How Often Should You Wash Your Newborns Hair
Its tempting to wash your babys hair frequently, as you worry about their hygiene and care. However, it is not advisable to wash it daily.
It is recommended you give your baby a hair wash around two times a week. Even if their hair growth isnt much, it is still important to clean the scalp thoroughly and gently, to wash away dirt and any excess oil.
At times you may feel the babys hair looks a bit dirty or oily, despite two washes in a week. In such cases, you can take a washcloth and water to wipe the scalp and hair thoroughly. Dip the cloth in the water and squeeze the excess water out. Wipe gently over the surface of the head, and repeat the process a couple more times. This should work well enough until the babys next hair wash.
However, if your baby has a cradle cap, you may need to wash their hair regularly. Learn how to manage cradle caps in babies in this post.
Where To Bath Your Newborn
You can give your newborn a bath in a small plastic bath or even in the kitchen sink. The kitchen sink might be easiest in the first few weeks. A plastic baby bath is probably easier once your baby gets bigger.
You can bath your baby in any room thats warm, safe and clean it doesnt have to be a bathroom.
You can also shower with your baby. Keep your babys face away from the pouring water and make sure to use warm, not hot, water.
Topping And Tailing Tips
- Hold your baby on your knee or lay them on a changing mat. Take off all their clothes, apart from their vest and nappy, and wrap them in a towel.
- Dip the cotton wool in the water and wipe gently around your baby’s eyes from the nose outward, using a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye. This is so that you don’t transfer any stickiness or infection from one eye to another.
- Use a fresh piece of cotton wool to clean around your baby’s ears, but not inside them. Never use cotton buds to clean inside your baby’s ears. Wash the rest of your baby’s face, neck and hands in the same way and dry them gently with the towel.
- Take off the nappy and wash your baby’s bottom and genital area with fresh cotton wool and warm water. Dry very carefully, including between the skin folds, and put on a clean nappy.
- It will help your baby to relax if you keep talking while you wash them. The more they hear your voice, the more they’ll get used to listening to you and start to understand what you’re saying.
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When Can I Start Washing Babys Hair
You can wash your babys hair immediately after birth. In hospital, a nurse will often give your baby their first bath to clean the skin before dressing them.
Maybe youre feeling hesitant to wash your babys hair after returning home from the hospital. However, with a few tips and tricks, its nothing to stress about.
Newborns dont need a bath every day and its actually only necessary to wash their hair around twice a week . Even if your baby doesnt have much hair, its still important to gently wash the scalp, to get rid of excess oil.
If you feel that your babys hair might need a little cleanse in between, you can simply use a washcloth and water. Wet the cloth and wring it out, then gently wipe your babys hair. This should do fine until the next shampoo session.
In the majority of my patients who are infants, I recommend rinsing the scalp during the baby bath. If there are no scalp problems, there is no need to wash with shampoo on a daily basis. For infants who are lucky enough to have a full head of hair at birth, using a tear-free infant shampoo a few times a week is fine.
Editor’s Note:
How To Wash Baby Clothes
Kelly Kamenetzky is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer/editor with more than a decade of experience covering the parenting and family space. She enjoys connecting with experts in the parenting field and delivering impactful recommendations on family issues. She is also a mother of three.
While giddily choosing outfits for your little one , its possible you were blissfully unaware of just how much laundry you would be doing for this tiny human. With a pile of dirty PJs and bodysuits in front of you, the reality is sinking in. Luckily, tackling baby laundry is nothing to fear, whether you love or loathe laundry. Heres how to wash these sweet necessities, step-by-step.
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Safety Tips For Bath Time
Its important to keep safety in mind at bath time. Babies and young children should never be left unattended in a bath, not even for a minute . Here are some bath time tips:
- Get everything ready ahead of your babys bath, so you have everything you need to hand.
- Make sure you always use the hot and cold taps at the same time when you run the bath.
- Check the bath water temperature first before putting your baby in. The standard way to check is to put your elbow in the water because your hand can cope with high temperatures.
- Dont be distracted away by another child, a phone call or doorbell. What feels like a couple of seconds can turn into a minute or two. Leaving your little one even for a few moments could be enough time for them to seriously hurt themselves or drown.
- If you forget anything ask your partner or another family member to grab it for you. Or take your baby with you to get what you need.
