baby’s bath time

Before you head home with your newborn, ask your nurse whether the hospital offers bath classes. We took a bath class with each of our children, and it was so helpful. The nurse walked us through our baby’s first bath, which left us feeling much more comfortable giving baths at home. It was even helpful with our second child to get a refresher course on anything that may have changed or that we had forgotten.

Babies only need a bath two or three times a week. More than that can dry out their skin. I suggest having another adult on hand to help with bath time until you feel comfortable. It’s important to choose a bath time when your baby is not too tired or too hungry. Before bath time, gather all the supplies you will need and place them in reach of the bath. For newborn babies, you will give sponge baths until their umbilical cord falls off. The water should be warm to the touch, never hot. You can use a bath thermometer, your elbow or wrist to test the temperature. We used a rubber duck that measured whether the water was too hot or too cold, which took the guessing out of it and was fun for Baby to play with. You will also want to make sure the room you’re bathing your child in is warm and doesn’t have a draft.

To wash your baby you will want to use a soft baby washcloth and mild baby wash with no perfume or dyes that can irritate sensitive skin. Then you will gently wash each area of their body. When bath time is over, drain the water completely and quickly wrap your baby in a soft, warm towel so they don’t lose too much body heat.

Once their umbilical cord falls off, they can move to the sink, bath tub or other baby bath. Your child’s bath time will probably evolve as they grow. We progressed from the Blooming Bath Lotus Bath in the sink to the Munchkin White Hot Inflatable Duck Safety Bath Tub and, finally, to the fullsized bath tub as she grew into a toddler. If a certain tub you have isn’t working, try something new. With our first child, we found what we thought would work best actually didn’t work for us at all.

Bath time is a very calming experience that can help your child relax before bedtime if you make it part of your routine. Usually a bath followed by a bottle and a story was exactly what our little one needed to calm down and get ready for a good night’s sleep.