The first bath is a big challenge for a newborn and his parents. Stress, crying, and lack of experience do not help make bathing a pleasure, especially in the first weeks of a newborn’s life.
I have researched and collected all needed information on newborn baby bathing from pediatric sources and answered the most frequently asked questions of new parents in this article.
When to start bathing your newborn
WHO recommends waiting at least 24-48 hours after birth before taking the first bath. After returning home from the hospital, you can bathe the baby on the very first evening. And then do it daily.
The first bath of a newborn should be fairly short and unobtrusive. If the baby doesn’t really like the new experience and becomes very upset, don’t insist on bathing, keep wiping him with a baby bath sponge or baby wipes.
How often should a newborn be bathed
In fact, bathing newborns every day is not necessary at all. Three times a week will be enough, given that you carefully monitor hygiene when changing a baby’s diapers.
Daily bathing of newborns is not recommended, as this can dry out the skin.
Is it safe to bathe a newborn until the umbilical cord has fallen off?
In the first weeks of a baby’s life, until the umbilical cord has fallen off, the baby can be wiped with a baby bath sponge or baby wipes.
Wrap your baby in a towel and place him on a comfortable surface, such as a changing table. Then wipe him, alternately exposing parts of his body.
The umbilical cord usually falls off after a few weeks. If this does not happen, consult your doctor.
The rest should dry up and fall off, so you should not wet it and it is better to wait a little while with a full bathing of the newborn.
Bathing accessories for newborns
Before your baby takes his first bath, prepare everything you need in advance. List of things to have on hand:
- baby bath (you can use kitchen sink for baby bathing)
- soft towel
- extra soft baby bath sponge
- soft baby washcloth
- water scoop
- gentle cleansing gel
- 0+ labeled hair shampoo (hypoallergenic, fragrance & color free)
- clean diaper
- spare baby clothes
Advice: You can also add a few drops of hypoallergenic oil to the water to make this process more enjoyable for your beloved baby.
How to properly bathe your newborn baby?
- Everything you need for bathing should be at hand so that you do not need to be distracted from the baby. Never leave your baby in the bath unattended!
- Before undressing the baby, make sure that the room is warm enough – about 24-26 ° C.
- Place a towel in the bottom of a sink or baby bath and fill it with warm water. The depth should be about 5 cm, and the temperature should be 37-38 ° C. To check if the water is too hot, you can dip your elbow into the water or wet the inside of your wrist.
- Support the baby by the head with your non-dominant hand, lower him into the water so that his legs are in the water and most of his body is above the water.
- Wash the baby starting from the head, going down to the legs with the baby bath sponge. Newborns can be washed with plain water, but you can use a mild baby soap if you prefer. Pour on the baby warm water from the water scoop, so that he does not get cold. For the face, you can use a soft baby washcloth.
- If your baby already has hair, it is enough to wash it with shampoo once or twice a week. Apply a couple of drops of baby shampoo to the hair and massage the scalp, including the fontanel area, with very light movements.
- Do not forget about the area behind the ears, where dirt, sweat and shampoo residues often accumulate. This area should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water.
- When you wash off the shampoo, do it carefully so that the soap suds does not get into the child’s eyes – hold your palm against his forehead. If soap or shampoo does get into his eyes, wipe them with a cloth soaked in water.
- Then we wash the neck, shoulders and arms, carefully opening and washing all the skin folds with soapy foam, and then with clean water.
- The next step is washing the tummy and legs, including the folds behind legs and the spaces between the toes on the foot.
- The last step is to wash the diaper area, thoroughly washing the folds in the genital area. This is important because bacteria from the baby’s poop enter the water when flushed and it is undesirable for them to fall on the face or other parts of the body later.
- At the end of the bath, the baby should be rinsed with clean water from the water scoop.
After bathing, anoint him with moisturizing hypoallergenic milk without fragrances, so that your baby’s skin does not dry out. Regular moisturizing can also help to avoid irritated baby’s skin.
If the baby has scabs on the head, while bathing the newborn, you can massage the scalp with a soft hair brush, after applying shampoo to the head.
And do not forget: under no circumstances leave the child alone in the water. If for some reason you need to interrupt the bath (for example, you forgot something in another room), take the baby out of the water and take him with you.
Best time to bathe a newborn
The best time to bathe is the one that is comfortable for you and your baby. Try to arrange bathing when the child is calm and happy with everything, and it is unlikely that someone or something will distract you from the process.
Some parents prefer to bathe their babies during the day when the baby is more active. And others are accustomed to bathing in the evening, as one of the stages of the ritual of going to bed.
Do not bathe your baby immediately after feeding.
What NOT to do when you bathe your newborn
Before bathing a child, it is worth remembering a few precautionary rules.
- Never, under any circumstances, leave a child alone in the bath. Even if he swims with a circle or there is not much water in the bath. This is deadly!
- Never put a child in water without first checking its temperature. Tap water can change the temperature, especially if the house is equipped with an instant geyser. The baby can get burned. In order to avoid this, some parents use a special thermometer. Although, since your hands are constantly in touch with the water, it will not be a problem for you to detect the change of water temperature.
