How And When To Bathe A Newborn

When Should Baby’s First Bath Be And When Should You Bathe Your Newborn

Wondering whats a good time to give your newborn a bath and when baby’s first bath should be? The scheduling of this event is entirely up to you as long as you pick a moment when you wont be interrupted or tempted to hurry through the bath. You should probably plan for baby’s first bath within a week after birth. Just avoid bathing your newborn right after a feeding or when she’s overtired.

Babies tend to be more alert in the morning, which is appealing to some, though others may slate it in the early evening as part of her goodnight activities. When its time to wind down, make her bathtime part of a relaxing bedtime routine that also includes a final bottle or nursing session, a book and a little song.

Keep in mind, however, that newborns dont need a lot of washing and at first, youll just be giving her a quick a sponge bath until her umbilical cord stump falls off, which usually happens about one to three weeks after birth.

Bath Safety For Babies

• Never leave your baby alone in a bathtub and never place your baby in a tub while water is running.
• Do not turn your back, even for a second. If you need to leave the room, always take your baby with you.
• Always be mindful of water temperature .
• When bathing a newborn, use as little water as needed.
• Do not use sponges to bathe your babypieces can break off and become choking hazards.

Secure Pets Using Leashes Or Keep Them Inside Their Cages

I used to give my newborn a bath on the dining table and I almost had a heart attack when my cat decided to jump on my newborns clean, dry towel and clothes and lie down there.

So learn from my experience. Dont forget to lock away your pets, just for a short time, so you can bathe your newborn in peace.

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Pat Them Dry And Cover Quickly

It would be really convenient if you have enough space right next to the babys bathtub, so you can immediately place your baby on it. But if not here are some tips on how to cover them:

Hold them against you with one arm supporting them and a hand holding on to their head and neck and with your other free hand, get the towel and cover them up.

So basically, youre holding them with one hand while your other free hand is getting the towel. You have to lean back a little and make sure that your hand and arm are supporting your baby.

Another option is to make some space right beside or right outside where you bathe them. Something that would be easy to move from one room to another.

You can use a pack n play, a baby lounger or podster, or anything that you can comfortably and safely towel dry and cover your baby.

Get Them Dressed And Enjoy

Put your baby in a clean diaper and, if you want, clothes or pajamas. Give your newly cleaned newborn a snuggle. You both did great.

Figuring out how to give your baby a bath can be intimidating for those first few bath times, but most parents get the hang of it quickly. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to bring them up with your pediatrician.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Additional Newborn Bath Tips

• As you move from one area of the body to another, change the washcloth parts to keep the clean cloth on cleaner parts of the body.
• Pat the skin with a washcloth and blot dry with a towel rather than vigorously scrubbing, which may irritate your bathing babys sensitive skin.
• Spot-cleaning works best for babies who do not like either a total sponge bath or an immersion bath. Clean the areas that get the oiliest, sweaty, or dirty.
• Clean the eyes on an as-needed basis rather than during the regular bath. Infants often protest eye cleaning, which may set off a protest for the entire bath. Using cotton balls and warm tap water , wash accumulated discharge out of the corners of your babys eyes.
• Cotton-tipped applicators are handy when cleaning little crevices in and behind the outer ear, but never try to clean inside the ear canal, as you may damage the canal or eardrum.

Before Your Babys First Bath

While most parents are eager to give their babies the experience of their very first bath, it is important to ensure that your baby is truly ready. When you first bring your newborn home from the hospital, the stump of their umbilical cord must be kept clean and dry. While it is still attached, sponge baths are the best option for your baby.

Typically, after about 1 to 3 weeks, the umbilical cord stump will dry up and fall off. It is important to continue caring for the umbilical cord until the area completely heals. The ideal way to do this is to moisten one end of a cotton swab with water, gently clean around the base of the umbilical cord stump, and dry with the other side of the cotton swab.

Although moisture and drops of blood around the belly button is normal during this period of time, keeping the area clean and dry will help fight infection and prevent delayed healing. Check out our blog post on bathing a baby with an umbilical cord for more information.

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Have All Of Your Supplies Handy

First things first: make sure to have all of the supplies we listed above easily available. Choose a stable place to set out all of the items. Some parents like to use a bathroom countertop, or even just the bathtub itself.

Other folks prefer to use a changing table or a kitchen countertop. Whatever surface you choose, just make sure that its safe and stable.

Benefits Of Delaying Your Newborns First Bath

• Temperature regulation

During delivery, your baby experiences a sudden contrast in climate as they enter a dry environment from the fluid-filled amniotic sac. This causes their skin to easily dry out, crack, and peel especially when babies are born further along in the gestation period.

