Â
Bathes relax the babies and help them to fall asleep better. But bathing a baby is not that relaxing for any parent. Is the water too warm? Is the water cold? What if the baby slipped out of my hands? What if I get water into the baby’s eyes or the ears? Am I washing my baby too much? Bathing a new baby will come with so many questions. You can have half a dozen babies and still, you will be wondering if you are doing it right. Yes! Being a parent is not easy but you are not alone in this battle.
This article is for all the parents who are stressed out about how often you should bathe your baby. Keep reading to know how often you should bathe baby, why you shouldn’t bathe your baby every day, and a few bathing tips you can follow in your baby’s bathtime.
CONTENT
1.   Baby’s first bath – Should I delay the first bath of my baby?
2.   Why shouldn’t you bathe your baby every day?
1. Baby’s first bath – Should I delay the first bath of my baby?
Over the generations, it has been a tradition to bathe the babies right after they were born. You, me, and our parents as well as our grandparents had our first bath within the first hours of our life. But recent research suggests that delayed bathes can benefit the babies.
Recent research concluded that postponing the first bath of the newborns to 48 hours after the birth can help in preserving the body temperature of the newborn as well as improving the skin moisture and promoting skin development. Another study on the same topic confirms that delaying the newborn fresh bath resulted in increased in-hospital exclusive breastfeeding raise and use of human milk as a part of the discharge feeding plan. Accordingly, delaying the first bath of your newborn can benefit you in many ways.
It is always your choice to decide whether to delete the first part of your baby or not. In most hospitals, the babies are given their first part by the nurses just after the birth. So if you have decided to delay the first bath of your baby, include it in your birth plan and let your doctor and the nurses know.
Once you are discharged from the hospital, you can bathe your newborn one to two times per week at home. But until the baby’s umbilical stump dries and falls off, you should not immerse your baby’s body in water. In the meantime, a gentle sponge bath would be ideal to clean your baby.
Take a washcloth or a soft sponge and sort it in lukewarm water. Start cleaning your baby with the wet washcloth from their head and face and gently move down. Make sure you don’t touch the umbilical stump with the sponge because it can cause infections or hurt your baby.
When the baby is in a mess that needs to be cleaned such as milk spit up or a diaper blowout you can wipe the baby with a washcloth or a sponge-like above. Unless there is a special reason, the newborns do not need to be bathed daily.
2. Why shouldn’t you bathe your baby every day?
We have baths almost every day so it might not feel right not to bathe your baby daily. The babies do not sweat or get dirty as fast as we do. So there is no need for frequent baths. Further, the babies have very soft skin which is more sensitive than ours. If we bathe them more frequently the skin will be dried and damaged.
Giving a daily bath to your baby can dry out the baby’s skin and in the worst cases the baby will end up in skin conditions like eczema. So bathe your baby only two times per week and wash them with a gentle tear-free, fragrance-free, and dye-free baby wash. After the bath, pat dry the baby and apply a fragrance-free, dye-free, baby moisturizer to make sure the skin stays moist.
If your baby is experiencing a special skin condition like the cradle cap, contact your pediatrician and know exactly what products and bath time routine you should follow to make them fade away.
3. One to three months
In the first 3 months of a baby’s life, you can bathe them one to two times a week. Until the umbilical stump falls off, you should only clean your baby by using a wet sponge or washcloth without getting water into the umbilical stump.
Once the umbilical stump has fallen and completely healed you can give them a usual bath by immersing their body in a small tub. Fill the tub with warm water until it is half full. Let the baby sit in the bathtub and play with water while you wash them. You can use a baby wash which is gentle and tear-free.
Use a damp towel to cover the baby to keep them warm during the bath. Remember to start cleaning with the baby’s face and head and then move downward.
If you have someone to help you around you can bathe the baby with you. Bring the baby to the bathtub with you and clean them in the same way you would clean him in his own tub. Have the temperature of water lower than your usual preference because the babies feel the temperature more than we do.
Always hand over the baby to your partner or the person who is there for your help. Never try to get out of the bathtub with the baby in your hands because the bathtubs are slippery and can hurt both you and the baby.
4. Three to six months
So many things change as your baby grows up. By three months you will know your baby’s preferences, patterns triggers. So you can consider changing their bath time routine also.
Although your baby needs a bath only once or twice a week, you can bathe your baby a few more times if he seems to benefit from frequent baths. Some babies sleep and eat well after bathes. You can just give your baby frequent baths if he just loves water and it seems to make him happy.
A problem that can result from frequent baths is dry skin. So if you are giving your baby more than one to two baths per week use a fragrance-free, dye-free lotion to moisten their skin after the bath. Do not use a baby wash or baby soap for every bath if you clean your baby more often.
5. Six to twelve months
At this age, your baby will move by himself and also start to eat solid food. Starting to eat solid food will have you cleaning and bathing your baby after every meal. You will be amazed how fast the mess can happen when your baby starts to try new foods. So there will be many more baths even though they only need one or two sessions per week.
If you are trying to establish a bath time routine for your baby, including the bathtime as part of it. Baths can soothe your baby and help them fall asleep comfortably. So having it in the bathtime routine will make it easier for both the baby and you.
6. Baby bathtime tips
Hygiene and cleanliness are important for the well-being of your baby and bathtime play a major role in that process. A Bath should clean the baby properly but it should not be hard and rough to damage the skin of the baby. There is nothing to stress about if you understand what to do and what to avoid.
Follow these tips to make bath time a safe and fun experience for your baby and you.
- Start cleaning your baby from his head and face. Soaping or rinsing your baby with water start it from the head and move downwards.
- Most of the babies have folds in their arms and legs. When you are bathing your baby, do not forget to clean in between these folds because they can have collected dirt and bacteria inside them.
- Clean the hands and the toes of your baby. The babies love to suck their fingers and toes and you do not meet them to be full of germs. Rub in between the fingers and toes with the wash clothes you are using to clean the baby.
- The small baby bathtubs can fit perfectly into the kitchen sinks of the bathroom sinks. You do not have to strain your back trying to give your baby a bath if you can fit the baby’s mini tub into a sink. You can continue to have the baby’s bathtub inside the sink until your baby can roll out a move by himself.
- Be careful with the bathing products you choose for your baby. Read the ingredients and ensure all the chemicals included in the product are good for your baby. It is recommended to use tear-free, fragrance-free dye-free products on babies.
