Take special care

Newborns don’t come with instruction manuals. We’ve got some pointers on caring for your daughter’s genitals.

Friends and family love sharing all kinds of advice when it comes to baby care, except for the dos and don’ts of cleaning your little girl’s genital area. If you’re feeling nervous about this, read on, so that you really know how to avoid causing any damage.

WHAT’S NORMAL?

At birth your baby’s kidneys aren’t fully functional yet, but within 24 hours after birth your baby should urinate.

Your daughter’s genitals could appear really swollen. This is due to the high levels of oestrogen and progesterone that she was exposed to in the womb. These hormone levels drop quickly after birth, which means you could notice a thick, white discharge from her vagina. Also, don’t be alarmed if there is a tiny bit of blood present in the discharge on day two or three. This is like a mini menstruation that happens, also as a result of falling hormone levels, and is perfectly normal. It mostly won’t last longer than a day. If it occurs in a baby older than a month, you should alert your doctor, as this isn’t normal.

Your baby girl’s labia minora and clitoris can be very prominent, especially if she was born early. The labia majora might be a little undeveloped initially.

What is not normal and should be pointed out to the doctor, is any odd smell or discharge. This could indicate an infection.

GENERAL CARE

With every nappy change, you should wipe thoroughly with a clean, damp cloth or cotton wool, always from front to back. This is to prevent the spread of bacteria from the anus to the vagina.

You don’t have to remove the white discharge from between the folds of her genitals. This will clear up if left alone.

If she has had a very dirty nappy, you can wash the whole area with lukewarm water to help prevent nappy rash. Gently pull all the little folds apart so the water can help rinse the trapped poo out. You could also use a soft, damp cloth or cotton wool to help with this.

Work very gently, and never push, spray or inject anything into the vagina in an attempt to clean it.

It cleans itself, and if you interfere too much, you could disturb the natural bacterial balance, leading to thrush. At bathtime, you also needn’t use soap on the area. Just water will do.

Press gently – don’t rub – on the area with a soft, absorbent towel to dry it.

SHOW THE DOCTOR

Your paediatrician will examine your child’s genitals directly after birth for any abnormalities. Up to 10 percent of newborn girls have a pink, fleshy protrusion from the vagina. It will shrink and disappear, so just leave it alone.

Sometimes the labia minora can be grown together with just a tiny opening for urine to flow through. Your doctor can separate them and will recommend that you use petroleum jelly to prevent them sticking together again. ●