• Prevent dry skin

Your baby will be born with a coating of vernix caseosa on their skin. This creamy, waxy build-up consists mostly of water, lipids, and proteins and promotes better temperature regulation and softer skin after birth.

Frequent bathing results in drier skin at any age. So, to help prevent dry skin, we wait up to 24 hours before wiping off the vernix caseosa. However, if the mother has an infection that could be transmitted to the baby, such as HIV or herpes, we clean the newborn right away.

• Breastfeeding benefits

Studies have shown that delaying babys first bath can also lead to more success with breastfeeding, as it increases skin-to-skin contact between the baby and mother. And by staying warmer longer, babies are less tired and irritated when learning to latch.

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Cleaning Your Baby Between Baths

Just as you’d still apply deodorant when forgoing your own shower, certain baby parts need attention daily whether they’re getting a full-on bath or not.

“Be sure that you’re cleaning the diaper area well, especially following stool or ‘poopy’ diapers, in between skin folds,” Dr. Grant advises. For instance, to properly clean a vulva, make sure you wipe front to back using a clean unscented wipe and check the folds for trapped stool.

Don’t skimp on the baby-safe lotion, either. “Daily application can help prevent eczema outbreaks, so this might be a useful replacement for bathtime in the bedtime routine,” says Dr. Grant. “This is especially important for babies who have already shown signs of eczema or have siblings or parents with eczema.”

Add The Finishing Touches

Finally, apply a safe, gentle, moisturizing lotion, like Mustelas Hydra Bebe Body Lotion. It protects your babys skin from becoming extremely dry and delivers long-lasting moisture.

And if your baby has eczema-prone skin, try our Stelatopia Emollient Cream or Stelatopia Emollient Face Cream and say good-bye to irritation! It moisturizes and soothes your babys skin.

What makes this cream so amazing is that it absorbs quickly into your babys skin and provides moisture to relieve any irritation, itching, or discomfort that accompanies eczema.

We also recommend soothing your little one after their bath with our Melting Massage Balm. Composed of 100% ingredients of natural origin, this balm has a luxurious texture perfect for baby massages.

Finally, put a new diaper on your newborn and dress them in a warm outfit. And voilà! Youve got a clean, adorable baby on your hands.

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Bathing Your Newborn In A Bath

Youâll still want to give your baby girl or boy a proper bath every few days or so. If you feel a bit nervous about giving your newborn his or her first bath, donât worry. Bathing a slippery, squirming newborn baby can take some practice, but youâll soon get the hang of it.Bath time is also a great time for your partner, a grandparent or other close relative to lend a hand. Delegating bath duties isnât just a fantastic bonding opportunity for the person doing the bathing, it can be an opportunity for Mum to grab a little extra âme timeâ â especially during the whirlwind first few weeks with your newborn.When the time comes, itâs important to be prepared, so make sure the room is warm enough and get everything ready before you start giving your baby a bath:

• Your babyâs bath â this can be a special baby bath or you could use a clean washing-up bowl. A smaller baby bath might help your child feel more secure.

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How Do Dads Bond With Newborns

While most newborns dont require frequent bathing, having dad take a bath in body temperature water with the baby on their chest is a wonderful way to relax and bond. The baby feels secure and comforted and the father can enjoy a relaxing bath while focusing on enjoying time with their newborn. Remember, safety first!

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Why Is It Important To Bathe A Newborn Baby

The benefits of bathtime go way beyond a basic cleanup! Heres why baths are good for babies:

• They boost bonding. Bathtime quickly becomes a highlight of the day because its all about time spent together. Taking care of your baby lets her know you care, so gaze into her eyes, kiss that yummy baby belly, count those tiny toes and sing silly songs as you wash. Feeling your gentle touch and hearing your voice will let your little one know how much she’s loved.

• Theres so much learning. Yup, there’s plenty to learn in the tub. Tickle your little one’s senses by trickling water gently onto her tummy or teach a lesson in cause-and-effect by showing how to kick the water and create a splash. And don’t forget a play-by-play as you wash name her little body parts as you bathe and she’ll be learning a tub-full of words!

• They can be soothing. You probably already know this from your own bathing experience, but nothing’s more calming and comforting than a soak in a tub after a long day. Up the relaxation even more by trying your hand at infant massage afterwards. While most little ones love it, if your baby balks , don’t sweat it just cuddle instead.

