• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Women Deserve Better

Women Deserve Better: For us, that means better information, better support, and better choices. Life brings challenges. We bring empowerment, because we’ll never underestimate women.

  • Work
    • Find a Job
    • Build a Career
    • Take Maternity Leave
    • Thrive As a Working Parent
    • Know Your Rights at Work
  • Learn
    • Earn Your Degree As a Parent
    • Know Your Rights on Campus
    • Finance Your Education
    • Medical Care for Student Moms
    • Housing for Student Parents
    • Child Care While You’re In Class
  • Live
    • Child Care
    • Feeding Your Family
    • Elder Care
    • Housing
    • Clothes
    • Medical Care
    • Getting Around
    • Money Matters
    • Gardening
    • Special Needs
    • Fun
    • Self-Help
  • Love
    • Adoption
    • Bonding
    • Fathers
    • Your Parents
    • Support Networks
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Contributors
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • View Cart/Checkout
  • Support Us
  • Donate
  • Home

18 Tips for Bathing Baby

July 16, 2019 by Bethanie Ryan

mom giving baby a bath

Bathing your baby is an important part of keeping him or her happy and healthy. It might seem scary at first, but with the right preparation and a little practice, you’ll have this routine down.

Until his or her umbilical cord falls off, it’s best to give Baby sponge baths.

  • Gather everything you need. Once you start, you can’t leave Baby alone, even for a second:

-dry towel

-baby soap

-bowl or cup

-washcloths

-clean diaper

-change of clothes

  • Choose a flat surface that’s not too cold, and one where you can keep a hand on Baby at all times. You can lay a towel down so it’s warmer and more comfortable for him.
  • After Baby is undressed, lie her down and begin gently wiping her with a warm washcloth. If you would like, you can use a little bit of baby soap on her body.
  • If your baby is unhappy, you can lay a towel over him and only expose each section at a time. This will help him feel warm and more secure.

Once the umbilical cord falls off, you can start giving Baby real baths! 

  • Again, gather all of your supplies first. Again, once you start, you can’t leave Baby alone, even for a second. For a real bath, you’ll need the same supplies as a sponge bath. A small baby bathtub/sling-type contraption can also be useful. If you don’t have one, you can bathe Baby in the kitchen sink or in the regular bathtub supporting her head and neck carefully.
  • Fill the tub with a few inches of warm water. Check the temperature by sticking your wrist in. 
  • Undress Baby and lower him carefully into the water.
  • Supporting her head and neck with one hand, work up a light lather into the warm washcloth and gently wipe down Baby. 
  • Pay special attention to places that are more likely to get dirty, like the creases under Baby’s neck. 
  • If you’re using soap on Baby’s scalp, cup your hand across his forehead, or gently tilt his head back so soap doesn’t get into his eyes. 
  • For her face, rinse out the washcloth so it’s just warm water.
  • Keep testing the temperature during the bath to make sure it’s not getting too cold.
  • Once Baby has been washed with soap, use cupfuls/bowlfuls of water to rinse him off. 
  • Carefully lift Baby out of the tub, supporting her head and neck.
  • Place him into the towel and gently pat her dry, then dress her. Newborn babies generally don’t need any type of after-bath products like lotions, and baby powder is usually no longer recommended because of the dangers of inhalation.

Once Baby can sit up, you can move to using the normal large bathtub. She can also play with toys and splash around in the water — this is when bathtime starts to get fun for both of you!

A few more things to know:

  • You don’t need to bathe your baby every day; three times a week or so is fine. 
  • If Baby urinates in the tub, it’s OK. Urine is sterile, so you can just keep going.
  • If he has a bowel movement, you’ll have to drain the tub and fill it back up, but he won’t get sick as long as he doesn’t get any in his mouth.

By following these helpful tips, bathing Baby can become a fun bonding experience for both of you!

Sources:

https://www.parents.com/baby/care/bath/how-to-give-baby-a-bath/

https://www.thebump.com/a/what-to-know-about-baby-s-first-bath

https://www.babycenter.com/0_bathing-your-newborn_1198068.bc

https://www.pampers.com/en-us/newborn-baby/care/article/sponge-bath-how-to-sponge-bathe-a-newborn

https://www.oviahealth.com/guide/10672/giving-baby-a-sponge-bath

https://www.parents.com/baby/care/bath/from-sponge-baths-to-tub-baths-step-by-step-tips/

By Stella Masucci

Filed Under: Bonding, Live, Love, Medical Care Tagged With: baby bath, bath, bathing

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. What Baby Really Needs says:
    May 21, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    […] insert: If you plan on using a bathtub or sink to wash the baby, some equipment to keep her safe and comfortable is highly recommended. Many parents find a seat […]

Primary Sidebar

Suggested Articles

How Can Infant Massage Help You Better Bond with Your Baby?

What Type of Diaper Is Best for Your Baby—and You?

When You Can’t Breastfeed

fb-share-icon

Footer

Women Deserve Better

4 hours ago

Women Deserve Better
No lies detected.So true! ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Women Deserve Better

1 day ago

Women Deserve Better
😁🫶🏽#momlife 💕 ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

womendeservebetter

Getting ready in the morning. #mommeme #mommemes Getting ready in the morning.

#mommeme #mommemes #parenting #parentingishard #parentingmeme #parentingmemes #dadmeme #dadmemes
Nothing quite as frustrating as your kid refusing Nothing quite as frustrating as your kid refusing to clean up. 

#mommeme #mommemes #parentingmeme #parentingmemes #dadmeme #dadmemes
True story. Me: Time for bed! Toddler: I'm going True story.

Me: Time for bed!

Toddler: I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.

#mommeme #mommemes #parentingmeme #parentmemes #dadmeme #dadmemes #bedtime #bedtimeishard #bedtimewithtoddlers #bedtimewithtoddler
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Thanks for signing up!

GET OUR LATEST NEWS

ABOUT

  • Our Mission
  • Contributors

SUPPORT US

  • Donate
  • Become a Partner
  • Share Your Story or Your Expertise
  • Promote Women Deserve Better

Women Deserve Better: For us, that means better information, better support, and better choices. Life brings challenges. We bring empowerment, because we’ll never underestimate women.

Copyright © 2023 — Feminists for Life of America • All rights reserved.