I try to remember to have my camera in my apron pocket before I begin so I can capture those wondrous looks when the baby hits the water!
Comment by Emily Elizabeth Christian on Apr 07 2012 03:01:31:
This magazine needs to do some serious research about cloth diapering, as the claims of diaper rash are just not true, my children were covered in rash in disposable and never get one in cloth. I also think that anyone who claims disposables are more convenient has never used a modern cloth diaper. It's just insulting to me that someone would tell me what is more convenient for me, when actually, I find the leaks, odor, disposal and chemical exposure of disposable to be far less 'convenient' than an organic cotton diaper that gets washed and reused. Cloth diapering is easy, and for those of us who do it full time the 'disposables are more convenient' line is frustrating because it only ever comes from the voice of people who have never given cloth a fair shot.