Speaker 0 00:00:01 Hello and welcome to a Wonder Care podcast. I'm Sheena Mitchell, a pharmacist and mom of three. I combine healthcare and practical advice to support you on your parenting journey. This season is all about family skincare and it's proudly sponsored by real life. Real life. Believe your skin says how you feel, and this is so, so important as we explore family skincare concerns. This week I'm going to be talking all about how to care for your newborn. So a lot of this stuff is pretty basic, but I know it certainly wasn't basic for me when I had my first child. It's the kind of stuff that you really do learn on the job. And also there is some, I suppose, sciencey information to explain the rationale behind some of the things that happen after a baby is born. Included in today's episode is first of all the verex. Speaker 0 00:00:56 This is the white, creamy, naturally occurring film that is on the skin of the fetus when they're born. So I'll talk about that and whether it should be wiped straight off like it traditionally was or now if we've learned a little bit more about why it's actually there. I'm also gonna talk about how to look after the umbilical cord after your baby is born. That was something that I found really, really daunting after I had my first child because for some reason I just wasn't really expecting there to be <laugh> ec clipped umbilical cord still attached to my little baby girl. It's like, ah, what's that? What do I do with it? I mean, obviously you know what it is, but yeah, I found it a bit ick and a bit scary, and I was afraid I was gonna break her or hurt her by just touching it, <laugh>. Speaker 0 00:01:48 So I'm gonna talk a little bit about that. I'm also gonna talk about how you bathe a newborn baby and the first bath usually happens in hospital, but not always. Sometimes it's good to know some tips and whether or not you should be using products and all of that. And I'm also gonna be talking about nail care. Is there actually anything scarier than cutting a little baby's nails? And I've done it. I've done what you all fear made them bleed. It's not nice. Oh god, it's not nice. One last thing actually that I'm gonna include in this episode, just while I think of it, is a little tip on what to do as soon as your baby is born because you can expect what's known as a meconium poo. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, and I have a very useful tip about that. So I will include that at the end of the episode. Speaker 0 00:02:39 So yes, I would say this episode is a must listen for any first time expectant moms out there, or any moms who feel like they completely winged it on their first baby <laugh> and they'd like to know a little bit more about newborn skin care and newborn care. Now your baby is born and you're looking at them and you're like, oh, gorgeous. Aren't you covered in white creamy stuff, <laugh> and interesting fact, if you're overdue, it's less likely that you've seen a thick creamy coating on your baby because often it disintegrates as the weeks go by. It forms on the skin during the last trimester, and the earlier you have your baby, there is potentially a little bit more white creamy stuff on them when they come out. This is not an exact science, as you can tell by the way I'm talking. Every baby is different, and that's why I think scientists find it so interesting. Speaker 0 00:03:34 But that white stuff that's coating your baby after they're born is called verex queso. It actually serves quite a few purposes, so I'm gonna go through them quickly with you now because in the olden days, they used to just wipe that straight off your baby and try and clean them up to give them to you. But actually nowadays, we know that it protects newborn skin and leaving it on can help to facilitate how your baby adapts in the first week after being born. What it actually is is a bit of a mixture of water containing corneocytes. So these are the outer layer of your skin cells and they're embedded in a lipid matrix. Basically, it's a whole thick layer of Uber hydrating lotion almost that you can imagine on the outside of your baby's skin when it appears in utero. So while your baby's still safely inside your uterus, it is thought that actually this coating starts to come off into the amniotic fluid and your baby swallows it. Speaker 0 00:04:38 That's where it goes when <laugh>, when I say that, it deteriorates as the weeks go on. So if you're overdue, you may not see too much vernix. Some babies will be born with just a little bit left in the folds of their skin or under their nails. If they're late, they might be just wrinkled or their skin might be peeling a little bit. But none of that matters. As I said, every baby is different. So by swallowing the verex, it's actually thought to help develop their good bacteria. I mean, that's pretty fascinating. It's also thought to help during labor because it's a really greasy, oily, fatty substance. It acts kind of like a natural lubricant, so it'll help to minimize friction as your baby makes their way into the world. And then after your baby is born, they have a serious temperature change, don't they? Speaker 0 00:05:24 Imagine they're snugly, they're cozy in the amniotic fluid, and all of a sudden out they come, okay, it might be all of a sudden for