A New Mom’s Survival Guide To Bathing Your Newborn

You have just given birth to your first newborn baby! Congratulations. Welcome to the Mom’s Club. From elation, excitement, and worry, emotions can run sky high. Throw in a body recovering from a super hero feat and extreme sleep deprivation from feeding your baby every few hours and it can be hard to even see straight. Breathe in mama, you’ve totally got this.

 

Bathing a newborn can be tricky the first time, but with a little practice it’s easy to get the hang of and will likely become one of your favorite times of day. Preparation is the secret sauce to making sure the operation runs smoothly. Be sure to have a general plan and the supplies you need before getting started.

 

Supplies for infant bathing are:

● Baby shampoo & soap

● A soft baby washcloth

● A soft hooded towel

● A baby bathtub

● A plastic cup

● Gentle moisturizer

● A thermometer to test the bath water temperature

● A clean diaper as well as a clean sleeper or clothing

 

In addition to that, here are 6 easy-to-follow newborn bathing tips are listed below:

1. Have Your Supplies On Hand

Before you are ready to bathe your newborn, be sure to have all of your supplies that were listed above ready and in place. Find a stable area to put the supplies that will make it easier for you to access them as you bathe your newborn. If you choose to give your baby a bath in the bathroom, you can use the bathroom countertop if there is enough space. If you want to bathe your baby in the kitchen, then place the items on the kitchen countertop. Those are easy examples of stable surfaces to place the items on.

 

When it comes to placing the towel for when the infant bath time is finished, place it on a stable area where you can dry the baby gently and quickly. A hooded towel can be especially helpful because the hood helps to the towel to stay on your baby and keep the baby’s head warm. Also, the general size and shape of hooded towels allow it to be used like a swaddle, so you can wrap the up tightly and snuggle them warm for a few minutes before proceeding to dress.

 

Another thing to do at the same time is to remove any rings or bracelets. Your baby's skin is very soft and sensitive and you won't want to irritate it with your jewelry getting into the way as you wash your baby.

2. Set The Room Temperature At A Warmer Setting

Babies get cold very easily, and you will want to prevent that by setting the room temperature up to a setting that will prevent your newborn from shivering. The ideal temperature to set the home is at 23C or 73.4F. Be sure to do this before you turn the water on.

3. Turn On The Water And Set It At The Ideal Temperature For The Newborn

Now that you have your supplies out and the room temperature has been set, you are now at the stage where you can turn the water on. However, the temperature of the water used to bathe the newborn must be set at the temperature which is similar to the natural human temperature of 98.6F or 37C. It does not have to be at that exact temperature. The water temperature that is between 90F or 32.2C to 100F or 37.8C is perfect. Test it with a thermometer so you know when to start bathing your baby.

4. Be Gentle When Putting Your Baby Into The Bath

The water is now at the right temperature to start bathing your newborn. The first thing to do is to take a few deep breaths and relax. You got this. And now take one hand to support the back of your baby's head, and take the other to put onto your baby's bottom for support. Gently put your newborn into the baby bathtub so that his or her little toes are dipping into the water first, and not the head!

 

What you may want to do which is optional is to place a towel onto the surface of the baby bathtub before putting the baby in. This can prevent him or her from slipping and sliding around too much.

5. Lather Up, Rinse, And Wash

Now your infant is in the bath, and it is time to wash and lather up. Take the soft washcloth and put some of the soap on it. Gently wash your baby's head and face first. After that is done, then go to the arms, torso, and then the legs.

 

Don't miss the elbows and knees. Be sure to clean your baby's genital areas as this is highly important as if it is not cleaned properly, it can lead to infections.

 

Important tip: If you have a newborn son that has been circumcised, you will only want to give him a sponge bath until the circumcision has healed. The pediatrician will give you the green light as to when you can fully bathe him at that point.

 

If your baby has a little bit of hair, put a drop of baby shampoo on it and lather it up. The next step is to take the plastic cup and fill it with water and rinse off the soap and shampoo.

 

While you are bathing your newborn, sing to him or to her in order to keep the environment calm. He or she may enjoy the bath or may not like it. You will know by how he or she reacts. if your infant is bothered by the bath, you will want to get through the time quicker.

6. Pat Your Newborn Dry Gently

Your baby is washed up and now it is time to remove your infant from the bath. Place your baby right onto the hooded bath towel and wrap them up. Make sure you do this quickly because your newborn will get cold. Once you are done, put some gentle moisturizing lotion onto your baby's skin, then put on a new diaper, and then finally dress your baby in the sleeper or clothing.

 

Now you have a clean baby! And you see that after utilizing these newborn bathing tips how easy it is!

 

Another tip that you will want to take advantage of is to bathe your baby in the evening. A nice warm bath will make your little one drowsy which will encourage your newborn to fall asleep quickly. However, and once your little one falls asleep, go and get some sleep while you can. Your new alarm clock will be up again in a few hours for a feeding.