I remember how scared I was to bathe my baby the first time. While she was going over the baby’s discharge instructions with me, the nurse must have seen the panic in my eyes. This was in the days when sending mom and baby home within 12 hours of birth was common, and for whatever reason, I was especially concerned about how to bathe this infant. It was a shock to me that they were going to allow us out of the hospital at all. I felt so inexperienced and naive. She could have been at her nurse’s station doing paperwork. Instead, the nurse said, “Come on into the nursery and I’ll show you.” And she carefully guided me through the not-so-complicated process of infant bath time. She parted with some reassuring advice:
“Baby bath time is one of the best bonding experiences you’ll have with your infant. Enjoy every minute of it.”
Armed with 5 minutes of hands-on instruction, a brush to scrub his scalp, some sweet-scented baby shampoo and a package of fresh diapers, we buckled our new son into a borrowed car seat and headed home to see if we could figure this parenting thing out.
Baby’s Bath Time is Full of Sensory Pleasures for Mom or Dad
Baby bath time is a terrific time of day to slow down and be present and just enjoy one-on-one time with your child. From the time they are infants, most babies enjoy the soothing warmth of the water, and as an infant grows, a parent has the benefit of all of the sensory pleasures that come with the evening bath time ritual. If you don’t stop now to enjoy the moment, the moment will be gone. So slow down and enjoy:
- the gentle scent of baby shampoo
- the sound of your baby’s giggles as she splashes and wiggles
- that smile!
- those dark eyes!
- the sensation of that baby-soft hair as you run your fingers through a child’s wet curls
- wrapping your baby into a warm hooded towel and cuddling them close
- the fragrance of the baby lotion as you smooth it over petal-soft baby skin
- the pleasure (even though it is only momentary) of putting a clean child into clean pajamas
- the fragrance of clean, damp hair just below your chin as you hold your baby in your lap for a bedtime nursing, bottle, or bedtime story
Some nights (or mornings) the goal will be just to get the job done quickly, but if you can, create some intentional time just to slow down and be present. Savor the opportunity to be on hand to help your child settle in.
That nurse was right. Baby bath time can be one of the very best parts of your day. Enjoy every minute of it.
Image Source: Pixabay
