As a new mom, one of the things you are faced with is how to effectively take care of your newborn. How do you clean your baby up properly? How do you feed your newborn effectively? How do you care for your baby’s ears? Caring for your baby’s ears doesn’t have to be a herculean task; it can be an easy task once you know the right tips. How do you feel when your baby starts poking, scratching, and rubbing his or her ears when experiencing difficulty in the ears?
See below for the right tips and tricks on how to care for your newborn.
First, you need to avoid putting cotton swabs or cotton buds into your baby’s ears. Alternatively, you should get a warm, soft washcloth and use it to gently wipe your baby’s ears.
In addition, you need to avoid touching your baby’s earwax. According to Jennifer L.W. Fink, in this article, “Earwax is a completely normal substance that helps keep germs and foreign bodies out of the inner ear.”
When do you know if earwax is a problem? BabyCentre states this:
If your baby’s ear canal is very plugged with wax, he may experience problems such as:
• poor hearing
• ear aches
• itching
• noises in his ear (tinnitus)
Firstcry.com reports that “The rule of thumb for healthy earwax is that your paediatrician should be able to see the eardrum clearly, through the wax.” Likewise, one of the places to often clean is the back of your baby’s ears. Gently wipe the back of your baby’s ears with a soft piece of cloth just incase there are crust from overflowing milk during breastfeeding.
According to Kidspot, “The ear is naturally self-cleansing, and trying to remove wax by probing may only force it further into the ear.” In addition, you can also use baby ear drops if the earwax in your baby’s ears. However, ensure that before you use any baby ear drop, you should get the one recommended and administered by your paediatrician.
Remember; be careful not to stick anything into your baby’s ears. Don’t cause damage to your baby’s ears. In addition, it is important to know the difference between when the ear is dirty and when there is an ear infection.
How do you detect ear infection? Firstcry.com states that “The obvious sign of an infection is high fever or milky white coloured pus draining out from the baby’s ears. This could also mean a perforated eardrum, which can cause intense pain and discomfort due to baby ear wax discharge.” In conclusion, before you clean your baby’s ears ensure your baby is calm and relaxed.