everyone many hours later, <laugh> out. They come into the world. And even with all of the blankets and potential incubation that we do for preterm babies, temperature control can still be quite tricky during the first few areas of life. And it's thought that this coating can actually help a little bit with thermal regulation. This is a debate that's still ongoing, but there are further studies going on into it. Regardless of whether that's strictly true or not, it does help ensure that they retain some moisture and by doing this, it's protecting the skin barrier and helping to fight off potential bacterial infections. There's also some thought that it has antioxidant properties and can help with the environment change. It's an amazing natural moisturizer for your baby's skin, which is why they come out feeling so incredibly soft and lovely, and it's been shown to have a much higher water content than many common emollient and barrier creams that are on the market. Speaker 0 00:06:28 So overall, it is a fairly beneficial substance between its waterproofing of the baby in the womb, it's barrier function, the fact that it helps to hydrate their skin and prevent infection. It has antioxidants. It's a really great, great powerful compound back in the day. They used to wipe it all off, which now as we can see would be a bit of a crime. So some people will choose to delay the first bath from what used to be the initial hours after a baby is born. This is quite useful cuz obviously it gives mom and dad more time to do skin to skin, and the World Health Organization actually recommends waiting for 24 hours or more. Do you have a little note of this on your birth plan? Because there's no official upper limit for how long you should leave the verex on, and really it's about doing what you're comfortable with, but of course it might look a little bit off putting. Speaker 0 00:07:24 So it's not expected that you're gonna leave it on for ages so you can clean them up after a couple of days, but just I suppose so you know, you don't need to be scrubbing it off. There is an exception to every rule and there are some babies who will need to be bathed straight after delivery to reduce the risk of bacterial infections. And these include babies who've been born with meconium staining or with corio am otitis, or moms who have transmissible viral disease like HIV V or hepatitis. Okay, so before I move on, I'm going to just quickly give you that tip about meconium. So what is meconium? Well meconium is basically a very sticky pic, dark green poo, and it's the first poo that your newborn will do. It looks like this because poo doesn't contain any milk or anything. So it's basically just composed of the materials that your baby has eaten when they are inro, so all mucus fluid while epithelial cells, all of that kind of stuff. Speaker 0 00:08:32 So it is really, really normal and you know it's coming so <laugh> be prepared. It's very sticky. So my recommendation would be to pack in with the first snappy and the first little vest. And the first little baby grow is a small little tub of Vaseline so that as soon as whoever is dressing the baby for the first, first time, as soon as they're doing that, they're remembering to put a thick layer of Vaseline on the baby's bum under the first nappy so that when the baby poos, that sticky poo does not come in contact with the skin and can easily be wiped away with cotton woo and water or water wipe. So yes, definitely make sure you have a tub of Vaseline in with that first outfit. Speaker 1 00:09:21 I just want to pause for a second to tell you a little more about the award-winning ReLife products. ReLife understands that your skin reflects how you feel, and if you or anyone in your family live with any skin condition from acne and eczema to dry skin or hyperpigmentation, then you also understand this. The good news is that ReLife is here to help with a range of dermatologically tested and scientifically proven skincare products. Check out the ReLife range on Wonder care.ie, or in your local pharmacy and learn even more by visiting relife.ie. Speaker 0 00:09:55 Now we're going to tackle the umbilical cord. So I don't particularly like this topic and I don't know why I'm so weirded out by an umbilical cord stump <laugh>, but I really am. So I'll try and keep this simple. Obviously we know that the umbilical cord is very, very important and while your baby's in Nero, this is how they receive their oxygen and nutrients into their blood supply. So after your baby is born, they'll clamp the umbilical cord and then they put a little plastic clip slightly further up the cord. So the cord is then caught between the clamp and the clip leaving a little stump of about one to one and a half inches. And it's important to note that this little stump has absolutely no nerve endings, so there's nothing painful here happening for your baby. It does fall off by itself, usually within one to three weeks after birth. Speaker 0 00:10:49 There's a few things here that are important. I found that the nappy was kind of in that area, so I used to fold down the front of the nappy in a little bit so it wasn't rubbing off the stump. Other than that, you just need to make sure that you keep the stump dry. Many people will just do sponge baths and not get the stump