Baby Hygiene

[silentnine]

hi all .

newborn sprog came into the world last tuesday weighing in at 3.95kg

birth was at the village hospital as tilak wanted to be near her parents.

and we're staying at her mother hosue for 2 weeks until she is fit to travel (lots of stiches in the lower regions)

i'm having a few issues with farang versions of hygine and thai

and unsure which one are worth me trying to insist on as i'm not winning at the moment and reluctant to push to hard without being sure

bottle's , there idea of cleaning is simply to wash them, my idea is wash and steralise

full baths, there doing twice a day, i've always believed its not good to bath a baby too much, once every 2 days the norm

baby lotion/moisteriser , keep baby well lotioned is my norm, seems not to be here, the dry skin will go they say, lol

lots of other things that can't think of right now .

are any of my issues worth digging in on ? or am i just being OTT

[Carib]

Congrats !! Was your wife raised in the same way as you discribe?? Must have been good....

I think the truth is somewhere in between, in the west we seem to have created a circus about everything in my opinion, and the powder and jelly and cream guys are a laughing their heads of. How did the neanderthal ........ Well one thing is for sure, they did it without without proctor and gamble products and used water from the stream and ... well you get the pic.

[markwhite]

bottle's , there idea of cleaning is simply to wash them, my idea is wash and steralise

full baths, there doing twice a day, i've always believed its not good to bath a baby too much, once every 2 days the norm

baby lotion/moisteriser , keep baby well lotioned is my norm, seems not to be here, the dry skin will go they say, lol

lots of other things that can't think of right now .

Congrats on your newborn :-)

My wife is from a Thai village background, whereas I'm from the UK and we live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. I have no experience with babies and all of my information is coming from the internet, and it's in English so it's all geared towards westerners. My wife has younger siblings and nieces and nephews, but no direct personal experience. Over the last 10 months things have settled down to:

Bottles are now washed in borehole water with normal washing up liquid, and boiled every few days or so. At first they were boiled daily and baby-safe washing liquid was used.

Full baths twice a day have been the norm since birth. At first I was in the 'every other day' camp, but he has always got mighty sweaty in this environment, and he mostly enjoys it. there was a period when, on doctor's advice, we didn't give him a full bath for nearly 3 weeks - just sponge baths with water and no soap. It didn't affect him unduly. Baths have been made warm by ading a bit of boiling water, but he's happy enough with a natural temperature bath if he gets very messy during the day.

Lotions where used daily as were baby nighttime bubble baths until he started getting a pimply rash. The doctor advised to stop all powders, lotions and oils as they were messing up his skin's natural system and to wash him only with water for a while to let it go away. It turned out he was allergic to eggs (we found this out when he started on solids) that his mum was eating when he was breastfeeding, so he's get's smeared in Eucerin (nice stuff, hypoallergenic I think) and a dab of vaseline now.

Lots of other things...well, IMHO they don't stop and I don't imagine they ever will. Go with something but be prepared to change, because tomorrow you'll have a different viewpoint or get different advice that will ring true.

Good luck!

Mark...

[mrt273nva]

hi all .

newborn sprog came into the world last tuesday weighing in at 3.95kg

birth was at the village hospital as tilak wanted to be near her parents.

and we're staying at her mother hosue for 2 weeks until she is fit to travel (lots of stiches in the lower regions)

i'm having a few issues with farang versions of hygine and thai

and unsure which one are worth me trying to insist on as i'm not winning at the moment and reluctant to push to hard without being sure

bottle's , there idea of cleaning is simply to wash them, my idea is wash and steralise

full baths, there doing twice a day, i've always believed its not good to bath a baby too much, once every 2 days the norm

baby lotion/moisteriser , keep baby well lotioned is my norm, seems not to be here, the dry skin will go they say, lol

lots of other things that can't think of right now .

are any of my issues worth digging in on ? or am i just being OTT

i understand your concern. my baby is now 2 months old. i have been cringing at the sight of my mother-in-law caring for the baby. she honestly loves him, but i can see that her only knowledge of babies comes from experience.

example.

