Washing And Bathing Your Baby
You don’t need to bathe your baby every day. You may prefer to wash their face, neck, hands and bottom instead. This is often called “topping and tailing”.
Choose a time when your baby is awake and content. Make sure the room is warm. Get everything ready beforehand. You’ll need a bowl of warm water, a towel, cotton wool, a fresh nappy and, if necessary, clean clothes.
How To Give A Baby A Tub Bath
After the sponge bath stage, the real fun begins. First, choose the right tub thats safe and easy to use. There are many types of baby tubs on the market, or you can simply use the kitchen sink. The kitchen sink is easy to use because it is the right height. If using the kitchen sink, observe the following safety tips:
- Purchase an insert-type plastic or rubber tub that fits into your sink, or line the bottom of the sink with a folded towel or sponge mat to keep your baby from slipping.
- If you have a movable faucet, be sure to turn it away from your baby.
Before the water touches your baby, make sure it is comfortably warm but not too hot. Tie a towel around your neck to keep yourself dry during the bath, and in case your baby needs to be picked up quickly and cuddled. Most newborns do not eagerly await their bath. Singing a few songs, making eye-to-eye contact, and gently massaging your baby during the bath often relaxes the reluctant bather.
When To Give Your Newborn A Bath
You can bath your baby at any time of the day. Its a good idea to pick a time when youre relaxed and you wont be interrupted. And its best to avoid bathing your baby when baby is hungry or straight after a feed.
If bathing relaxes your baby, you can use it as a way to settle your baby for sleep in the evening.
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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.
How To Give Baby A Sponge Bath
Your newborn should be bathed with a sponge bath for the first few weeks of life. This is the simplest way to clean your baby before the umbilical cord falls off.
Sponge baths are also the best way to bathe boys who were circumcised while the circumcision site heals.
You can also give your baby a sponge bath anytime you want to wash one part or all of their body without getting them soaking wet.
Before giving your baby a sponge bath, make sure you have all the supplies you need within easy reach. Youll also want to warm up the room to keep your baby comfortable.
Once youve gathered your supplies, follow these steps:
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Where To Bath Your Baby
You can bath your baby in a baby bath until theyre too big to fit comfortably. Then it might be easier to bath your baby in the big bath.
You can help babies get used to the big bath by putting the small baby bath into the big bath a few times.
Once your baby is ready for the big bath, you might like to take a bath with your baby .
You can also shower with your baby. Keep your babys face away from the pouring water and make sure the water isnt too hot.
A big bath allows more room for games and toys. Bath toys can be very simple try a plastic cup or a washcloth to start with. Or you could take your baby for swims up and down the bath just support under your babys body and head .
Can You Give Your Baby Bath Toys
Keep in mind that for infants, you donât need any bath toys at all, as splashing around in the water will be enough entertainment. As your baby gets older, you can add some floating baby toys or even waterproof books to keep him occupied.
Eventually, your baby will start to enjoy baths, and at some point, it will become more like playtime than bath time. When sheâs bigger, let your little one splash around and have some fun in the water.
Between your babyâs baths, youâll probably be doing a lot of diapering. Why not get rewarded for all your efforts? Download the Pampers Club app and for every purchase, youâll earn points that you can redeem for rewards.
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How To Bathe A Newborn In 10 Simple Steps
At first, bathing your newborn might seem like a big ordeal. After a few weeks, however, giving your baby a bath will be as easy as changing their diaper.
We mentioned this earlier in the article, but its worth repeating: until your babys umbilical cord stump falls off, stick to sponge baths. The steps below are instructions for bathing your newborn once their umbilical cord is gone.
Heres how to bathe a newborn in 10 easy steps!
What Do I Need For A Tub Bath
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Baby bathtub
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Nonslip mat or pad
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Bath thermometer . These often have “safe” bath temperature ranges marked on them.
When bathing your baby in a tub:
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Clear the counter or table top of breakable objects and electrical appliances to prevent injury.
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Fill the tub with warm water, making sure the water is warm, not hot. Always test the water before placing your baby into the tub. Some parents feel most comfortable using a baby bath thermometer to confirm the correct temperature of the water.
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Follow the same general bathing instructions for a sponge bath.
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NEVER take your hands off your baby, or walk away, even for a moment.
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Be sure to clean the bathtub after each use.
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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:
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
How To Give Your Baby A Sponge Bath
- Keep things simple, but make sure you are prepared beforehand with supplies, such as a washcloth or baby sponge, a basin of water, and a towel.
- Clean your baby on a secure surface such as a changing table or bed. You can also lay a towel or blanket on the floor to soften it, or place your baby in your lap. If your baby is on an elevated surface, you must keep on hand on your baby at all times so they dont fall.
- Be careful not to get water in your babys eyes, and dont directly sponge their healing umbilical cord stump.
- Make sure you keep your baby warm during this process. You may consider wrapping your baby with a towel and only uncovering your babys different body parts when they are ready to be washed.
Your babys umbilical cord stump should fall off within the first one to two weeks of life, at which point you can immerse your baby in water.
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Bonding With Your Newborn
Bath time is so much more than just getting your baby clean and freshened up. Its a time to bond with your baby, a time to create memories.
Remember, you can start making bath time memories with your baby once their umbilical cord falls off, or make other memories with a sponge bath before then!
Three baths a week is plenty for your newborn. In-between those baths, whip out your No Rinse Cleaning Water for a quick clean-up. Remember to gather your babys bath supplies before bathing them, and keep our 10 tips in mind.
Now that you know how to bathe a newborn, youve got one less baby task to worry about! Gather your babys bath time products and youll be a baby-bathing pro before you know it!
Tips For Safely Bathing Your Newborn
Besides keeping your baby happy and getting them clean, safety should be a top concern when it comes to bathing your baby. Unfortunately, drowning is something all parents of newborns need to be aware of.
As the AAP notes, ost child drownings inside the home occur in bathtubs, and more than half of bathtub deaths involve children under 1 year of age. These are sobering statistics, but they are not meant to scare you instead, they are reminders to take safety very seriously when it comes to bathing your baby.
Here are some other safety recommendations to keep in mind:
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How Often To Bathe A Newborn According To Pediatricians
- The World Health Organization recommends that parents wait 24 hours to give their baby its first bath.
- After that, pediatricians recommend no more than three times a week for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- For the first two weeks, or so, pediatricians recommend sponge baths.
- This article was reviewed by Sara Siddiqui, MD, who is a clinical assistant professor with the Department of Pediatrics at NYU Langone.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Your baby is finally here and it is now up to you to set a routine for their day-to-day life.
This includes bathing. But when, how often, and how to bathe your child isn’t as obvious as you might think. Here’s what you need to know about keeping your baby clean, healthy, and happy.
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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Baby Bath: Time For A Sponge Bath
Gentle sponge baths are perfect for the first few weeks until the umbilical cord falls off, the circumcision heals, and the navel heals completely.
The basics of bathing a baby:
- First, undress baby — cradling the head with one hand. Leave the diaper on . Wrap baby in a towel, exposing only those areas that you are washing.
- Using a baby bath sponge or wash cloth, cleanse one area at a time. Start behind the ears, then move to the neck, elbows, knees, between fingers and toes. Pay attention to creases under the arms, behind the ears, around the neck.
- The hair comes toward the end of bath time so baby doesn’t get cold. While newborns don’t have much hair, you can sponge the few wisps that are there. To avoid getting eyes wet, tip the head back just a little. There’s no need for shampoo just use water.
- Now it’s time to remove the diaper and sponge baby’s belly, bottom, and genitals.
- Wash little girls from front to back. If there’s a little vaginal discharge, don’t worry — and don’t try to wipe it all away. If a little boy is uncircumcised, leave the foreskin alone. If circumcised, don’t wash the head of the penis until it’s healed.
- Gently pat baby dry. Rubbing the skin will irritate it.
Bath time is over, and your fresh little baby is ready for a clean diaper and clothes!
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