A newborn baby is a joy beyond measure, but there are many aspects of your new role as a parent that may surprise you. One of the most unexpected challenges you might face is figuring out how to bathe your newborn baby. Bathing a baby can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it can also be quite overwhelming for new parents. This guide will help you understand how to bathe a baby step-by-step and create a fun bathing experience.
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What essentials do you need to bathe your newborn?
If you’re completely new to the world of bathing babies, it might seem that there’s an endless amount of products you need for the job. As your baby grows, she will continue to have regular baths. With a little preparation, you can make bathing your baby enjoyable for both of you. Thus, it is a good idea to have all the essentials handy to bathe your newborn. Here is a list of things you will need:
- baby towel
- warm water
- baby soap (clinically proven)
- washcloth
- new diaper
- pair of clean clothes
Note: Before you begin to undress the baby for bathing, make sure you wash your hand thoroughly with water. This is will help you to prevent spreading germs.
Step-by-step Guide to Give Sponge Bath to a Newborn Baby
Giving a sponge bath to newborn babies is one of the best ways to get them clean. You can give bathe a newborn without a baby tub. The process is a bit different than giving a shower or bath to older children or adults. To be able to give a sponge bath to newborn babies properly, you can follow the steps given below:
Step 1: Remove the baby’s cloth and wrap the baby in a clean towel. Also, make sure you keep the room temperature warm.
Step 2: Now choose a safe place for the baby to lay down. You can opt for a floor or a changing table. Make sure it is safe for the baby and they don’t fall.
Step 3: Keep the water by your side. And all the essential supplies handy.
Step 4: Now step by step unwrap the baby from the towel for cleaning the specific body part.
Step 5: You can begin with cleaning the baby’s face and head. Take the clean cloth and dip it into the warm water.
Step 6: Now with minimum pressure wipe the head and face of the baby. Make sure you do not use soap to clean the face of the baby.
Step 7: Once the face is cleaned, dip this washcloth in water with a few drops of mild baby soap to wring it up.
Step 8: Now, use this water with soap drops to clean the other body parts of the baby.
Step 9: Dip the cloth in water, use to wipe the area around the underarms, stomach, chest, and genital area.
Step 10: Once done, dry off your baby. Use a clean and soft towel to dry him or her, and put on a clean diaper.
Step 11: Lastly dress up your baby.
Step-by-step Guide to Give to a Newborn Baby in a Bath Tub
Here is how to give a bath to a newborn baby in a bathtub. However, remember you can give a bath to your baby in a bathtub only when the baby’s umbilical cord falls off. If you want to make sure that your child is comfortable and happy, then you need to follow these steps. Let’s know what to do to give a newborn baby in a bathtub:
Step 1: Pour a little amount of water into the tub. Make sure you use warm water, not too cold or too hot. You can check the temperature of the water for safety.
Step 2: Now undress your baby and keep all the bathing supplies near the bathing place.
Step 3: Next, place the baby in the bathtub. Make sure you do not leave the baby unattended even for a second.
Step 4: Give support to the baby’s body by holding him or her with one hand on their head. Make sure the head and neck of the baby are above the water.
Step 5: Now, pour warm water over the baby’s body gently. Also, wash the diaper area from front to back.
Step 6: Make use of a soft washcloth to clean their face.
Step 7: You can shampoo the baby’s head twice a week. Only use mild baby shampoo.
Step 8: Similarly with the help of washcloth clean other body parts using warm water.
Step 9: Once the cleaning is done, use a clean and soft towel to dry the baby. Dry the creases properly.
Step 10: After this make use of a baby moisturizer to keep the baby’s skin moisturized.
Step 11: Put on a new diaper and dress your baby.
Bath time. Baby’s first bath. What a milestone. It would be natural for mom and dad to want to document such an occasion with pictures, right? After all, what parent wouldn’t want to capture that special moment in time?
Baby’s First Bath – A Photo Shoot? But as parents of newborns, it is best to be cautious whenever you are exposing your baby to any sort of chemical fumes. Baby’s skin is still very delicate, and you don’t want anything that could potentially cause a rash or irritate Baby’s sensitive skin.
With this in mind, should Baby have his/her first bath in a tub filled with water, or is Baby’s first bath a photo shoot, filled with baby lotions and perfumes?
When Baby’s skin is soft to the touch and very tender, it would be best not to bathe Baby in water unless absolutely necessary. Baby will still produce liquid waste from his/her bowels, so bathing Baby in water once every 3 days is enough.
If Baby has a dirty bottom, Baby can be bathed in water. Baby bath soap may be used for Baby’s first few baths, but Baby’s skin will eventually become too sensitive to use any sort of soap on Baby’s body at this time. Instead, wash Baby with warm water and a piece of clean cloth or Baby oil. Baby’s body naturally produces oil, so Baby does not need any additional baby lotions.
Tips For Bathing a Newborn Baby:
Bathing a newborn baby can be stressful. You want to keep the baby warm and safe, but also make sure that you aren’t doing anything that would be harmful to them. Here are some tips for bathing a newborn baby:
- Stay away from any kind of distraction while giving a bath to your baby.
- Choose the best time of day to bathe the baby to make the process convenient.
- Keep all the bathing essentials in your reach so that you do not have to leave the baby unattended to grab the supplies.
- Make use of mild baby soap while bathing the baby. Also, don’t use it too frequently.
- Choose a safe place to give a bath to the baby. Make sure there are no possibilities for the baby to fall.
- Make sure you take off all your accessories from your hands to avoid any injury to the baby.
- Always check the temperature of the water before splashing it on the baby.
When should you bathe your new baby?
Baby’s first bath should be taken within ten days after Baby is born. Baby can have a maximum of two baths per week. Baby should never be bathed in plain water beyond Baby’s age of one month, use Baby wash and Baby shampoo when bathing Baby.
Baby skin can become oily and Baby may start to smell. Baby’s bowel movement can also get messy. Bathing Baby will keep Baby fresh throughout Baby’s first month and make Baby feel like a brand new baby.
Conclusion:
Babies are so soft, fragile, and cute that you should know how to bathe your newborn baby most safely. Although you may not be familiar with the process of the first newborn bath, bathing your baby is not difficult. You can follow the above-given steps to learn how to bathe your newborn baby and make the task easier. Bathing a baby is also a great way to bond with your baby and create a calming, soothing environment for your newborn.
