Bathe Your Baby

As you bathe your baby you should then apply the soft semi-wet and soapy washcloth around the baby’s body, making sure to avoid the umbilical cord. This is a very sensitive region during this age. If wet, it can get infected and you will find yourself taking a trip back to the very same hospital you probably vowed that you never want to see again. So make sure you don’t have too much water on the cloth that will drip.

It isn’t until the umbilical cord falls off, that you will be in a more “safe” range for giving the baby an actual bath.

Me, myself, I like to wait until the fourth week because my motto is better safe than sorry. Besides, how dirty can a newborn be that should be at home recovering with Mommy anyway?

After the fourth week, you should sit a baby securely in a baby bathtub, and only have enough water, maybe two to four inches deep so that the baby is wet. Then, gently rub the baby with the baby cloth and soapy water. You can also wash the baby’s hair, making sure not to any, if possible, soap and water into the baby’s eyes. The key to this is to make sure the baby’s head is back and secure with your fore finger and thumb under the bottom of the head and your middle to pinky fingers on the neck.

As you see my baby girl loves to take baths

Always remember that these are the very gentle and fragile weeks of your sweet baby’s life, so handle with sweet and tender care.

By month two and beyond, the belly button, or naval, should be healed, and baby should now be enjoying their bath time with Mommy, Daddy or both.

Remember that you should always test the temperature of the water with your elbow or wrist before putting the baby in the bath. This is because as an adult, your hands are most likely used to hot water, and you will not be able to tell the difference if the water is actually too hot for the tender skin of the baby.

From newborn to the first four weeks, it is recommended that you only give your child a “bird bath”. This consists of maybe lying the infant on a changing table (or the bed as in my case) on top of the towel. You should have a bowl of luke warm water by the side along with the soap and lotion.