How Often Do Babies Need Baths
In your babys first year, they may only need about three baths a week. This is usually frequent enough if you wash the diaper area thoroughly every time you change your baby.
Bathing once a day or every other day is also OK, but any more frequently than that could dry out your babys skin. Thats especially the case if you use soap or other baby wash.
How Often You Should Bathe Your Newborn
Newborns dont need daily baths in their first few months of life. In fact, bathing your loved one too often may dry out their delicate and easily irritated skin. Three baths per week is plenty, as long as youre following a basic daily hygiene routine.
For example, always clean your babys bottom thoroughly when changing a dirty diaper. Your babys diaper area needs to be kept clean to avoid infections and rashes.
Use gentle baby wipes, like Mustelas Soothing Cleansing Wipes or Stelatopia Cleansing Wipes. This will keep your little one clean while protecting their delicate skin.
On the days when you arent bathing your newborn, you can use micellar water to cleanse their most important areas. Mustela No Rinse Cleansing Water is both gentle and effective! Use it to keep your little one clean without drying out their skin.
When using micellar water, focus on your babys face, hands, feet, neck, armpits, and the backs of their knees. These areas need to be cleansed more often than their arms, legs, and tummy.
Babys First Bath At Home
Once you get your little one home, theres no set timetable for when to give baby her first sponge bath. Experts agree that the timing for bathing a newborn is up to the parents, and that theres no big rush. Many families are excited about giving a baby their first newborn bath at home, but waiting a few days is fine, says Justin Smith, MD, a pediatrician at Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Holly S., a mom of two, gave birth to her second baby at home and didnt bathe him for more than a week. Theres no need to wash them right away in most circumstances, she says. Any blood from the birth can be wiped off, and you just need to wipe their diaper areas thoroughly in the meantime. She also made sure to rub the vernix into her babys skin to get the most out of its antimicrobial and moisturizing properties.
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Why You Should Sponge Bathe Your Newborn
Experts recommend sponge baths for newborn babies whose umbilical cord stumps have not yet fallen off. Sponge baths are also a good option for boys who haven’t fully healed from circumcision. Keep in mind that daily baths aren’t necessary, and could dry out his delicate skin. Bathing three times a week will be just fine until your baby is a year old.
Keeping Your Newborn Clean
Until the umbilical cord falls off, it is best to give your baby sponge baths. This will help keep their little hands, feet, faces, and bodies clean, while keeping their umbilical cord stump clean and dry! A sponge bath is truly only needed 1-2 times per week, as too frequent bathing can cause newborn skin to become dry or irritated. Check out our blog post on how often you should bathe a baby for more information on this.
Before you start, be sure to gather all of your needed bath items and keep them within arms reach. You will want to have mild soap, a couple of washcloths, a plastic cup filled with warm water, a bigger towel, a clean diaper, and a fresh change of clothes nearby. Your newborn will be more comfortable if the room is warm and cozy before getting them undressed.
While some parents choose to lay out a towel and sponge bathe their baby on any soft and comfortable surface, others find it easier to place their little ones in an infant bathtub lined with a large, dry towel.
When you are ready to begin sponge bathing your newborn, start from the top of their head and work toward the tips of their toes. Use a wet washcloth with a dime-sized amount of mild soap to wash your baby with soft, gentle strokes. Be mindful of their eyes, ears, nose and mouth, avoiding any prolonged contact with the suds from the soapy washcloth.
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Lather And Rinse Carefully
As were sure you already know, babies have extremely soft, delicate skin. That means you need to be very gentle when lathering on cleansing products and shampoos.
You may choose to use an ultra-soft washcloth, or you can simply use your hands. If you prefer to use your hands, remove any rings, bracelets, or watches youre wearing.
After lathering, use a small plastic cup to rinse your baby off. Just scoop up a cup-full of water and gently pour it over a soapy area of your babys body. Be careful so that no soapy water gets in your loved ones eyes or nose!
How To Bathe Baby In Tub
Usually, it is advisable to make babies have a bath in a bathtub only after their umbilical cord has fallen down. This will help in preventing any infections around the umbilical cord and stomach of the newborn baby.
Depending upon your convenience and the comfort of your baby, you can select the size of your bathtub and the tub has to be placed in a safe position before giving a bath to the baby.
We recommend a bath tub which is certified and is safe for babies. Bath tubs should be slip-resistant, which is crucial as mistakes can happen.
Whatever product you choose make sure it has proper neck support for the baby. If it is made of plastic then the plastic has to be BPA free
Important things to remember while selecting a bath tub
- Bathtub will grow with your baby. Babies grow so fast. Find one which accommodates infants and toddlers as well
- Easy to Clean It is so tiring being a parent, sleepless nights, cleaning poop, bath. The last thing we need is something additional to clean. Find one with a drain to clean out dirty water.
- Has Headrest Babies do not have strength in their necks. We need something which makes it easy for the babies to support their head, neck and body comfortably and safely
- Slip Proof Slipping is dangerous. Especially at bath time and with soap involved, it can get tricky. Ensure that bathtub you select is slip-proof.
Here is the tub we recommend bathtub for infants and toddlers.
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Warm Or Able To Accommodate A Heater
When it comes to the step-by-step of how to bathe a newborn youll see youre not going to strip baby bare, but having said that, the warmer the room the better.
In the womb, baby was floating around in about 98 Fahrenheit/37 Celcius so anything a lot lower than that will feel cold, especially since newborns have a much thinner skin than us and a larger surface area to volume ratio.
The closer to that temperature, the less physically demanding your newborns first bath will be.
