Baby-care Basics: Bathing Basics

Baby Bathing Tips:

• A bath two or three times a week in the first year is sufficient
• More frequent bathing may be drying to the baby skin

What You Need

• a soft, clean washcloth
• mild, unscented baby soap and shampoo
• a soft brush to stimulate the baby's scalp
• towels or blankets
• an infant tub filled with warm water (to test the water temperature, feel the water with your elbow or wrist). An infant tub is a plastic tub that can fit in the bathtub and is better fitted for the infant and makes bath time easier to manage
• a clean diaper
• clean clothes

Sponge Bath

• You should give your baby a sponge bath until:
• the umbilical cord falls off (14 weeks)
• the circumcision heals (12 weeks)
• the naval heals completely (14 weeks)
• Tips for sponge bath:
  
• pick a warm room and a flat surface, such as:
• a changing table
• floor
• or counter
• undress your baby down to a shirt and diaper
• wipe your infant's eyes with a washcloth dampened with water only, starting with one eye and wiping from the inner corner to the outer corner
• use a clean corner of the washcloth to wash the other eye
• clean your baby's nose and ears with the washcloth
• then wet the cloth again, and using a little soap, wash his or her face gently and pat it dry
• next, using baby shampoo, create a lather and gently wash your baby's head and rinse
• using a wet cloth and soap
• gently wash the rest of the baby
• paying special attention to creases:
• under the arms
• behind the ears
• around the neck
• and the genital area
• Once you have washed those areas, make sure they are dry and then diaper and dress your baby

Tub Baths

• The first baths should be gentle and brief
• If he or she becomes upset, go back to sponge baths for a week or two, then try the bath again
• Undress your baby
• Place him or her in the water immediately to prevent chills
• Use one of your hands to support the head and the other hand to guide the baby in feet-first
• Speaking gently, slowly lower your baby the rest of the way into the tub
• Use a washcloth to wash his or her face and hair
• Gently massage your baby's scalp with the pads of your fingers or a soft baby hairbrush, including the area over the fontanelles (soft spots) on the top of the head
• When you rinse the soap or shampoo from your baby's head, cup your hand across the forehead so the suds run toward the sides and soap doesn't get into the eyes
• After the bath, wrap your baby in a towel immediately, making sure to cover his or her head
• Baby towels with hoods are great for keeping a freshly washed baby warm
• While bathing your infant, never leave the baby alone
• If you need to leave the bathroom, wrap the baby in a towel and take him or her with you