Topics:

Bath time, baby

We’ve got the answers to all of your baby-bathing questions

Susan Spicer,

Originally published in Today's Parent June 2011

Send
Share

Donna Connely has bathed hundreds of babies — and answered almost as many questions — as a nurse and clinical leader of development in the family newborn unit of IWK Hospital in Halifax. Here, she answers the most common concerns:

Bath time, baby

A sponge bath is just fine. Start with her swaddled in a blanket and wash her face and hair. Use plain water on her face, and a clean corner of a baby face-cloth to wipe from inside to outside of each eye. Holding the baby like a football, with your hand supporting her head and neck, wet her scalp. Use a tiny drop of shampoo to lather her hair. Rinse well and pat dry.

Now lay your baby down on a comfortable surface and unwrap her body. Wash her torso and back, her legs and feet, and finally her bottom. A girl’s genital area should be wiped from front to back. Wipe around a boy’s penis, but do not attempt to retract the foreskin. Dry your baby carefully, paying special attention to the creases. Dress her and wrap her warmly.

When can I try again with a full bath?

A baby’s temperature mechanism stabilizes within a week or two after birth, says Connely, which means the baby will be less upset by being undressed and exposed to the cool air. Be assured that most babies come to love the bath. In a few months, you may have trouble getting her out of the tub.

Subscribe to Today's Parent for just $14.95* That's only $1.25 an issue!