The expert: Ghislaine Camus, childcare nurse
Although very small, babies need various products and accessories for their hygiene. As soon as we leave for the weekend, we therefore think of taking away baby toiletry bag in his luggage.
Girl’s or boy’s toiletry bag: what are the essential accessories for baby care and hygiene?
Whether you’re the parent of a little boy or a little girl doesn’t change much about the essentials that you have to slip in… The (non-exhaustive) list of baby toiletries.
– The bath thermometer: essential in the baby’s toiletry bag! “The child’s bath should really be 37°C, not 38°C or 36°C. The best way to be sure is to take a bath thermometer. Dipping your elbow in water is not enough”explains Ghislaine Camus, childcare nurse, professor of medico-social sciences and techniques at the René Auffray high school in Clichy-la-Garenne (92° and author of “Taking care of children from 3 months to 3 years old”, published by De Upper Boeck.
– A thermometer to take your temperature: a baby can cry if he is too hot, too cold, if he is unwell… To monitor his temperature, put a thermometer in the toilet bag.
– A soap : to wash baby, we choose a liquid soap that is suitable for both the body and the hair. You can choose a mild, unscented soap, or even a “soap-free” soap (also called “syndet”), to ensure that baby’s skin is respected.
– Vaseline:“If the baby has cradle cap, we coat his hair with petroleum jelly in the evening. We cover with a cotton cap, we shampoo the next day and everything is gone”assures the childcare worker.
– A moisturizing cream for baby’s body after the bath.
– Mineral water spray: it can be useful to clean baby’s face or cool it if it’s hot. “We will favor mineral water over micellar water, because the latter tends to dry out baby’s skin, or it will have to be rinsed afterwards”adds Ghislaine Camus.
– Physiological saline : in single dose. It is used in particular to clean the nose or the eyes of the child.
– Absorbent cotton: essential for making cotton reels, soaked in physiological saline, to clean baby’s nostrils.
– A baby nasal aspirator: after washing the baby’s nose with saline solution, the baby nasal aspirator can be useful for sucking out the impurities still present.
– A packet of sterile compresses : “If the eyes are a little dirty, it’s better to take sterile compresses with saline”, specifies the childcare worker. These compresses will also be useful for cleaning baby’s first teeth. We wrap a compress around his finger, moisten it with water, and thus clean his first teeth. We can take him a toothbrush and toothpaste adapted to his age when he is older.
– A pair of blunt-ended scissors, or special baby nail clippers:“We don’t cut baby’s nails before 1 month because the newborn’s skin is almost attached to the nail. We risk injuring the child and it can lead to infections.warns Ghislaine Camus.
– A hairbrush : choose it with soft bristles to style baby’s first hair gently.
– an antiseptic : Dakin, Biseptine… These antiseptics are used to care for the umbilical cord the first few days after birth, then to clean and disinfect minor everyday injuries.
Baby toilet kit: what products are needed for changing?
– Oil-limestone liniment: Made up of half lime water and half olive oil, the liniment is very hydrating. You can clean the buttocks of the child by depositing oil-limestone liniment on cotton. “If you prefer to use a soap, you take care that it is not too irritant. We rather take a surgras soap without perfume or dye. And in any case, we do not put any cleansing milk to change the baby because it quickly becomes a broth of culture “warns the childcare worker.
– A disinfectant soap (Septivon…) can be useful in case of diaper rash in particular.
– A cream water paste type for mild diaper rash, if the buttocks are a little red.
– aqueous eosin : if the diaper rash is quite important, that the skin is damaged, we apply aqueous eosin on it two to three times a day.
” wipes are strongly discouraged, even organic or hypoallergenic ones, because they contain products that can be irritating for the baby’s bottom. Or only to help out, exceptionally »adds Ghislaine Camus.
Where can I find a kit or a toiletry set for babies?
Some brands sell toilet sets or baby toiletry bags already equipped with certain accessories such as nail clippers, baby nasal aspirators, etc. You can also find in supermarkets, childcare stores and online sales sites for empty baby toiletry bags.
Which baby toiletry bag to choose?
Faced with the multitude of toiletry bags on offer, we choose above all a model large enough to be able to contain all the baby’s belongings. For more practicality, we exclusively dedicate this care kit to it. Then it’s a question of aesthetics and taste!