Our Baby News

If you find out your baby dirty, you can try washing it by firmly supporting the head and shoulders with your free arm. If shampoo is being used, ensure that it is properly rinsed off. After the bath, baby should be dried well with a warm and soft towel.

Soon after the bath, a good quality moisturizing lotion can be applied all over the body. Then, the baby can be dressed in clean and fresh diapers.  

As a new mother, washing your baby’s hair can feel a bit daunting. Some babies don’t like being naked. It involves holding them with one hand, and you might be worried about shampoo stinging their eyes.

If, however, you don’t have a baby bath there are some inexpensive, practical alternatives that you can use until your baby is old enough to go into the big bath. For example, a plastic household basin functions in exactly the same way as a baby bath and is useful because, like a baby bath, it can be carried anywhere you choose.

Most of the parents are very exciting about their first baby. However, giving a bath to newborn baby can be the most intimidating experience for first-time parents. Bathing a baby is task that demands your full attention and concentration. Even for a second, taking your eyes off the baby during bathing baby can go wrong in even a very small amount of water.

In a first week, clean baby’s scalp and hair with warm water of few days once. This good for eliminating dirt and sweat. On first day, needn’t use shampoo. But when baby have enough hair, use soft shampoo.

A sponge bath is more appropriate than a tub bath in the first few weeks. Your baby was not born with a fully developed thermostat, and “mature” temp control comes after approximately two weeks. Then there’s the skin factor. The umbilical stump (and healing circumcision if applicable) are raw, unhealed openings on the skin surface. Water may allow bacteria (which are present on normal, intact skin) to proliferate and potentially cause infection. The less opportunity you provide for these germs to grow, the better off your baby is.

How dirty or smelly can a new baby possibly get? Not very. In the first three or four weeks, anyway, he only needs a bath every two or three days. Don’t let this deter you from bathing baby regularly, though; it’s a calming ritual for most babies. For those who really do protest forcefully, forgo the daily bath.

Big Baby—Big Bathtub

A tub ring—sitting in a grown-up’s tub—is safe when she can sit upright, usually at six to eight months. The old infant tub can then be relegated to the storage room until the next go-round. If you’re like Jerry Seinfeld, and have a deep-seated suspicion of anything in the bathroom that doesn’t gleam and is more than four weeks old, you may want to get a new bath mat. After all, mold and mildew can accumulate on an old piece of damp rubber.

When babies do like baths

If your baby likes a bath and it seems to relax him, you can use bathing as a strategy to help settle him in the evening. Some babies sleep longer after an evening bath. You can also try singing, smiling or gently talking to your baby during the bath to help you both relax.

Preparedness

Make sure that supplies are at hand and the room is warm before undressing the baby. You’ll need the same supplies that you used for sponge bathing, but also a cup for rinsing with clear water. When your child has hair, you’ll need baby shampoo, too.

If you’ve forgotten something or need to answer the phone or door during the bath, you must take the baby with you, so keep a dry towel within reach. Never leave a baby alone in the bath, even for an instant.

If your baby enjoys her bath, give her some extra time to splash and explore the water. The more fun your child has in the bath, the less she’ll be afraid of the water. As she gets older, the length of the bath will extend until most of it is taken up with play. Bathing should be a very relaxing and soothing experience, so don’t rush unless she’s unhappy.

Bath toys are not really needed for very young babies, as the stimulation of the water and washing is exciting enough. Once a baby is old enough for the bathtub, however, toys become invaluable. Containers, floating toys, even waterproof books make wonderful distractions as you cleanse your baby.

When your infant comes out of the bath, baby towels with built-in hoods are the most effective way to keep her head warm when she’s wet. Bathing a baby of any age is wet work, so you may want to wear a terry-cloth apron or hang a towel over your shoulder to keep you dry.

The bath is a relaxing way to prepare her for sleep and should be given at a time that’s convenient for you.

How to give your baby a bath

1. Gather all necessary bath supplies, and lay out a towel, a clean diaper, and clothes.

2. Fill the tub with 2 to 3 inches of water that feels warm but not hot, about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).

3. Bring your baby to the bath area and undress him completely. (TIP: If your baby cries through every bath, leave the diaper on at first. It can give him an increased sense of security in the water.)

4. Gradually slip your baby into the tub feet first, using one hand to support his neck and head. Pour cupfuls of bath water over him regularly during the bath so he doesn’t get too cold.

5. Use mild soap and use it sparingly (too much dries out your baby’s skin), as you wash him with your hand or a washcloth from top to bottom, front and back. Wash his scalp with a wet, soapy cloth. Use moistened cotton balls (no soap) to clean his eyes and face. If dried mucus has collected in the corners of your baby’s nostrils or eyes, dab it several times to soften it before you wipe it out. As for your baby’s genitals, a routine washing is all that’s needed.

6. Rinse your baby thoroughly with cupfuls of water and wipe him down with a clean washcloth. Then lift him out of the tub with one hand supporting his neck and head and the other hand supporting his bottom, with your fingers around one thigh (babies are slippery when wet).

7. Wrap your baby in a hooded towel and pat him dry. If his skin is still peeling from birth, you can apply a mild baby lotion after his bath, but this is generally dead skin that needs to come off anyway, not dry skin. Then diaper him, dress him, and give him a kiss on his sweet-smelling head.