How to Give a Baby Bath

[minisoji]

Giving a baby bath can be confusing and a little scary for new parents, but it doesn’t have to be. Knowing what you’ll need and what to do can make bath time a special bonding time between babies and parents. As your baby gets older, bath time can even be fun. Kids love to splash and play with water toys, and you’ll love sculpting their soft hair into new styles. Plus, cute towels designed like frogs and cows can make adorable bath time pictures.

What Do You Need?
Before you begin, gather everything you’ll need for the bath. This will make everything quicker and will prevent you from having to take your baby back into their nursery for a forgotten towel or washcloth. Remember to never leave a baby in or near water unattended, not even for a second. If you’re interrupted to answer the phone or door, take your baby with you. Babies can drown in even a tiny amount of water.

Supplies you may need include a washcloth, a towel, baby shampoo, moisturizing soap, baby wipes, a clean diaper and a change of clothes. What you won’t need is cotton swabs; not only can they cause accidents, but you won’t be washing the insides of your baby’s ears yet.

Bathing a Newborn
Newborns require sponge baths until the umbilical cord falls off or a baby boy’s circumcision has healed. After that they’ll be ready for a bath in the tub or sink. A newborn doesn’t need a bath every day; in fact, this may dry out their skin. To keep them clean in between baths, simply wash dirty areas with a damp washcloth and dry.

To give a baby a sponge bath, fill a basin with warm water. Use your wrist elbow to test the water so that you can accurately discern whether the water is the right temperature. Be careful that the water isn’t too hot, as that can scald a baby, especially a newborn.

Put your baby in a safe place for bathing, like a crib (on a towel) or the floor. Make sure you have one hand on your baby at all times. If you’re bathing on the changing table, use the safety strap. Make sure the room where you’re bathing is warm, as babies can get cold very quickly.

Dip a washcloth into the water and wring it out until it is damp. Carefully wash your baby’s entire body. You may want to keep exposed parts of your baby’s body covered with a towel or blanket when you’re not washing to help keep your baby warm. When washing a baby’s bottom, always start from the front and work your way back to prevent infection.

You can wash your baby’s hair if it seems dirty or if your baby develops cradle cap, or scaly patches on the scalp. To wash a baby’s hair, drop a small amount of baby shampoo onto the scalp and massage. If your baby does have cradle cap, use a baby hairbrush or toothbrush to loosen the scales. Finally, rinse the shampoo off.

The Next Stage
Once your baby has progressed from the sponge bath, you may want to use a bathtub designed just for babies. Other options include a plain plastic basin, or a towel or rubber mat lining a sink. Safety is the most important thing to look for when deciding where to bathe your baby.

Fill the tub or basin with just a few inches of water. To reduce the chances of burning your baby, set your water heater below 120 F. Never run hot water near your baby; get the temperature right before adding your child by running hot water first, then using cold water to lower the temperature.

Bathing a baby in a tub is similar to bathing a newborn, except you may have to do some maneuvering to get to all the areas you need to wash. To do this, lean your baby forward on your arm, keeping a firm grasp on the armpit. Support your baby’s head, neck and back when rinsing hair. You may want to keep a warm, wet washcloth on your baby’s stomach to keep her warm, since the stomach may be above the water line. Wash your baby’s hair last to keep your baby warm, as most heat is lost through the head.

Although it may be tempting to slather on baby lotion after a bath, this isn’t a good idea. Lotion can create a rash by blocking your baby’s sweat glands. Make sure you fully dry your baby after every bath to prevent rash and protect sensitive skin. Another way to keep the skin baby-soft and free of irritation is to use baby shampoo or soap designed for babies rather than the harsh soaps and shampoos that adults use. Avoid using anything other than water to wash your baby’s face until around six months of age. Even gentle cleaners can
cause eye irritation and soaps tend to dry out the skin, which can cause rashes or acne.