Grooming your Infant

Many new mothers comment that their newborns fingers and toes are one the most amazing and interesting features to study on their precious little baby’s bodies. It has long been a tradition for hospitals to take ink prints of newborns hands and feet soon after birth as a keepsake memento for new mothers, and many probably still remember placing our hands in plaster of paris molds at the kitchen table. A baby’s hands and feet are also the most mobile and wandering part of a newborns body, and therefore require a little extra love and grooming.
Immediately after birth and for a few days after, most infants are given long sleeves or protective mittens for their hands as some infants accidentally scratch themselves when aggravated. Your baby’s nails are very soft after birth and are very prone to ripping and tearing and can be very painful and upsetting to a confused infant. Keeping your baby’s hands and feet well cleaned and moisturized in this first few weeks is very important as infants loose skin cells very rapidly as new cells begin to form.
Due to hormones that are released during labor and sometimes affected by medications administered to the mother, both you and your baby’s hair and nails will grow very rapidly in the first few weeks after delivery. It is very important to keep your infants’ nails neatly clipped to avoid injury and bacteria from forming under the nails. There are a variety of infant grooming tools for purchase, but I have found that the nail clippers with the attached magnifying glass are the safest and easiest to use.
It is easiest to clip your infant’s nails while they are in the deep R.E.M sleep cycle, categorized by the “limp limb” or “dead baby” appearance when your little one’s arm is lifted gently and dropped. Make sure that you are careful to take your time and be gentle as your baby has very soft skin and sensitive nerves. After you have clipped all of her errant nails, gently cleanse her hands with a wet wipe or washcloth to help keep dead skin cells from layering and causing eczema. Do not use harsh anti-bacterial soaps or gels on your infant as these can irritate their sensitive skin.
Make sure that you keep your little ones hands clean as they invariably collect all kinds of germs from various surfaces. Dried milk and fabric lint should be gently wiped away from between knuckles and anyone handling your baby should have clean hands to avoid the spread of disease or infection.
Little feet should also be cleansed regularly and dead skin cells and fabric particles should be wiped from between toes to avoid the forming of fungus or other nasty afflictions. It is also recommended that you do not submerge your infant in water until their cord stump has fallen all the way off and healed as trapped water can lead to infection and irritation at the cord site. Your best bet is a warm washcloth and a gentle touch, gently exfoliating patchy areas on your baby’s’ body and keeping them well moisturized with baby lotion or baby oil.
All newborns peel somewhat as they are shedding old skin cells at a highly accelerated rate due to their quick metabolism and rapid growth rate. This is completely normal and natural, and you may notice that your child will peel more abundantly after some time in the sunshine. Using a soft brush on your baby’s’ head and hair can keep their scalp healthy and help to guard against the formation of cradle cap. If your baby develops cradle cap it can easily be removed by using baby oil in the bath and a soft fine tooth comb, never pick at your baby’s head it could hurt them very badly. Always careful to keep your newborn out of any direct sunshine for any long period of time as they can burn very easily, but make sure that they are getting a little bit each day as it is good for their immune system and skin to absorb this natural source of vitamin D.