• They may induce sleep. There’s even more reason to love bathing your baby, especially if you add it to her bedtime routine. The warm water, warm room and warm feeling of being safe, secure and loved work magic and will put your baby in the mood to snooze.

Before The Umbilical Cord Falls Off

Florencia Segura, MD, a board-certified pediatrician at Einstein Pediatrics in Vienna, VA, notes that the AAP recommends sponge baths until the umbilical cord has fallen off and healed, which is known as dry cord care. “Keeping the umbilical cord as clean and dry as possible as it’s healing to minimize infection is optimal,” she says.

Also Check: How To Feed Newborn Baby With Bottle

How Can I Make My Bath Time Romantic

Making your bath time romantic can be a great way to relax, reconnect, and enjoy a special moment with your significant other. You can start by setting the mood. You can create a relaxing atmosphere by lighting candles or dimming the lights and playing some romantic music.

You can also add some essential oils to the water, such as lavender or rose, which can soothe and calm your senses.

You can also make your bath time experience even more special by adding luxurious touches, such as using a bubble bath with rose petals, a gentle body scrub, and a face mask made with all-natural ingredients.

And of course, dont forget to end your bath with a massage to truly relax and enjoy the moment. Incorporating these simple steps can help to turn your bath time into a romantic, special moment that you will both enjoy and treasure.

Choose A Spacious Bathing Place

Ideally large enough to place the bathtub and still have space to undress/ dress your baby.

What I did initially when we were staying with my in-laws was place the bath tub on the dining table then drag the pack n play beside the table.

That way, I can immediately transfer my baby from the pack n play to the tub and vice versa.

When we got home, I used our entire dining table to bathe my newborn. Everything was on it tub, towel, dry place to undress and dress my baby, poop paraphernalia and her clothing and diapering essentials.

If you really dont have enough space, dont worry, theres still a way to cover and dry your baby.

Which Ill explain later on, under the step-by-step guide on how to bathe your newborn.

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What Steps Should I Take To Keep My Baby Safe In The Bath

• Never leave your baby alone in the bath, even for a minute. Babies and children can drown in just a few centimetres of water and should never be left unsupervised in and around water.
• Fill the bath with comfortably warm water. Check the temperature with your wrist or elbow before placing your baby gently into the bath.
• Keep your babys head and face clear of the water.
• Empty the bath water out as soon as youve finished. This is a good habit to get into before your baby becomes mobile. Babies can drown in only a few centimetres of water. Consider doing a resuscitation course.
• Make bath time a happy event and try not to rush it. Watch for your babys responses and talk gently to them.

Is A Sponge Bath Good Enough

Based again on popular opinion and some studies, yes, a sponge bath can be good enough, especially if your baby hates bathing in a tub.

But theres been some research lately about how sponge baths can actually be more stressful for the whole family. Most babies cry during their sponge bath, making it a distressing time for parents as well.

A bathing option called swaddle immersion bath, seems to be the better option, according to UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital Womens Care Unit in Colorado, USA, and a whole lot of other hospitals.

Its also recommended for preterm babies, as based on the research review company from New Zealands leading specialists.

A swaddle immersion bath is basically giving a swaddled baby a bath in the tub. Yes, thats right, you put them in a tub with water, completely swaddled.

Heres a demo of how it looks like:

Heres more:

Which is blowing my mind because I have never seen this bathing technique! Not until I was doing my research for this article!

I feel like this should be the standard way to give newborns a bath.

I wished I knew about this. I did the traditional bath, bathing her in a bathtub without the swaddle. Which my newborn hated initially.

But I discovered a trick she stopped crying when I started singing to her! Also, I noticed a draft coming into the room and once Ive taken care of that, my baby started enjoying her traditional bath.

Heres some water and washing related Q& A on how to bathe a baby

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How To Bathe Your Newborn

How to bathe your newborn

With a little practice, bathing your baby is easy and provides a wonderful opportunity to bond with your little one. To make sure your baby stays safe, clean, and healthy during bath time, follow these tips from board-certified dermatologists.

For many parents, bringing home a baby is a happy and exciting time. However, it can also be daunting especially the thought of bathing this tiny, fragile human. Fortunately, with a little practice, bathing your baby is simple and only needs to happen two to three times a week, as long as the diaper area is thoroughly cleaned during each diaper change.

The first thing to keep in mind is to start off with sponge baths until your babys umbilical cord stump falls off and heals.

To give your newborn a sponge bath, dermatologists recommend these tips:

To give your baby a traditional bath, dermatologists recommend these tips: