8 Things That Might Sound Scary, But Are Actually Great For Your Baby

Congrats on having a baby! What an awesome thing you’ve done. As a new parent, your head is probably swimming in lists of things that are safe and good for your baby — and you might be facing some confusion, particularly when some of those items seem bizarre and a little hazardous. We’re here to cut through the noise and reassure you that these items and actions are, in fact, good for your baby — and good for parents, too.

Sucking Out Your Baby’s Snot

While sticking something into your baby’s nose and then using your mouth to create suction to draw out mucus might seem absolutely nuts, it’s the real deal. It’s one of the safest ways to clear your baby’s nose, and you don’t have to worry — that snot never ends up in your mouth, we promise.

Dihydrogen Monoxide

This chemical is critical to baby care! Why? Because that’s just the chemical name for water. Unless you want a very stinky baby, you’re going to want to use soap and water when bathing. One note, however — according to research using wet washcloths — or even a baby wipe with just water — to wipe your baby’s butt when changing diapers can actually be irritating and damage baby’s skin as it does not help balance their skin pH. Who knew? So, reach for the Huggies wipes at changing time instead.

Menthol

No, we’re not suggesting your baby take up smoking. But there IS significant anecdotal evidence (the fancy name for “old wives tale”) that using mentholated rubs on your baby’s feet and then covering it up with socks helps sooth a baby’s cough. We’ve tried it, and it really works.

Cutting Your Baby’s Nails While They Are Asleep

We thought this one was crazy at first because who wants to wake a sleeping baby? But it works, IF you cut the nails just twenty minutes after your baby falls asleep. Trust us on this one: one nicked finger and you are doomed to have a kid afraid of nail trimming when they are older. Ask us how we know.

Rub That Tummy With A Baby Wipe Before Changing The Diaper

It might seem weird to whip out a baby wipe before you take the soiled diaper off, but this little hack can actually stimulate your baby to pee so you can decrease your chances of pee accidents during diaper changes. So wipe just above the diaper (under the belly button), wait a minute, and then proceed with the diaper change. You’ll thank us later.

Tocopheryl Acetate

You’ll probably notice this ingredient in your Huggies baby wipes, but don’t worry. It’s just Vitamin E. It’s one of the many essentials in Huggies baby wipes that are really helpful and crucial for baby’s skin health. Keeping them comfortable and happy which of course, you want to do.

Let Them Cry Just A Little Bit

We’re not trying to start controversy here because this isn’t about “cry it out.” It’s about the fact that sometimes babies cry or whimper a bit in their sleep — and then go back to sleep immediately. So before you rush to your crying baby, give it a good fifteen or even thirty seconds to see if your baby resolves the crying on their own.

Baby Exercise

Get that baby on the bike! Well, okay, not an actual bike. But if your baby is having issues with gas, moving your baby’s leg in a “bicycle” motion and stretching their legs straight and then putting baby’s knee to chest (think a lying-down-squat) can help your baby pass that painful gas. Maybe wear nose plugs while you do it because there will be farts.

So, there you have it! We hope you feel better already knowing these things are actually good for your baby and nothing to worry about. It frees up space in your brain to worry about what really matters, like how you’re going to pay for college. Gulp.

This post is sponsored by Huggies. Huggies — the fastest growing diaper brand in U.S. hospitals — believes deeply in the Power of Hugs, which is why every diaper and wipe is designed to emulate a parent’s embrace. Learn how you can help at Huggies.com.