completely immersed in water until after it's fallen off, but it's fine, just make sure and let it dry naturally. If it does get wet, always remember to wash your hands before and after you touch it. And if you need to clean around it, because sometimes it can get a little bit irritated. So if you need to clean around it, you're just gonna use a little bit of cotton wool and water that has been boiled and then cooled and you can just dab very gently. Speaker 0 00:11:37 Definitely do not pull at it and do not try and remove it. Oh my god, do not try and remove the cord. It'll come off when it's ready and if you try and remove it before it's ready, then your child will be exposed to infection. Have a little look at it to make sure it's doing okay. Every time you're changing the nappy, you're looking out for redness, swelling, or irritation around the cord. It is normal to see a little bit of blood around the stump, so kind of like a scab and you might get a tiny amount of bleeding while that's falling off. But if it's oozing pulse or if it gets very hot red or swollen around the area or it starts to form a pink moist bump, it is possible that there's a little infection there. So do talk to your healthcare provider if that's the case. Also, if it hasn't come off on its own after three weeks, then you should also get it checked out with the doctor. Speaker 0 00:12:35 Okay, moving on to bathing your baby. This can be something that is a lot of fun and a lot of babies love having a bath. It's a lovely bonding time. I would like to say don't be disappointed if you don't have that experience because <laugh>, none of mine particularly liked being bathed. In general, it can be a nice fun time. You can ask your midwife or public health nurse to show you how to bathe your baby the first time and you can just do it in the main bath or you know, you can get a little baby bath and put that inside the main bath, or you can even do it in the sink. So don't feel stressed about you know, where you're bathing them. Once it's clean, it's fine. In terms of how often you need to give your baby a bath, remember that during that early week, they still have remainder of the verex potentially still on them. Speaker 0 00:13:30 So it's really top and tailing and maybe just a bath once or twice a week should be enough. Every day you're going to top and tail and all that means is that you're going to use cotton wall and water to clean their face around and under their neck because obviously a lot of babies will pause it and it can get quite warm and sweaty under their neck, and that's an area that can become irritated. So definitely every day you're gonna give that a little clean and dry. And then the same with the nappy area. That's really what topping entailing entails. You can also wash in between their little fingers and their hands and all of that can just be done with cotton woo and water. So for the actual bath, make sure that you have the room ready before you get started because babies do struggle with temperature regulation. Speaker 0 00:14:20 So you want a nice warm environment if possible, and have all of your towels out and ready to go. And cotton wool or a little soft baby sponge is a good idea and have your clean nappy and clothes laid out as well. So you really don't need a huge amount of water. Remember that. It just needs to be high enough to cover their tummy In the early days. You also need to watch the temperature, so it needs to be about 36 degrees. You can do this using a bath thermometer. I'll pop a link to one in the show notes, or you can just use your elbow as a guide to feel the water. It should be colder than you would normally have your own bath. It's barely warm to touch. Basically, babies have different feelings to us and something that feels nice to us could be painfully hot for them. Speaker 0 00:15:06 So do just bear that in mind. Remember to give the bath a good stir if you've just added hot water to make sure that there's no hot patches. So then you're at the point where you're ready to go. The water's in the bath, you have all your tiles and everything everywhere. You're going to undress your baby and remove their nappy. You can wash their face and boom, basically top and tail them with cotton wool before you actually pop them in the bath. And then you can actually wash your baby's head over a basin and gently sponge their hair with the water as well at that stage so that you can dry their hair so that they're mostly washed when they're getting into the bath already. Then you're going to slowly lower your baby into the water and you're gonna do it very gradually so that they don't feel like they're falling so that they feel secure. Speaker 0 00:15:49 You're gonna lift them in with one arm behind their shoulders and neck holding their outside arm with your hand, and then you can place your other hand under their bum when their bum is resting on the floor of the bath. You can use that hand to rinse them and you keep your other hand under their head so that their head remains over the water. I don't even want to say it because I know you don't need to say it, but at the same time, <laugh>, I have to say it, don't leave your baby in the bath unattended. Not even for a second. Sorry, just I can't not say it. Oh, is it her on the side of caution? You know, <laugh>. Okay, your baby's had a lovely time in the bath, hopefully with no screaming, crying like mine. And yeah, don't rely on baby seats. Speaker 0 00:16:28 Actually, that's one little tip. Your baby can actually slide outta them and you know, you might be kind of falsely reassured that they're safe when they're in one and they may not be. So do keep your baby cradled in your arm after your bath. It's really important to wrap them up as much as you can. So I used to lift them out and have a towel around them or have someone pass me a towel depending on how early days it was and if there was anyone there. And then I'd bring them straight into my bedroom where I'd have left all of their stuff out on the bed. So I'd gently pat them dry. And really important just to pat them dry. Rubbing the skin is not good. It's always just patting dry because that way you're not irritating the skin and you're allowing some essential moisture to stay on the skin barrier. Speaker 0 00:17:10 Do you make sure to dry their skin fold? Well, because they're areas that can get a little bit irritated. If you're baby's under one month old, you don't really need to put anything on their skin, but it can be nice to use a little bit of cream or lotion to do a little bit of massage. If your baby is in nice form, it can help with colic and windy symptoms. I'll give you some product recommendations at the end. After that, basically just get your baby dressed and warmed and enjoy some cuddles or a feed. Last part, baby's nails. Oh, so a little newborn's. Nails are extremely, extremely soft and delicate and they can actually be quite long when they're born. But even even though they're really soft, they can give a pretty impressive scratch if left alone. And especially because babies have very little control over their movements and do a lot of kind of involuntary jerky movements. Speaker 0 00:18:03 They can scratch the faces off themselves and you and your chest and around their eyes very easily. To prevent all of that from happening, it is important to get straight into a nail routine. The best way to shorten long nails on a baby is to file them. It might seem a little odd, but because the skin behind their nail can actually be a little bit attached to the nail with a file, you're less likely to cut that skin. Of course, you can use a rounded baby nail scissors or a little baby nail clippers, but do be careful, as I said, that skin in underneath their nail can be actually much more highly attached than it would be in yourself for an older child. So do be careful. Always avoid adult size clippers or scissors because it's way too easy to do damage with them. I know it's tempting, but don't bite your baby's fingernails because you can actually cause the nail to pull at the skin and leave a little wound, which can leave their skin open to infection. Speaker 0 00:19:01 Don't pull at any of those little hangnails that appear. Just leave them to to heal up by themselves because again, you can introduce infection quite easily to a newborn. I would always recommend trimming your baby's nails when they're relaxed and potentially even asleep Nap time, they'll never know if you do it like that. It's very difficult to file a baby's nails or to use a baby nail clippers when they are jerking their arms around and no one needs that stress in their life. I probably recommend shortening their nails about once a week to prevent them from scratching themself. And you toenails aren't as quick to grow, so you probably only need to do them every couple of weeks for a newborn. You really don't need anything in the bath water as they get a little bit older. There's a whole load of baby products that you can use, and I will do a further episode about bath care for an older baby at another stage. Speaker 0 00:19:54 But if you are looking to use something to massage into their skin that's pediatrically tested. The Reema Ultra hydrating lotion is really nice to use. It's suitable for protecting and hydrating and moisturizing skin, and you just need to use about one pump into your hand and just warm it up in your hands before you use it, and then you can massage it gently into the skin until it's fully absorbed. It contains ceramides and vitamin E, so it's going to help to maintain a healthy skin barrier for your baby. A nice product to use in your baby's nappy area is the Rema Baby Care. This is basically a cream that forms a protective barrier over the skin and it helps to prevent any reddening or burning sensation that might be felt from the contact of urea or poo and your baby's nappy area. And you can use it as often as you need. So at every nappy change and after a bath, I will be talking about skincare for the older baby in upcoming episodes. And I'll also be talking about the management of eczema and dermatitis as well as nappy care. So I'm not gonna linger on that too much of you now. At the moment, your best friends for your newborn are World Killed Water and cotton wool. Speaker 2 00:21:04 Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please do share it with any expectant moms or anyone who has a newborn in the house. Don't forget to give a Wonder Care Podcast, a little star review on Spotify or a written review on Apple Podcasts. I'll talk to you next week, all about preteen skincare.