- Do not use ordinary bar or liquid soap, it is too harsh for delicate skin. Get a special bathing gel for a newborn.
- Do not use the shower for rinsing – this is justified for safety reasons. In the shower, it is difficult to adjust the water to the desired temperature, due to changes in water pressure, it can become too hot. It is dangerous for the skin, a burn is possible. In addition, the sound of the shower can scare the baby, forming a negative reaction to bathing.
- Do not panic and do not refuse hygiene procedures if the baby cries at the first immersion in water. He needs to get used to the new procedure. If the child bursts into tears, reduce the bath time or immerse him in the water for the first time in a diaper, removing it already in the water. Try to cheer him up with a sound making toy or singing a song to him. For the baby, the procedure for the first bath should be pleasant and comfortable.
- Do not refuse to bathe if the baby is sick. Skin hygiene and cleanliness are extremely important. The exception to the rule is elevated temperature (fever). In this case, the baby is not bathed, but wiped with a damp sponge or cloth.
Baby Bathing: Common Questions Answered
1. How to make a baby get used to water?
It is best to gradually submerge the newborn baby in water, starting with the feet, or you can also wrap him in a diaper and wet the baby along with it. Thanks to the diaper, the newborn feels safe, he is much warmer, calmer, and the diaper will make it easier for you to hold, so the baby does not slip in the bath.
2. Where to bathe a newborn baby?
The bathing area must be permanent. If space permits, preferably in the bathroom, where you have everything you need close at hand.
3. A bath, a bucket, a sink … What to bathe a newborn in?
The shape is not important here, the comfort of the parent is important for securely holding the child. Often both parents participate during the first bath, the bath provides some freedom of movement, a stable grip, as a result of which our movements are calmer, this has a beneficial effect on the atmosphere as well.
4. How long should a newborn bath be?
The skin of a newborn is very delicate, it is not recommended to take long baths, which can lead to the loss of the protective barrier of the skin, so bathing should last from 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Bathe in the morning or in the evening?
Evening baths, at regular times, soothe and relax the baby before bedtime. If, in exceptional cases, we need to bathe a newborn in the morning or during the day, it is better not to go for a walk that day, because there is a risk of catching a cold.
6. How to wash the private parts of boys?
The care of boys’ private parts requires special attention with regard to the foreskin, which should always be gently washed after urination, and even more so after stool, by slightly moving the foreskin down, not to be confused with pulling the foreskin.
In addition, always remember to wash the intimate area under the testicles, so they should be slightly lifted and washed gently. Often there are leftover stools.
7. How to wash the intimate places of girls?
Taking care of girls’ private parts is extremely important as their organs are completely exposed and at risk of infection. So wash them thoroughly every time you change diapers using cotton swabs.
Washing the private parts, use a simple technique always from top to bottom, towards the anus, never vice versa, because then there is risk of fecal transfer.
If you notice a white ointment between the labia of a girl, then this is nothing more than an original lubricant that should not be removed. This is a natural protection of intimate organs. After a while, it will be washed out by itself.
8. Can I get baby’s ears wet while swimming?
Nothing will happen if a little water gets into the ear, because a newborn child lived in the aquatic environment for 9 months. If you are afraid that water has entered the ear, you can gently turn the child on his side so that the water can drain out on its own.
9. Bathing a newborn and feeding
Bathing should not take place immediately after eating, as this may cause burping or vomiting. It is best to wait an hour or bathe the baby before eating. If your baby is very hungry and restless, you can feed him a little and start bathing.
10. Bathing a newborn and sleeping
Bathing a newborn significantly improves the quality of sleep for him. First of all, it calms the baby, so if the baby is having difficulty falling asleep.
However, we do not recommend introducing bathing into daily rituals as it may cause a problem to the baby’s skin.
11. Bathing a newborn and a runny nose
There are no contraindications for bathing with a runny nose, on the contrary, a warm bath plus the use of, for example, lavender oil for a moisturizer can help with problems with a clogged nose.
12. Bathing and cold
If your child has a severe cold or is ill, you can refuse to bathe him, just do a “dry bath” – wipe the face, hands, intimate areas, groin, armpits and neck with cotton pads – i.e. places most vulnerable to pollution and irritation.
After completing the bath, the baby definitely needs to warm up, wrap him in a warm and soft cotton towel and take him out of the bathroom, moving to the changing table or any convenient place.
It is important not to rub his skin, removing the remaining moisture, but to gently blot all exposed areas of the body and all skin folds on the neck, arms, buttocks and legs.
It is important to wipe the baby and carry out all subsequent procedures in a warm room so that there is no sharp temperature drop. Wet skin actively evaporates water and cools faster – this may get the baby sick.
If the baby’s hair is long, after blotting the skin on the head, you can put on a thin cotton cap for 1-2 hours until the hair is dry. You don’t need your baby to wear the cap all the time.
Finally, use a safe, gentle, moisturizing body lotion, diaper cream, put on a new diaper, and dress your newborn in warm clothes. And voila! You have a clean, adorable baby in your arms.