Nothing is more precious in the world than a new baby. Whether a boy or girl, your life will never be the same. While raising kids does come with challenges, it is also the greatest joy you will ever know. As a part of parenting, we have to take care of the physical, emotional, and mental well-being, starting from birth. Although newborns love to cuddle and need to be fed on schedule, it is also important to keep personal areas clean to avoid health problems.
A newborn baby girl would be cared for much the same as a boy would with a few exceptions. For instance, a female fetus is exposed to a number of different hormones while still living in the uterus. Because of this, you would notice some things upon birth to include a milky colored vaginal discharge and/or the outside area of the vagina being swollen. Keep in mind there is nothing to be alarmed about since these conditions are perfectly normal.
In fact, a newborn girl may even experience slight bleeding from the vagina within the first few days of life, which is the result of hormone withdrawal associated with leaving the mother’s womb. While still in the hospital, a nurse will show you the proper way to clean your baby’s girls genitalia but even so, chances are you might be a little nervous once you have to do it alone. Therefore, we will walk you through the process so you can maintain the information for future use.
Start with a clean, warm washcloth, but not hot, as her personal region will be very sensitive. Simply spread the labia, washing out the creases on the outside. You do not need to do anything internally, just around the outside genital area. Remember, she may have a slight discharge or even spotting for a few days. However, if you notice the discharge worsening or not going away, and the same with the bleeding, you want to contact the pediatrician.
For a little girl, always work from the front going toward the back to help avoid transferring any fecal matter into the vagina. After washing the genitalia, allow the skin to air dry. From there, use some type of diaper rash cream to keep moisture away from the skin and provide her with a soft, clean diaper. While diaper wipes are nice for quick clean up, they should never be used to take the place of regular cleaning.