S To Wash A Babys Hair:
After the bathing is complete, take the baby out of the tub and pat the baby dry using a soft towel. Gently rub the head with the towel.
And that is how you can easily give your baby their first hair wash!
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Skin Care For Your Newborn
A baby’s soft and delicate skin needs special care. Generally, it is best to use products made especially for babies, but your baby’s healthcare provider can advise you about other products. Products for adults may be too harsh for a baby and may contain irritants or allergens. Many parents like to use lotions. But unless the baby’s skin is dry, lotions really are not needed. Powders should be avoided, unless they are recommended by your baby’s healthcare provider. When using any powder, put the powder in your hand and then apply it to the baby’s skin. Shaking powder into the air releases dust and talc that can harm your baby’s lungs.
Many babies have rashes and bumps that are normal. Some rashes may be a sign of a problem or infection. Diaper rash can be irritating to the baby and needs to be treated. If you have concerns about a rash, or your baby is uncomfortable or has a fever, call your baby’s healthcare provider.
Laundry detergents may cause irritation to a baby’s delicate skin. If your baby seems sensitive to detergent, you can use a special detergent for babies with sensitive skin and give the laundry an extra rinse with plain water to remove any leftover detergent.
Cleaning A Babys Tongue After 6 Months Of Age
Once your baby is at least 6 months old and has their first tooth, you can use a soft, kid-friendly toothbrush, along with toothpaste. Use this to clean any teeth that have come in.
You can also use the toothbrush to gently scrub your babys tongue and gums, or continue to use a finger brush, gauze, or washcloth until theyre a little older.
When giving toothpaste to a baby thats at least 6 months old, you only need a small amount about the amount of a rice grain. Once your child is at least 3 years old, you can increase the amount to pea-size.
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Bathing Your Baby Safely
You don’t need to bathe your baby every day, but if they really enjoy it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t.
It’s best not to bathe your baby straight after a feed or when they’re hungry or tired. Make sure the room you’re bathing them in is warm.
Have everything you need at hand: a baby bath or clean washing-up bowl filled with warm water, 2 towels, a clean nappy, clean clothes and cotton wool.
When Should You First Bathe A New Born Baby
Your baby shouldnt be given a bath straight after theyre born as they need to stay warm. But dont worry, the nurses will have given them a good clean after birth.
While you can give your little one a bath as soon as a few hours after theyre born, many parents prefer to give them a while to get used to their new surroundings, so will just give them a top and tail for the first few days. This involves just making sure your babys neck, face and hands are clean and you can do it using moist cotton wool pads.
Many parents will wait until they feel a little more confident lifting and handling their baby, so will wait a week or so before they put them in a bath, but its safe to do so as soon as you feel comfortable.
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How Can You Disinfect Babys Clothes
It is important to not just wash but disinfect your babys clothes, here are a few ways you can disinfect your babys clothes.
Giving Your Newborn A Bath: Steps
These steps make bathing your newborn easy:
Children can drown in a few seconds in very shallow water. Never leave your baby alone in the bath, even if youre using a bath seat or cradle. Never leave older children or siblings to supervise. If youre disturbed by the phone or another task, take your baby out of the bath.
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How Often Does A Newborn Need A Bath
Growing up, you may have heard that babies and children must be bathed daily for optimum cleanliness. However, this isnt the case. Especially with a newborn, bathing daily can actually dry the skin, and irritate it.
Additionally, most newborns do not get very dirty, so its not necessary to fully immerse them in a bath each day or night. You can spot clean any areas of concern in between baths.
For these reasons, most doctors recommend only bathing your newborn baby a few days per week.
AAP recommends bathing your baby no more than three days per week. Of course, even that is not a hard and fast rule.
If you want to bathe your baby more often, thats fine, and if you only bathe your baby one or two days per week , thats fine too!
As your baby gets older and ventures into the toddler years, they are going to get dirtier, because they will be exploring everything and playing outside. Your bathing frequency will likely naturally increase during this time.
Best Temperature For A Bath
You can experiment to see what temperature your baby likes their bath best. In general, lukewarm temperatures are ideal. You dont want the bath to be too cold, but you certainly dont want it too hot.
Some parents err on the side of heating the bath up too much, and risk scalding their babies. The AAP recommends that your babys bath be no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Its helpful to fill the baby tub or sink with a few inches of water before immersing your baby in it. Test the water first to see if it is an appropriate temperature for your baby.
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