The most bizarre thing about having a baby is that it forces you to rethink even the simplest of tasks. Take bathing, for example. You wouldn’t think twice about hopping in the shower or running a bath for yourself every day – but when a baby comes along, it’s a different story entirely.
How often should you bathe your newborn? Where should you bathe them? How do you even go about cleaning a baby?!
It’s an anxiety-inducing situation that you’ll overthink for days leading up to your due date. When the baby arrives, you’re even more anxious about giving them their first wash because you’re worried about doing something that might harm them. While it’s normal to worry about things, you don’t need to stress about this particular topic. Here’s a complete guide to bathing a newborn that includes all the information a new mom needs:
How To Bathe Your Newborn – Two Options
You have two options when it comes to bathing your bubba:
- Topping and Tailing
- Proper Bathing
Topping and Tailing Explained
Topping and Tailing refers to a way of cleaning your baby without giving them a full-on bath. It’s what most experts recommend doing every day or two because it’s designed to clean their most problematic areas. This will include their face, neck, hands, and bottom.
To do this you should wrap your baby in a towel and lay them somewhere comfortable – this can be your lap, a changing mat, etc. Then, get a bowl of warm water and dip cotton wool or a soft cloth in it before gently wiping your baby’s face. Start from the nose and work your way outwards. You should also know how to clean newborn ears when topping and tailing, and this involves using a clean cloth or cotton wool and only wiping the outer parts of the ear. Never clean inside the ear canal, but be sure you wipe behind their ears as this often gets the dirtiest.
Dry your baby’s face and ears with a clean towel before cleaning their bottom. You’ll follow a similar process by using cotton wool or a soft cloth. You may even find special baby cleaning wipes that are useful in this situation. After completing the “tailing” part of this process, you can put on a fresh new diaper, and your baby will be clean.
Proper Bathing Explained
Proper bathing is probably what you’re thinking about when searching for tips on how to bathe your newborn. It’s when you put your baby in a little bath, fill it with water, and give them a deeper clean. You won’t need to do this every day – but here are some tips on how to wash your baby in a bath.
- Get a proper baby bath or use a small basin to place them in – don’t put them in a proper big bathtub as it’s unsafe!
- Make sure the water is warm and never too hot or too cold
- Get shampoo and cleaning products designed for babies and their skin
A baby bath is easily one of the most useful baby products you’ll buy, so it’s worth getting. Fill it up with a couple of inches of warm water and slosh it around so the entire bath is a consistent temperature. Always test the water with your own skin before putting your baby in; you should be able to tell when it’s the right level of warmth without being too warm.
The next step is to follow the same face and ear cleaning routine as before. Then, slowly lower your baby’s head over the bath and carefully wash their hair with plain water. Make sure you support them the whole time and call your partner (or anyone else) for help if required. If your baby has a lot of hair, then you may need to apply a tiny bit of baby shampoo. Lather it on their scalp and rinse away using the water.
Dry their hair and face, remove their diaper, and wipe away any poo that may be present. You can now very slowly dip your baby into the bath feet first. Don’t fully submerge them in the water – if your baby still has an umbilical cord stump, then you only want their legs in the water. As your newborn gets slightly older, you can progress to sitting them in the tub. When they’re in there, you can splash water over their body and clean with a soft cloth or sponge. Use baby cleaning wash and rinse it off to give them a more thorough clean.
From there, lift your baby from the bath and wrap them in a towel to dry off. You should then moisturize your baby with lotions or creams to protect their skin and stop it from drying out.
How Often To Bathe Your Newborn
It generally depends on the newborn, but you can top and tail them daily, and then bathe them every few days. A lot of the experts out there say that two or three proper baths each week will be fine when they’re very little – as long as you’re topping and tailing in between.
If your baby has any specific skin conditions or is prone to nappy rashes, then a doctor may recommend that you bathe them more frequently. It’s always best to ask your doctor if you’re ever worried about things like this.
Where To Bathe Your Newborn
As explained earlier, you can wash them by topping and tailing pretty much anywhere. As long as your baby is on a supportive structure and feels comfortable, then that’s okay. Most moms will top and tail on a changing mat because it makes the most sense.
When it comes to properly bathing your newborn, you should use a baby bath or a container/basin that’s just slightly larger than your baby. Don’t put them directly in the bathtub – though you can put the baby bath or container/basin in the tub if you want.
Hopefully this clears up any questions you have about washing your newborn for the first time. The most important things to remember are to only use baby-specific products and to be gentle the entire time. Never rush the bathing process or scrub your baby’s skin; small gentle rubs with soft cleaning products are all you need.
