If you recently gave birth to your first baby, then firstly, congratulations and welcome to parenthood. No doubt, the first few months of your baby are a fantastic time for both of you.
But I know you might be wondering about how to bathe a newborn baby as it’s going to be a whole different experience for you.
Just don’t worry, I got you! It’s actually a straightforward process, and once you get to know everything related to it, you will be a baby bath expert soon.
So, keep reading and learn every little thing that may help you in bathing your little one.
Table of Contents
Tips to set up a newborn bath
Here are few tips for setting up a newborn bath. Make sure you follow these to get the best experience of bathing your newborn.
- Turn off your phone so that you don’t get distracted while bathing your baby.
- Ensure everything needed for bathing is within your reach, for example, towel, washcloth, diaper, clothes, etc.
- It is not wise to use soap while bathing a baby because it can dry the delicate skin of a little one. If you really want to use it, then prefer using fragrance-free oil or a gentle cleanser at last.
- Position your baby at a place where you can comfortably hold and bathe your baby.
- Fill the bath with warm water enough to wash your baby.
- Remember to take off your jewelry, watch, or anything which you are wearing in your hands.
- Make sure the temperature of the water is around 37-38C before putting your baby into it. Water must be comfortably warm, not too hot.
- Don’t add much water or more water once you have put your baby in the bath.
Steps to giving your newborn a bath
Following steps can make bathing newborns easy.
- Before you undress your baby, firstly wipe the eyelids with cotton wool soaked in lukewarm water. Squeeze the cloth to remove extra water and wash the whole face carefully. Make sure nothing enters into your baby’s nose, eyes, or ears. Prefer using new cotton wool for each wipe.
- Start undressing baby and take the diaper off at last.
- You can cradle the head of the baby to engage her in this process. Gently put your baby into the bath, keeping a firm hold.
- Support your baby’s head and lay her down in the bath in such a way that the back of the head is in the water. Gently put some water on to the baby’s head. You don’t really have to use shampoo because newborns and tiny babies don’t have much hair on their heads.
- At last, wash the genitals of the baby gently. Also, clean the bits of milk, poo, or vomit from the body creases of your baby.
Where to bath your newborn
Now comes the most frequently asked question where to bathe your newborn. Well! You can use the small plastic bath or kitchen sink to give a bath to your baby.
Using a kitchen sink can be most accessible in the first few weeks of a baby, but a plastic baby bath is probably the best option as your baby gets bigger.
You can also bath your baby in any warm room, which is safe; it doesn’t always have to be a bathroom.
Which one is best to bathe a baby: sink or full bath?
Some parents also ask which one is best to bathe a baby: sink or full bath. Then I must say it depends on you which suits you and your baby just go with that option.
There are few sinks having sink inserts to bathe a newborn. This can be suitable for you if you are running short of space in your home.
All the steps to give a bath to baby in the sink are the same as giving a bath in a full tub. While bathing, take care of the water from the sink faucet; it should not be too hot.
When your baby is a little older, usually 6 months or more, then you can use the full bathtub. Because at this age, babies generally start to sit on their own. Fill the tub with few inches of water and make sure the head and neck area of a baby is above the water level in the tub.
How to wash baby’s scalp and hair
If you are thinking of washing your baby’s scalp, don’t worry, I got you. It’s effortless, and a little more effort and knowledge can make it even easier. You can wash the baby’s scalp and hair twice a week.
Just hold your baby’s head with your hands and give gentle massage with baby shampoo into the hair (if they have any); otherwise, give massage directly to the scalp. Rinse it out with a wet washcloth. While giving a bath in the baby tub, you can also tip the baby’s head back gently and keep one hand over their forehead while pouring warm water. This way, water will spill out from the sides of their head without getting into ears or eyes.
Washing your baby’s hair gently won’t hurt a soft spot and will amuse your child as well. If your baby has a cradle cap, then gently brush your baby’s hair and scalp. However, take care of the scalp that you are not scaping or picking the scalp.
Conclusion
If you have any concerns about bathing a newborn baby, then talk with your pediatrician and clear your problems. It would help if you acted wisely to make things working. If you find out you are missing something or doing it wrong, taking an expert opinion should not be a problem.
No doubt babies are the best gift in the world one can ask for. So, make sure you take proper care of these beautiful gifts and let them soak in your warm love.
I hope this article helped you in getting answers to your concerns and you are prepared to perform your job well—best of luck in your journey of parenthood.