Bathing girls...hygiene question

I don't remember ever reading about this topic before, but I am wondering what is proper hygiene for bathing girls private area properly. I know that with little boys you are supposed to pull back the foreskin and wash the penis, but what about girls?? When diapering a girl, you can be thourough about cleaning in all the folds and creases, but after they are toilet trained, the opprotunity really is not there. Claire always soaks and plays in a bubble bath for atleast 20 minutes before I bathe her, but when it comes to washing her vaginal area, she says it tickles and I just tell her to wash herself, but she barely swipes herself with a bubbly bath pouf and she is done. Am I supposed to be opening her creases periodically and clean more thouroughly, or is the soaking enough to clean her. Her last physical, her Dr. said I need to kind of open her up periodaclly to avoid labial adhesions (the skin can grow closed around the hole area) I tried it once and Claire practically needed a straight jacket for me to do this. It was not pleasant for either of us to say the least, so I don't do it. But I was wondering about the hygiene thing.

 

I don't recall any sort of special attention paid to me when I was a child being bathed, and I don't do anything special with the girls. It's a self-cleaning area. Mine are 5, so I would imagine past the age where I'd have to worry about anything growing back together. Seems like the normal process of cleaning them during the diapering process would take care of that possibility anyway.

 

Catherine and Elizabeth both had labial adhesions as infants, so I've always made sure to carefully clean their vaginal area when they take a bath. I just use a washcloth and do it while they are sitting in the warm water. Then after bath (atleast when they are small) I put some vaseline on to help avoid the adhesions reforming. I think with potty trained girls it's especially important to clean well at bathtime b/c they aren't the best at wiping sometimes! I also avoid bubble bath unless it's just baby bath b/c it can cause UTIs, etc.

 

Only thing I know is it's better to just use water, no soap (managed to not learn that for myself until I was an adult . . .) We don't do anything special (but still getting cleaned at diaper changes here).

Rachel

 

I make sure I let them soak in the tub and then when we are drying off, I take a look and make sure the area is clean and not reddened etc. If need be I use a wipe to clean in between the folds and every night at bedtime I use A&D ointment in that area. Oh, and always front to back.. :good:

 

QUOTE(avaoliviamom @ Feb 26 2008, 07:55 PM) [snapback]641932[/snapback]
I make sure I let them soak in the tub and then when we are drying off, I take a look and make sure the area is clean and not reddened etc. If need be I use a wipe to clean in between the folds and every night at bedtime I use A&D ointment in that area. Oh, and always front to back..


This is what I do for my dd. The front to back is definately important. :good:

 

Instead of a bath poof why not give her a regular old washcloth?? I can see where she says it 'tickles' especially with a poof. I would just hand her a washcloth and tell her to wipe herself good and make sure she gets in between everything.

We're still diapering here so I just use a wipey and clean them real good at diaper changes, so not so worried about bath times - yet.

 

My girls are still really little and in diapers but at bath time I just bathe them everywhere with a cloth and baby soap. maybe we shouldn't use the soap in that area? thanks for posting this - even though I myself am a girl - my older kids are boys so this girl thing is new! :unknw: as someone else said, I do not ever remember my mom even bathing me ! I have only ever had 1 UTI and that was while I was pregnant with ds#2.

 

I don't really "open them up." I have them stand up in the tub and I rub around in there with soap, then have them sit back down and I try to rinse off most of the soap under the water. However, mine are still in diapers, so at least when they poop, I can make sure to get all the poop off. Once they're wiping themselves, I'll probably have to be more thorough in the tub.

Amy also had a labial adhesion (mostly gone now, though the hole is not entirely open), and the ped never said anything to me about cleaning it or opening it back up, at least not since they were infants. He did say to use vaseline on it for the first several months.

 

QUOTE(TwinLove @ Feb 26 2008, 08:31 PM) [snapback]641992[/snapback]
This is what I do for my dd. The front to back is definately important. :good:

This may sound stupid, but do you have them wipe front to back when they are wiping for pee? I know that I make sure to wipe this way for poopy, but I never thought about it for pee.

 

Yes, you should still wipe front to back even if they just had a wet diaper.

Quick question though, I know this may sound stupid, but how did you know that they had the labial adhesion? What did it look like?

 

One of my girls has a labial adhesion. It's very obvious. There is no opening. Outwardly it looks normal, but when you spread the labia the hole that would lead inside to the cervix, uterus, etc. is closed up completely. I am a little nervous about the fact that it is still totally closed, but the pedi assures me that there is nothing to worry about that it will open up on it's own eventually.

 

QUOTE(doubledownmom @ Feb 27 2008, 07:00 PM) [snapback]643818[/snapback]
Yes, you should still wipe front to back even if they just had a wet diaper.


I'm talking about when they use the potty, not when diapering. I'm just not sure my DD could really clean herself well this way.

 

QUOTE(doubledownmom @ Feb 27 2008, 06:00 PM) [snapback]643818[/snapback]
Quick question though, I know this may sound stupid, but how did you know that they had the labial adhesion? What did it look like?

My sister (way back when) had this labial adhesion and she was taken to the doctor where he just yanked it open. Mom was not happy. There are creams to put on it (estrogen - prescription only) if it is interferring with peeing. DD's opens and closes... but pediatrician isn't worried about it right now.

 

QUOTE(Stacy A. @ Feb 28 2008, 11:48 PM) [snapback]645573[/snapback]
I'm talking about when they use the potty, not when diapering. I'm just not sure my DD could really clean herself well this way.



Oh, sorry I didn't realize what you were talking about. That is tough at that age. Let me know what you decide to tell your daughter(s) b/c I will be facing that in the near future!