Once Baby Arrives

When you bring your new baby home, there are so many new tasks that will become part of your daily routine. The following information explores need-to-know information for keeping your new baby safe and healthy.

Protecting Your Baby From Germs

One of the keys to help keeping your baby healthy is to help protect him or her from germs. This is important for your new baby, as they are not fully developed yet. There are simple ways that you can help protect your baby - you just need to be careful and diligent in making these routines a standard part of your day.

Handwashing

Washing your hands thouroughly with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to help prevent the spread of harmful germs. Your hands continually pick up germs from things you touch such as other people, pets, raw meat and dirty nappies. If you have not washed your hands, these germs could then spread to your baby.

It is important that anyone who touches your baby - family members, visitors and baby sitters - washes their hands before they do so

Use a hand sanitiser to help destroy the germs on your hands if soap and water are not available

Always wash your hands again as soon as you are done caring for baby - such as after feeding or nappy change

Cleaning & Disinfecting the Nursery

It is important that the surfaces baby comes into contact with are hygienically clean.

To start, it's important to note that cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing. Cleaning means physically reducing the soils and germs on surfaces. It entails using soap or detergent and water, in combination with scrubbing.

When you disinfect, you are actually killing the germs on surfaces. By using a sanitising wipe or disinfecting spray on these surfaces, you will help reduce the spread of germs around the home.

In the nursery, this would include changing tables, mats, and other surfaces or implements that could have become contaminated through diapering or been exposed to other bodily fluids. Sometimes this can include floors and walls.

If the surface, toy or other item that you are disinfecting will come in direct contact with your baby, be sure to rinse it well with clean water after you are finished disinfecting it.

Remember to wash your hands after cleaning and disinfecting, and especially before touching your baby again.

Strategies for Visitors

There are two primary "rules" you should adhere to when visitors drop by to see your baby.

They must wash their hands thoroughly before touching the baby.

The visitor cannot see the baby if the visitor has a cold or other illness/symptoms, or if they could be contagious (for example, if someone in their own home is sick). Don't be afraid to ask that they wait until next time.

Using Cleaning Products

• Use disinfectants safely. Always follow the instructions on the product label carefully
• Store products out of reach and sight of children, or safely locked in a cupboard
• Store products in their original containers and never remore product labels
• Dispose of empty containers according to the instructions on the label
• Never mix cleaning products. Products which are normally safe when used alone may emit harmful fumes if mixed with other products

Nappy Changing

Once baby arrives, feeding and changing can seem to take up most of your time. In fact, babies may use as many as 12 nappies a day. The following guidelines can help you prepare and perform your baby's nappy changes efficiently and safely.

Gather Supplies First

It's important to have everything ready and within reach before you changes your child's nappy. This includes:

• Clean Nappy
• Nappy pins or fastners (if you are using cloth nappies)
• Container of warm water and cotton wool
• Clean soft towel to pat baby dry
• Waterproof changing mat or clean dry towel to place under your baby
• A disinfecting product to clean and disinfect the nappy changing mat and any other surface that may have been contaminated when changing

Safety During Nappy Changing

• The safest place to change a nappy is on a changing mat or towel on the floor. That way, if your baby wriggles or rolls they cannot fall and hurt themselves. If you are using a raised nappy changing table, always keep one hand on baby to prevent them from rolling off.
• Give baby something to look at while being changed, that way they wont wriggle or squirm as much.

Nappy Changing Steps

• Unfasten soiled nappy and hold your baby's legs up by gently grasping both ankles with one hand. Remove the soiled nappy and place it out of reach of baby.
• Wash your baby's bottom thoroughly using cotton wool and warm water. Gently wipe from the front to back. Wiping back to front can spread bacteria and cause urinary tract infection
• For boys, it is a good idea to place a clean nappy over the front while changing, so prevent them urinating on you or anything else.
• Once you have finished wiping, pat your baby dry with a clean, dry towel.
• If your baby's umbilical cord stump has not fallen off yet, fold down the waistline of the nappy to help keep that area dry.
• Clean and disinfect the nappy changing mat and any other surface that you may have touched or contaminated during nappy changing (eg: taps)
• Make sure you leave the surfaces dry.
• Always wash your hands thoroughly after changing your baby's nappy to help prevent the spread of germs.

Taking Baby Out

Wash or clean your hands before touching your baby. Ask others to wash or clean their hands before touching also. Have a hand sanitiser ready.

Avoid contact with people who are ill, especially with a tummy upset in the last 48 hours. Don’t be afraid to say no to those who ask to hold your baby.

Clean and disinfect nappy changing surfaces and any other surface that you may have contaminated after nappy change

Pack your bag to include the things you need for on-the-go feeding and nappy change

• Supplies to bring:
  • Nappies and wipes
  • A bag for dirty nappies
  • Hand sanitiser so you can kill the germs on your hands when you don’t have access to soap and water