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!
How To Bathe A Newborn Puppy
There are two ways to bathe a newborn puppy, but it is important to remember that bathing a young puppy is dangerous and should be avoided where possible.
When cleaning a newborn or young puppy, it is important to start with the spot cleaning method first, which is the safest way to clean a young puppy. If the puppy is really soiled, you can then opt for the classic or full-bathe method.
Bathing Your Baby Step
Bathing your baby neednt be a difficult experience. Follow our simple guide for a bathtime that will be easy and stress-free for you and your baby.
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Can You Bathe Your Baby While The Umbilical Cord Stump Is Still Attached
During your babyâs first few weeks, while the umbilical cord stump is still attached, you should only give sponge baths.
A sponge bath is as simple as wrapping your baby in a towel, and wiping her with a damp washcloth and soapy water. Youâll want to do this on a comfortable surface such as a changing table. Keep your baby wrapped in the towel, bathing one part at a time.
The umbilical cord stump typically falls off in a few weeks. If it stays on longer than that, you might want to check with your babyâs healthcare provider.
Youâll want the umbilical cord stump to dry up and fall off on its own, which is why only sponge baths are recommended until that time.
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.
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Setting Up A Newborn Bath: Tips
Heres how to get ready for a newborn bath:
- Take the phone off the hook or turn your phone off while bathing your baby. Youll be less likely to get distracted.
- Make sure you have everything you need within reach for example, towel, washcloth, cream or ointment, clean clothes and clean nappy.
- Avoid using soap because this will dry out your babys skin. If needed, use a fragrance-free oil or a gentle non-soap cleanser at the end of the bath.
- Position the bath somewhere stable and at a height where you can comfortably hold your baby.
- Fill the bath with just enough warm water to wash your baby. Use jugs of water to fill the bath if youre planning to bath your baby away from the tap.
- Take off your watch and jewellery and wash your hands.
- Check the water temperature is 37-38°C before you put your baby in the bath. If you dont have a thermometer, use your wrist or elbow to test the temperature it should be comfortably warm, not hot.
- Before bathing your baby in a sink, briefly run cold water through the tap once youve finished filling the bath.
- Dont add extra water while your baby is in the bath.
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.
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How To Wash Babys Scalp And Hair
Plan to wash your babys scalp or hair twice a week. To wash your babys scalp or hair, gently massage a baby shampoo into their hair, if they have any, or directly onto their scalp. Rinse it out by dabbing with a wet washcloth.
In a baby tub, you can also gently tip your babys head back and keep one hand over their forehead while you pour on some warm water. The water will spill over the sides of their head to rinse out the shampoo.
Gently washing your babys hair will not hurt a soft spot, but talk with your pediatrician if you have concerns. If your baby has cradle cap, you can gently brush your babys hair and scalp. But take care not to pick or scrape at their scalp.
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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How To Bathe Baby In A Bathtub
After your infants umbilical cord falls off, you can bathe them in a baby bathtub. Follow these steps to safely bathe your baby:
Remember to never leave a baby unattended in a tub, even for a second. They can quickly drown, even in a shallow amount of water.
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.
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How Often Should You Bathe A Newborn
For newborns, a sponge bath one to three times a week should be sufficient. Babies dont need to be bathed that often, Williamson says. Newborns dont really get dirty. Keep in mind that you shouldnt fully immerse baby in water until the umbilical cord falls off. For circumcised baby boys, sponge baths should continue until their penis is healed.
Jacoba C. waited several weeks to give her daughter her first newborn bath at home, and rarely washed her after that. She was so clean and smelled so good, I didnt see any reason to, she says. Of course her diaper area was getting cleaned all the time, and I made sure to wipe down all the little fat roll crevices under her neck and behind her knees regularly.
Some parents prefer to give regular baths as part of a bedtime routine, which is fine as well. Baths can help soothe babies who are fussy and be part of a healthy sleep regimen, says Sabrina Fernandez, MD, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital San Francisco.
How Often To Bathe Your Newborn
You may be surprised to learn that your newborn doesnât need bathing every day â although thatâs fine too, if he or she really enjoys it.Otherwise, two or three bath times a week is enough, as long as you give your baby a daily clean-up of the face, neck, hands and bottom , and thoroughly clean the nappy area at each nappy change. In terms of when to give that first official bath, itâs up to you! You may like to wait a few days and just give âtop and tailâ cleanses in those first few days instead of proper baths, but you might also like to start a bathing routine as soon as you bring your baby home.
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Babys First Bath Time
When that first bath time comes, theres a lot for parents to consider, from what products you need to use to the water temperature and depth. However, for babys first bath, its best to keep things simple and stick to a few tried and tested tips, including:
- Bathe them with someone else around for support and confidence
- Stick to gentle sponge baths initially
- Start with a short bath and a quick clean to let them get used to the experience
Remember, while your babys umbilical cord stump is still attached (this will fall off anytime between around five and 15 days after birth1 its best to avoid getting it wet to avoid infection, so sponge bathing may be the best method for keeping your little one clean in their first couple of weeks.
How Often To Bathe Baby And Toddler
How often you bathe your baby or toddler is entirely up to you. Many children sleep well following a bath, which is why a lot of parents include it in the bedtime routine. However, bathing too often can bring more harm than good.
In general, once the umbilical cord stump has fallen off, I recommend bathing infants no more frequently than every 2 days. If you have a baby boy who was circumcised, it is best to wait until the area has healed before giving him a bath . Exceptions to less frequent bathing are if the baby passes a very large stool or has diarrhea, and when the infant has been involved in family activities that are messier than normal .
Editors Note:
Small babies dont require daily baths three times a week should suffice during their first year . Even at birth, the recommendation for when to do the first bath has changed over the years. It has been found that delaying this bath until 24 hours after birth is more beneficial. This delay improves the likelihood of breastfeeding and prevents hypothermia . For now, a good wipe down following spit-ups and diaper changes is enough. Once your little one begins to crawl, you can increase bath times if you prefer.
If you worry about germs as your baby is crawling, you can wipe their hands whenever you get the chance. Although, dont stress it bacteria arent always harmful.
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