While the baby is still on his stomach, lay in place the diaper, and next the shirt, which should be open in the front, and the pinning blanket. Lay all of these just as they should be, as regards the back, and turn him, being careful to hold all the clothes in place. If he is liable to chafe, or the movements of the bowels are in any way irritating, use vaseline about the buttocks. Now put the arms in the shirt sleeves and tie or button it up, and then pin the petticoat or pinning blanket. Lay an extra diaper folded many times under him, and fold the pinning blanket just in three, bring the hem up to the waist and pin in place.
The dress goes on feet first. Slip it on over the pinning blanket, and pass the right hand up under the buttocks, and with the left, pull the dress into place, put the little hands in the sleeves, and get it perfectly straight and smooth over the chest. Now pass the fore-finger of the left hand down inside of all the clothes, beginning at the neck, until you find the band (the first garment), take a small safety pin or any small ornamental pin, and pin thoroughly through everything. This last pin I consider most necessary, as it keeps the dress, shirt, band and all in place. Turn the baby over once more and put a similar pin in the back of the dress, being very careful to get at the band. While the baby is in this position put the blanket he wears during the day over him, and a final turn brings him around, and he is washed and dressed all but his mouth, which must be carefully washed with clean, warm water or borax and water. This should be also done many times each day, if the mouth is sore, and always a sharp watch kept for white patches on lips, cheeks and tongue. If the baby has hair to brush, it is well to brush it. It makes him look very cunning, but if he is tired or sleepy, do not trouble him. This washing and dressing should not occupy more than twenty minutes, I have done it in fifteen where the baby was very well behaved.
Be sure that the room is warm and that the windows and doors are kept closed. Do not allow admiring relatives to come and go, opening and shutting the doors as they do so. If they want to see the operation, let them come and stay. A baby should never be bathed in a tub until the stump of the cord is off and the navel well and strong. If there is any inclination to pouting of the navel, wash the child on your lap and do not take off the band until the rest of the baby is all washed, dried, and powdered. Then take off band and compress, and put on fresh ones as quickly as possible, turn the child and pin as before directed.
In taking the clothing off, it is not necessary to turn the child at all, the band being the only thing pinned in the back.
N. B.—This method of bathing is for a normally healthy child, from the time it is one week old, until it is six months or more.
Until the stump of the cord has sloughed off, a baby should never be put into the tub. If after the stump has sloughed there seems to be any protrusion, or indeed any ulcerated look about the naval, it is best to bathe the child on your lap. In all such cases undress the baby as previously directed, until you come to the band (flannel belly band). Wash, rinse, wipe and powder him, being careful to make every part absolutely clean and dry. If the band is soiled or wrinkled, or out of shape in any way, remove it and put on a fresh one—looking every day, after three days, to see if the stump has come off—and if it is still adherent, being most careful not to disturb it in any way. Apply the fresh band immediately. Turn the baby on its stomach, and when the back is exposed, wash and rub the back gently with your warm hand. If the band does not need changing, unpin it, rub the back, pin it up again, and proceed in dressing as before. When the cord is once fairly off, and the navel smooth and clean, you can put the baby into the tub, very gently, slowly, and cautiously, remembering that a sudden movement on your part may, in fact, always will make him scream, and screaming with no band or compress on is for a baby a very frequent cause of umbilical hernia. If the cord is small when the child is born, there will be less danger of hernia, but if it be a large one, then beware! It will not always be your fault if the baby's navel is not small and flat when you are leaving your case, but you will always be blamed for it, if it is not. Notice carefully every morning when you bathe the child if there is any umbilical protrusion, and report it without delay to your doctor, if there is any, no matter how slight. This is not, however, the place to treat of umbilical hernia, and we will go on with the washing, If the child's skin is very tender, chafing easily, wash with castile soap suds, rinse and dry carefully, after every time he urinates, as well as when you bathe him. Powder with talcum powder. Sometimes no powder will do it any good, then try vaseline. If that will not do, ask the doctor if you can try oxide of zinc ointment. Ordinarily, extreme care in washing, drying and powdering will be sufficient, but it must be done every time the diaper is changed. In this, as in other things, eternal vigilance is absolutely necessary.
When the baby is about two or three weeks old, it is a good plan to put some alcohol into the water in which he is bathed—two or three ounces to the amount of water used in bathing. Have a small bowl of cooler water, 70 degrees to 80 degrees, for the face, and after that is washed, add a tablespoonful of alcohol to that also, for the head. It helps to toughen the skin, and prevents the baby from taking cold so easily.
If the baby seems much frightened by being put into the tub, spread a bath towel or small thin blanket over it and have someone hold his hands, so that he will not clutch so wildly at everything, then lower him into the water, towel and all, and he will not notice it so much.
I know of no place where deftness of handling shows to such advantage as with a baby. He knows well enough if he is handled properly or not, and his fretful cry, or violent screams, will tell you without delay if he is not comfortable.
Once more, let me impress upon the minds of all who read this, the necessity of having everything used about the tub and subsequent dressing, warm. Anything cold will make the little one scream, and I think all nurses will agree with me, that there is no more nervous work than washing and dressing a baby who is crying (and once he begins, he is only too apt to keep it up during the entire time). This is especially true if a weak, ignorant mother is made nervous by the noise, or a doting grandmother hovers about, making remarks about "new fashioned ways," and wondering why this child should cry when his mother was always so good, as a baby, in her bath.