How to Bathe Your Newborn

When a baby is born it isn’t necessary to bathe him everyday. In fact for the first ten to twelve days or up until the time their belly button heals properly you can do what is referred to as top and tailing or in other words giving a sponge bath. There are some who are opposed to top and tailing and believe that you can still go ahead and bath your baby as normal so long as you pay special attention to the belly button, ensuring it is dried properly. Personally I reckon it is up to the parent and what they are most comfortable with.

Before anything is done you have to gather all that you will need when giving your baby a bath be it in a tub in your bedroom or in the bathroom. You need their bowl or baby bath tub with warm water. The ideal temperature should be between 37 and 38 degrees Celsius, wash cloth or sponge,cotton wool, towel, nappy or diaper, the clothing that he or she will wear afterwards, soap or bathe gel, shampoo if planning to wash their hair and olive oil to moisturise the skin if need be. It is important that these things are handy because leaving your newborn or baby unattended is not advisable.

I have to stress that it is absolutely important to wash the baby’s face, neck, hands and bottom carefully everyday. You should always choose a time when your child is awake and contented. The room you will use needs to be warm and draft free. You should not bath your baby straight after a meal or when he is hungry or tired. Always make sure the water is warm not hot, this can be checked by dipping your elbow in the tub.

To start, hold your baby over your knee or lie him on a changing mat and remove all the clothing except the vest and nappy, wrap him in a towel. Dip the baby’s wash cloth or cotton wool if you prefer in the water and wipe gently around your baby’s eyes from the nose outward using a fresh piece of cotton for each eye or rinsing the cloth after wiping each eye. With a fresh piece of cotton partially dipped in the warm water, gently wipe the ears but do not clean inside them.

Wash your baby’s hair with baby shampoo rinsing carefully so as not to get any soap into the eyes, ears and mouth and make sure your baby is supported carefully over the bowl. At this time you would remove your baby’s nappy wiping away any mess. If using baby soap, lather your baby all over, avoiding the face while still on your knee. Remember you should always be keeping a firm grip on your baby.

Lower you baby gently into the bowl or tub using one hand to hold your baby’s upper arm and supporting his or her head and shoulders, keep your baby’s head away from the water. Use the other hand to gently wash the water over the baby without splashing. The next point is obvious but will still be said never leave your baby alone in the tub. If the phone rings, let it ring, whoever is calling can call back. It takes less than a second for disaster to strike.

Lift your baby out of the tub and pat dry paying special attention to the creases and corners. You could at this time massage oil into your baby’s skin. Many babies love this and find it very relaxing and it also helps them to fall to sleep quite quickly. Your baby should be wrapped in a towel and laying on the bed or flat surface while this is being done.

Not all babies like bath time and if you find that your baby seems frightened of bathing and cries you could try bathing together, but make sure the water isn’t too hot. What I‘ve found helpful as well is bathing your baby when someone is around. If bathing your baby alone is too eventful you could be assisted by a family member or your partner. This makes it easier to settle your little one while your husband, partner or relative has a grip on the baby. Once you’ve dried your baby properly, dressed him or her, you may find that after a while they settle into a peaceful sleep. Sometimes you may have to top them up with a feed after which I can guarantee they will fall sound asleep.