As a guide, if youre comfortable in a t-shirt, the room is probably just warm enough for your newborns first bath. Instead of cranking the temperature of the entire room up, you can of course use a space or fan heater close to where youre going to carry out the sponge bath.
What You Need To Know About Your Baby’s Skin:
- Your baby’s skin is sensitive and fragile. Your healthcare provider may tell you to wash your baby only with warm water during the first month after birth. If you do use soap, use only gentle baby soap on areas that are dirty, such as his bottom. The soap you use on your baby should not contain any preservatives, alcohol, or perfumes. Ask your baby’s healthcare provider what type of soap is best. Wash your baby’s skin gently. Do not rub.
- If your baby was premature, his skin may be thinner and more sensitive than other babies. Your premature baby may not need a sponge bath as often because his skin may dry out faster. Soap may irritate his skin.
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How Hot Should The Water Be
The water temperature to bathe your baby should be warm, never hot. The ideal temperature is 98.6°F . You can use a bath thermometer to monitor the temperature, or check the water with your wrist or elbow to confirm its warm and not hot.
Also, check different sides of the tub or baby bath to confirm there are no hot spots. If using a tub or basin, turn on the cold water first and then the hot water to fill it.
If you live in a house, you can also adjust the water heater to ensure it doesnt go above 120°F , which can badly scald your babys skin. You likely cant adjust the water heater if you live in an apartment complex or condo.
Is It Better To Bathe My Newborn Baby In The Morning Or At Night
This is up to you. The most important thing is you have adequate time and dont have to rush and can avoid being interrupted.
Another consideration is how much your newborn enjoys a sponge bath. It can be a lovely start to a bedtime routine, but only if it calms and soothes. If it upsets your newborn, rather bathe her at a different time.
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Wash Their Hair Under A Sink Faucet
My son, Liam at the Newborn Hair Salon
Congratulations! Because the unhappiest part should be behind you!
Now its time to wash their hair in the sink, and thats usually their favorite!
Ive rarely had a baby cry while their hair is being washed under a running faucet.
The majority of newborns that have their hair washed under a faucet act like theyve been working hard labor for the past year and they finally got a day off to use that spa gift certificate they got for their birthday.
Theres just something about the warmth and the flow of the water on their head that they love.
So, pick up your baby whos wrapped in a towel or blanket, and take them to your kitchen sink, or any other sink that has a faucet high enough to comfortably fit their head underneath.
Turn on the faucet, and wait until its the perfect temperature: Nice and warm.
Test it with the inside of your wrist or forearm to make sure its not too hot. Your baby may cry if its too cool or too hot.
Also, make sure that the pressure and flow of the water is not too hard.
Then, hold your baby straight out in front of you with their feet placed on your belly and their head outwards towards the faucet.
This may be a little more challenging if your newborn is over 10 pounds! They get heavy quick!
Gently place their head under the tap to get wet. Be careful not to get the water in their eyes or ears.
My husband washing my sons hair under our kitchen faucet after his sponge bath.
No complaints!
Bathing A Newborn Baby With Umbilical Cord : How To Sponge Bathe A Newborn With Umbilical Cord Progress To Tub Bath
Bathing A Newborn Baby With Umbilical Cord : How To Sponge Bathe A Newborn With Umbilical Cord Progress To Tub Bath – Much like a scab, the cord stump might bleed a little when it falls off.. How to give your newborn a tub bath. It’s important to point out that, in order for the stump to remain healthy and fall off properly, it must remain dry. Discard the swap after use. A warm place with a flat surface. As long as the umbilical cord stump is there, your baby can only have a sponge bath.
You’ll want to do this on a comfortable surface such as a changing table. They actually gave our sweet baby girl, palin dove, her first bath in the labor & delivery ho. Meanwhile, a quick submersion bath is fine before the cord falls off, just dry the stump afterward. This is the simplest and safest way to clean your baby until the umbilical cord falls off. This way, you will avoid any burns on your newborn baby.
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Fill Your Babys Bathtub With Water
The second step is to fill the bathtub with water. You only need two to three inches of water to bathe your newborn.
The water temperature should be roughly the same temperature as the human body98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Anywhere between 90° F and 100° F is perfect. Use a thermometer to make sure youve got the temperature just right.
When To Begin Bathing Your Newborn
Many new moms arent sure when to begin bathing their newborns. The World Health Organization recommends waiting at least 24 hours after your babys birth to give them their first bath. There are several reasons for this.
First and foremost, your baby has just left the comfort of your tummy and will get cold easily. Youll want to give your loved one some time to adjust to life outside the womb.
Experts believe that 24 to 48 hours is plenty of time to allow your infant to regulate their body temperature. The risk of hypothermia drops considerably after the 24-hour mark.
Second, your newborn will likely have a coat of vernix on their skin when you bring them home from the hospital. Vernix shouldnt be washed off intentionally, as it provides several important benefits to your baby.
For instance, vernix has antibacterial properties and keeps your baby healthy. It also protects their delicate skin as they become accustomed to dry air. Its best to let the vernix fall off your little ones body naturally, which will happen in the first week or two of life.
To sum up, its safe to begin bathing your newborn 24 hours after birth. Or if you prefer, you can wait 48 hours. Whatever you choose, just be sure to start with sponge baths.
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends waiting for your newborns umbilical cord stump to fall off before submerging them in water. This normally happens sometime between one and three weeks after birth.
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Monitor Your Baby Closely
Keep a close eye on your little one and make sure theyre enjoying bath time! Some newborns take to the water naturally and have a blast in the tub. On the other hand, some infants need time to get used to the feeling of being in water and being bathed.
Whatever the case may be, just monitor your baby closely. If theyre having fun, let them play in the tub for a while! If they seem uncomfortable, try to get through bathtime quickly.