* i was giving my newborn some water in a sterilized bottle that i used with cooled down boiled water. the MIL unscrews the top and sticks her finger into the water to check the temperature.

* the MIL had been swatting and killing flies all day with this flyswatter that we have in the house. instead of using something else to wave in front of my son's face to keep bugs away, she uses the disgusting looking flyswatter just inches above his face.

* she wakes him up when she wants to play with him.

* she bathes him 3 - 5 times a day (he likes it though, not sure if it is good for him or not)

* she used to wrap him up with 4 or 5 blankets when it was extremely hot outside. i'm not too sure why this is. but i knew this was bad and would not let her do it. i won that battle.

There are many other small things that are just a bit weird that i try not to dwell on. after all, this is my 1st child and she has had 4 of her own before (not including grandchildren).

[Boo]

It's a difficult thing as you must do what you think is best for your child. I prefer sterilising bottles but I know a lot of thais just use baby mild which I beleive has a built in sterilser so soaking the bottles in it for 5 minutes will do the job too.

Bathing, well as long as not using any product then it should be fine, it is the baby bath, shampoo etc that is used that will mess up babies skin, not water but in the Uk I only washed my son once a day but in thailand did it 2 times per day as it was hot & sweaty so uncomfortable for baby to sleep when all sticky.

Creams & lotions, my son has never had nappy rash & has never had any nappy cream or vasline near his bum & willy so I can't say what is good but I was told by a Heath visitor in UK that if they are kept clean, changed often & as soon as they have done a poo then there is no reason for baby to get too much of a rash beyond a normal occasional one that can be treated by keeping the area clean & exposed to the air.

My in laws think that nappies are no good but I think that letting a baby piss all over it's self then rub his hands in is even worse, so I won on that one & wont allow then to remove his nappy all the time. A while before bath is ok & enough to give his bits a bit of air but you will probably notice that if they leave a nappy off your baby, they will be probably be laying in it's own piss more often & over more of it's body than with a nappy which may be why they need to bath them so much?

TBH though, babies are tough little things but I do beleive that they need sterility for the first few months at least as their abilty to fight bacteria is low & no one wants a sick baby so for me sterilising was essential as was keeping the food/milk prep areas clean & free from other foods, like raw meat & fish.

[jumnien]

No water for the first 6 months. Only breast milk or formula!

[samran]

No water for the first 6 months. Only breast milk or formula!

agree on that one.

[mrt273nva]

No water for the first 6 months. Only breast milk or formula!

why is that?

[jumnien]

Better experts than me will confirm. It leads to dissolution of electrolytes and potential liver problems.

[Boo]

I was told though by the GP in UK that if it was a hot day then lo could have some sips of cooled boiled water when in LOS, no need in cooler weather or cooler countries but if it was a hot day & esp. if out on the sun a lot, then it was no problem & would stop baby from dehydrating.

But generally yes, formula or breastmilk should be sufficient.

[mrt273nva]

the dehydration thing was mentioned to me as well. so my baby gets a small amount of water (however tainted by the MIL finger in the bottle)

[silentnine]

thanks for all the replies.

its helped.

yes, i agree they do keep covering him in lots of towels as if its cold, wonder if it hardens there sweat glands up .. lol

i've got a half won battle on the sterile bottles. they are getting washed in some special baby washing liquid, then i've confiscated a big kettle thing and store them in there in hot water till needed.

baby seems to get dirtier from all the old ladys coming from the farms passing by the house and saying hello to him, i did tell the mrs they should wash there hands to which she said she could not tell them that !! . lol .. so i've told her she can choose, i'll walk around the hosue with nothing but a g-string on when there or she can ask them to wash 1st... her reply .. upto you .... rofl ... think i've lost this one as well

[Goinghomesoon]

If their hands are not filthy dirty then a big bottle of hand sanitizer might work, it could be placed conveniently near the baby. Maybe say the doctor wants everyone to use it?

[Jefferson]

Well, for some things I wouldn't worry;

Sterilizing however is good; you can do this in any old rice cooker that has a steamer tray on top, just add some water and let boil/steam for 15 minutes or so. Then the usual hygiene is important: Wash hands before handling the baby or his/her food/milk/bottles, etc.

Bathing is good.. also, there's bathing and then there's bathing; often it's just rinsing/cleaning after the baby produced a diaper full.. Don't forget it's hot out there, so bathing is nice.

Lotions/powder: Completely not needed. All doctors I ever spoke with did not recommend this. Just keep the baby clean, dry and cool.

No water for the first 6 months. Only breast milk or formula!

Emm.. a little water after drinking milk/formula is good. Also this is a hot climate, a little water to keep the baby well hydrated is good.

Anyway, we sterilized bottles forever, even after it was very obvious (to me) that it wasn't necessary anymore.. I mean when the baby enjoys swallowing handfulls of tap water while bathing or or sticking all kinds of crap in its mouth to no ill effect, then what's the point steaming bottles for half an hour..

[Boo]

I mean when the baby enjoys swallowing handfulls of tap water while bathing or or sticking all kinds of crap in its mouth to no ill effect, then what's the point steaming bottles for half an hour

lol, yes I stopped when my son put my mums shoe in his mouth & proceeded to chomp happily away on it.

[silentnine]

groan .

well the new nanny chosen by tilak has turned up today.

it originanly started a that we had agreed to get a nanny mothers help live in so i put an advert on baht-sold

then tilak called me and said she had a distant relative who was offering. then 1 day later she tells me its arranged the relative is doing it.

i had reservations about letting her have free choice really.

built is good way to describe her. not fat as such, nor old as such, but a real issan woman of age. mid 40's at a guess

hair tied back and dressed as if she she came off the farm. big build and tall.

most certainly not my cup of tea, and can't speak a word of english . which really is something i wanted a nanny to be able to do !

i think i'm going to have some problems here.

i've told tilak that of course this is a 2 week trial. i'd prefer to say no way right now, but think thsi would make here lose face, however will she lose even more face if i say no in 2 weeks time !

i disllike her so much i'd prefer a working girl off soi 6 in pattaya to this person !!

[torrenova]

Congratulations first of all.

Now I had no experience of babies but did a lot of homework and asked lots of questions. Even today as the baby approaches her first birthday, I will not let the mother or her relatives treat the baby like a farmyard animal like they do their own kids. I'm not saying wrap it in cotton wool by any means but I don't want illness from shit everywhere, cuts from broken glass, bites from soi dogs etc. and all that goes with it.

Arguments ? yes. A few nannies / mothers helpers gone by the by ? yes. All family or near family and all bloody useless. Just after the easy cash and life in front of the TV.

Now I stuck to my guns re sterilising, bathing, clean clothes, lotions and creams and we've had no problems except when she (the baby) spent some time with the family and she ended up in hospital. Never again, they can visit us, the baby will never stay with them again. They just don't understand and they will not listen or learn. If one of theirs dies, no problem, just breed another one. Callous I know but not far from the truth. There are always too many running around anyway.

So stick to what you think is right. Certainly in the early days. Don't fret after a few months that your baby has licked the floor, just make sure that the floor is clean and doesn't have dog shit on it for example. That is the way to go.

Whether they have survived to adulthood, they will know many who did not and more who are diseased, crippled, dog bitten and scarred and so forth. This is one issue where you dig your heels in and do not shift come what may.

[PeaceBlondie]

Maybe babies in the far north of Farangland do not sweat; obviously in a tropical summer, two baths a day is quite proper.

After the first few weeks or months, they have been exposed to the local germs, and sterilization seems a bit unnecessary. We raised six very healthy babies and my wife tended to be very lazy, so I wouldn't worry about germs excessively.

I cannot see smothering a tropical baby in blankets. It's much hotter here than in Glasgow or Saskatoon!

[hamishgillan]

Just keep an eye on things, what's going on sounds okay.

