How to bathe your newborn (2024)

FAQs

How should you bathe a newborn? ›

You will need a bowl of lukewarm water, a washcloth and a mild, fragrance-free baby soap. Lay your baby down on a comfortable, flat surface. Keep your baby warm by wrapping him or her in a towel and only exposing the part of your baby's body that you are actively washing.

Don't put your baby in the tub for a few weeks after he or she is born. It's best to sponge-bathe your infant until the umbilical cord falls off and is completely healed. After that, you can place your baby in the water, making sure to support the head and neck at all times. Your baby doesn't need a bath every day.

Using soaps and shampoos

Only use plain water for newborn babies. You can start using unperfumed baby bath from about 4 to 6 weeks, but be careful to only use a little so you don't damage your baby's skin. Babies with longer hair may need a drop of mild shampoo on wet hair, lathered and rinsed off.

Once you bring your baby home, you can give them a sponge bath. You can clean their head, body, and diaper area. This is the safest way to bathe your baby until their umbilical cord falls off. Once the cord has fallen off on its own, you can begin bathing your baby by submerging their body in a shallow bath.

In some cases, a pediatrician may recommend postponing the use of lotion on a newborn until they are a few weeks old. This allows the baby's immune system to develop further, lowering the risk of potential irritants or allergens causing harm.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends delaying bathing until 24 hours (h) after birth, and when not possible, to be delayed for at least 6 h [7]. However, this recommendation was based on expert consensus. Delaying the first bath may allow time for a neonate's vitals to stabilize after birth.

But for most families, bathing the baby two to three times a week is plenty after the first couple of weeks of life. In fact, we recommend delaying your newborn's first full bath for at least two weeks. Newborns shed about three layers of skin within their first week, which often surprises new parents.

After the stump falls off, the skin underneath should be healed. Sometimes, the skin may be a little raw, and a little fluid may seep out. Continue to keep the areas dry and clean and it will soon heal. Contact your healthcare provider if the skin hasn't healed within two weeks of the stump falling off.

You should wash their face, neck, hands and bottom carefully each day. You can do this on a changing mat. Choose a time when your baby is awake and contented and make sure the room is warm.

“If you had a C-section, then you don't want to weaken those sutures [aka stitches], so we recommend waiting six weeks to allow the healing.” Be sure to check in with your provider about the right timeline for you—they may give you the all-clear sooner, or advise you to wait until your incision has done more healing.

When to stop skin to skin with baby? ›

If you loved the skin-to-skin contact you had with your baby just after childbirth, we have good news. This contact has benefits well beyond birth. Some health and development experts recommend it for at least 3 months for full-term babies and 6 months for preemies.

Delay the Bath

The WHO came out with a statement and time parameters stating “bathing should be delayed until after 24 hours of birth. If this is not possible due to cultural reasons, bathing should be delayed for at least six hours.” Appropriate clothing of the baby for temperature maintenance is recommended.

Wet a soft washcloth or a cotton ball with warm water containing mild baby cleanser. Hold your baby's legs apart and wipe between the labia, starting at the front and gently wiping backwards. Use a clean part of the cloth or a new cotton ball if you need to wipe again.

Signs of infection of the umbilical cord stump can result in omphalitis (a life-threatening infection of the umbilical cord). This is considered a serious condition and needs to be treated immediately.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that newborns should not be given a bath in the first 24 h but to wait until their vital signs become stable, especially that this will leave residual vernix caseosa intact allowing it to wear off with normal care and handling [2].

Experts generally agree that parents can safely bathe their newborns three times a week. That said, there is no hard and fast rule about how often you should bathe your infant. The AAP notes that three baths a week should be plenty for a newborn, but if you want to bathe your baby even less frequently, that's fine too!

Babies and young children should never be left unattended in a bath, not even for a second . Here are some bath time tips: Get everything ready ahead of your baby's bath, so you have everything you need to hand. Make sure you always use the hot and cold taps at the same time when you run the bath.