Bath time might be part of your nightly ritual, but doctors actually don't recommend daily baths for babies. Excess exposure to water can zap their skin of moisture and worsen conditions like eczema. Then again, not bathing your baby often enough can also aggravate eczema, plus lead to other infections.
"It's a delicate balance," says Scott Grant, M.D., MPH, FAAP, at Detroit Medical Center's Children's Hospital of Michigan. But bathing itself is probably not the entire problem: "The use of bath products, including lotions that contain dyes or fragrances, can react with babies' skin to make eczema worse even if there isn't a 'bath,'" says Dr. Grant.
So how often should you bathe a newborn? Read on for expert advice.
When To Bathe a Newborn for the First Time
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), newborn babies should not get their first bath until 24 hours after birth; if a full day is not possible, they recommend waiting at least 6 hours after your baby is born. Delaying your baby's bath can have several different benefits, such as:
Helping your baby keep their body temperature stable and preventing hypothermia
Helping stabilize your baby's blood sugar
Improving breastfeeding success if you will be nursing
Encouraging bonding with you and any other caregivers
Helping moisturize your baby's skin
Preserving beneficial bacteria on your baby's skin
Most hospitals are very familiar with the AAP's stance on delaying the newborn bath and many hospitals have a policy for a delayed bath, but many don't. Either way, you can ask staff ahead of time if you have any concerns about delaying your newborn's first bath.
When your baby comes home and is ready for baths, you'll want to stick with sponge baths until after their umbilical cord stump falls off—usually a couple of weeks after birth. You must also rely on sponge baths until circumcision incisions heal.
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! In general, you can bathe your baby when they are dirty or if you notice that distinctive "cheese" starting to set in in their skin folds.
"Obviously there are unique messes that babies can find themselves in as they get older and more mobile that may require an extra bath from time to time," says Dr. Grant. "But in general, this rule is sufficient as long as the diaper area is cleaned appropriately at each diaper change."
Cleaning Your Baby Between Baths
Just as you'd still apply deodorant when forgoing your own shower, certain baby parts need attention daily whether they're getting a full-on bath or not.
"Be sure that you're cleaning the diaper area well, especially following stool or 'poopy' diapers, in between skin folds," Dr. Grant advises. For instance, to properly clean a vulva, make sure you wipe front to back using a clean unscented wipe and check the folds for trapped stool.
To recap, bathing your baby no more than three times a week is perfectly healthy, given that you wipe the diaper area thoroughly at each changing and apply moisturizer daily.
How often does my newborn need a bath? There's no need to give your newborn baby a bath every day. Three times a week might be enough until your baby becomes more mobile. Bathing your baby too much can dry out your baby's skin.
Newborns don't need a bath every day. They rarely sweat or get dirty enough to need a full bath that often. Three baths per week during baby's first year may be enough. Bathing more frequently can dry out your baby's skin.
Once they hit six months, you can start bathing them three to four times a week; you can also bathe them daily if your doctor gives you the go-ahead. And once they become a toddler, you should be bathing (or showering) them daily or every other day. It's best to use warm water for a baby bath or shower.
You can safely tub bathe your baby after birth and before the cord falls off. Your baby may be bathed every two to three days with mild baby bathing products. Bathing often can dry your baby's skin. Spot clean areas such as baby's chin and mouth, neck folds, diaper area and creases of the groin each day.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health. It depends in part on your lifestyle.
You don't need to bathe your baby every day. You may prefer to wash their face, neck, hands and bottom instead. This is often called "topping and tailing". Choose a time when your baby is awake and content.
Most babies only need their hair washed two or three times per week, but it's best to use your parental instinct. You'll know when your child's hair is dirty and could do with a wash. If it doesn't need shampooing, you don't need too, just gently rinse their head with water and a soft flannel.
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.
Gently clean around the umbilical cord (the folds) every day until it drops off and the belly button is healed. Here are a few tips for cleaning the umbilical cord and keeping it dry: Gently clean the area with a cotton swab (Q-Tips®) soaked in warm water. Don't use alcohol because it delays the cord dropping off.
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. Most babies do well with 2 or 3 baths per week.
While there is no ideal frequency, experts suggest that showering several times per week is plenty for most people (unless you are grimy, sweaty, or have other reasons to shower more often). Short showers (lasting three or four minutes) with a focus on the armpits and groin may suffice.
In general, you should give your bathroom a good clean at least once a week. This includes wiping down the toilet and sink. The floor and bathtub should be cleaned every two weeks or so. It is also important to invest in a deep clean every month or so.
When counting people who shower every day, Mexicans and Australians led significantly, followed by Americans and the French. Brits, Russians, Swedes and Germans averaged less, with Chinese coming in the least frequent.
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.
In those first few weeks postpartum, your cervix is still somewhat dilated, regardless of whether you had a vagin*l delivery or a c-section. There's a theory – though no research has confirmed this – that tub water could travel into your uterus, introduce bacteria, and cause an infection.
A baby under 28 days or up to 3 months of age is often called a newborn; however, there is no single or set definition. The term baby or infant may be used from birth up to around 1 year of age. Once your baby turns 1 year old, they are often referred to as a toddler.
Test the temperature of the water on the inside of your wrist to ensure that it's not too hot. Then, gently guide your baby into the water, feet first. Most of your baby's body should be well above the water, so occasionally pour warm water over your baby's body for warmth.
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