Bathing Your Baby - Best Practices

Safety Tips & Techniques for baby bathing

Gather all the things you will need before you start to give the bath.
It is vital to ascertain that the temperature of the room isn’t too hot or chilly.
The temperature of the bath water should be luke warm to prevent chilling or burning the baby. If you do not have a bath thermometer, test the water with your elbow. When you place your elbow in the water, it should feel warm, not hot.
Always keep a firm hold on your baby during the bath. Baby skin can get slippery during bath.
Keep one hand on your baby when you turn away from him or her or step to the side.
Never leave your baby alone during the bath, not even “for a second.” Children can quickly drown in only one inch of water.

When should newborns get their first bath?

Once the umbilical cord stump dries up, falls off, and the area heals, then you can start giving your newborn a bath. Before that give your newborn a sponge baths with a warm, damp soft cloth. It also important to wash the face and hands frequently & clean the genital area thoroughly after each diaper change.

How often does my newborn need a bath?

Some of the parents bathe their newborns every day but bathing isn’t really that necessary more than three times a week during the first year. It gets essential when the baby starts crawling around and getting into messes. Bathing your baby too frequently can result in dry skin.

Is a sponge bath good enough?

It entirely depends on your baby’s age. For newborns, it can be enough, provided you have the right help and the individual has the knowledge about the process. However, always ensure that all of the genital areas of your baby are well cleaned and dried off.

For babies, that are more than few months old should take bath at least a couple of times a week.