Bathing Your Newborn Baby
Friday, April 3rd, 2009
For the first week or so, until your baby’s umbilical cord stump falls off and the area heals, it is best to stick to sponge baths with a lukewarm, moistened washcloth. Wash his face and hands frequently and thoroughly clean his genital area after each diaper change.
After the umbilical cord stump dries up, falls off and the area heals, you can start giving your newborn tub baths. While a baby is tiny, it makes the most sense to use the kitchen sink or a small plastic baby tub instead of a standard tub. Although some parents bathe their babies every day for the sheer pleasure of it, until a baby is crawling around and getting into messes, a bath isn’t really necessary more than once or twice a week. When you do bathe your newborn, you may find it a little scary at first. Handling a wiggling, wet, and soapy little creature takes practice and confidence, so stay calm and maintain a good grip on him. Some babies find the warm water very soothing. If this is the case with your baby, let him linger. Others cry through the whole bath. Keeping the bathing room warm can help.