Seen some crazy stuff though, like woolly hats on my baby 'look krung'.

I confiscated the hats.

Okay, we were in the North where it can be cold in the night/morning but I think the woolly hats were put on in the day too.

Saw fully Thai babies kept inches away from a little steel coal fire (plus woolly hat!) at neighbours houses (sticky rice/soya bean farmers) , but not my business to intervene.

Edited June 8, 2008 by hamishgillan

[NedKelly]

One thing you will learn as time goes along is that babies are both fragile and resilient at the same time. I think it's best to be watchful of things but not to worry too much. Steaming bottles on a daily basis is easy so why not......The major concerns would be during contact with other people/babies in the village situation. Why...well it's possible that levels of hygene may be not as high as should be.?? I have seen cases of polio which must have occurred within the last 12 years or so and this dieases like poor hygene. Having said that I think just about lal babies inThailadn get shots these days.....so hopefully these horrible diseases are less likely.

Cheers.

[ILovedogs]

While my daughter's Thai grandmother is a maniac about getting vaccines, she is rather relaxed about other safety issues that I have gone to great lengths to enforce ... and since some Thai people are not always honest, just tell you whatever you want to hear, you might need to keep an eye on this stuff.

For example, I have banned the motorbike ...but she thinks it is okay "just for short trips." (Oh and Grandma has 6 kids of her own, only one is dead so far, from a motorbike accident.) We have 2 cars, but they prefer motorbike because easier to park ...wants to save that 5 seconds.

I have a car seat of course, but if I am not in the car, Grandma sits in the front with baby on her lap ....the absolute worst place to be. And other Thai family have to help her in this deception and breaking the rules, because they are driving, including my spouse ... who says the same stupid thing about the seat belt ..."it is just a short trip, no need"

She let her ride her little bike all alone outside, when she was under 2 years old, while she stayed inside and watched TV, and some drivers found her in a major road and tried to find out where she lived and returned her! More than one time I found out.

When she wants to contain her somehow, she puts her on something very tall, as if a 2 year old will just know not to fall off. If you have been in Thailand long, you must have seen people do this with puppies too. I one time found her walking across the dining room table with a large fork pointed at her eye and Grandma sitting there looking like this was nothing. Not a cheap Thai fork that will bend at the slightest thing, a real fork from Europe that would stab through her brain if she fell off the table.

The list is really endless, as a result, Grandma is pretty much cut off. Oh, let me add one more ...she thinks drugs and vitamins, and cough syrup are good toys. So, I would just warn you, that these things are possible here, with supposedly normal responsible people. Grandma doesn't drink or have any strange problems and with 6 kids you think she would be trustworthy ...I guess she was just lucky in my opinion ...but I never had 6 kids so maybe I don't know anything, and I never grew up in a place like Thailand.

They just have really different standards and if you don't know about it, you might not know to protect against it, that is really what i want to say, not to criticize the poor people who I guess have done the best with the education they had. But they also think we are just crazy, and it is okay to ignore everything we say, lie, and do whatever they want, this might not be a serious problem for some issues, but if you end up with a dead kid because of it??

And it is hard to be on top of it all the time because kids take so much work, then to have to worry the people around you are not trustworthy?? I will just mention another small problem ..now that I am here ... my spouse was telling lies to our kid all the time and that was really pissing me off!!

She was having tantrums everytime she went to school because she was being told "she was going swimming, to Tesco, to her friend's house, anything and everything BUT NEVER the real answer. WHY? I have no idea, other than people here hate to tell the truth, or at least the ones I know. I had to basically kick my spouse out of the house to get this crap to stop. The first day she went to school and was told, when asked, she was going to school, there wasn't one single problem. No tantrum, no crying, no clinging, and it has been perfect every day since then.

My spouse was shocked! So maybe if you are having some problem with your kid, you might have to look for an answer that wouldn't be the problem if you were living in your farang normal life. And you might have to spy to find out ...and understand Thai. But since the OP is just starting out you have a little time, but not that much ...break out the nanny cams!! Good luck!