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Complete Guide to Newborn Bathing

Complete Guide to Newborn Bathing
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Last Updated: 03 August 2021

One of the hardest things in parenting toddlers and infants is understanding baby language. While most of the time this language comes in the form of loud cries and uncontrolled wails, it can also present itself through adorable laughs, useless mumblings that the parent can’t understand as well as sound sleep – this is when you know they are at peace.

However, understanding this language during a baby bath becomes another hurdle most parents dread. Even if you are well on your way to your fourth kiddo, you still could use some newborn bathing tips. To put it so simply, there isn’t an established method of how to bathe a newborn but you sure can use some tips that will ensure you won’t bring harm to your kids.

Baby’s First Bath

baby's first bath

This is quite crucial and few parents have little knowledge of this. A recent 2019 study clarifies this issue of when to give the newborn first bath. The study found that doing so after the first 48 hours not only aided in skin development but also improved breastfeeding. It is not advisable to give babies a direct bath after birth due to their skin sensitivity. As we go on, you will see what we actually mean by sensitivity.

This first newborn birth needs to be done with extra caution and using the best baby bathtub. You can borrow tips from the nurses before going out of the hospital since they’ll advise you from experience. Make the sponge bath as light as possible and avoid using soap or shampoo during the first few weeks (about 3-4 weeks).

How Often to Bathe Baby

Parenting is an amazing lesson – and just like with any other lesson, it involves a learning curve. So prepare to be corrected where you might have held other notions and we’ll also be glad if you’d correct us where you feel we’ve gone astray. Our conclusions on how often to bathe a newborn come from studies and findings from dermatologists and pediatrics.

Bathing a newborn ought to be as less frequent as possible. This is because babies generally don’t sweat as adults do and also have more sensitive skin. As they grow up, the parent can increase the frequency also depending on the level of spillage and mess especially during feeding. If you have a cranky bundle of cranky joy like we had, be sure this will be quite frequent.

How Often Should I Bathe My 1 Month Old Baby?

When trying to answer how often should I bathe my newborn, the first factor to consider is their ‘age’. Nurses and medics are quite strict in the first 2 months especially. They claim that this should be kept at a minimum of 1-2 times in a week and understandably so. Ensure the water is warm enough as you use a sponge or a light cloth to cleanse. Avoid pouring water at this stage when in the baby bathtub. Once the umbilical stump is done away with, you can think of incorporating more traditional baths.

how often should i bathe my 6 month old

How Often Should I Bathe My 6 Month Old?

It’s about time you started making use of the best baby shampoo. Get a natural one that combines all that you are looking for. Most of these are not scented for obvious reasons. Now that you know how often to give a newborn bath, you’ll need to get acquainted with how to wash a newborn.

The baby’s first bath was probably the most fragile of them all. Once you’ve gotten a handle on that, the proceeding ones become easier and easier. You also get to learn your baby more and more. From 2-6 months of age, your baby is rapidly developing and they start gaining mass and weight. Their food intakes have generally shot up and thus are more prone to frequent diaper changes. How often to bathe newborn at this particular stage goes up to about 2-3 times a week (if they have a love relationship with water, make it thrice)!

How Often to Bathe 1 Year Old

Your best baby bathtub should be in use more frequently now. Your question should now shift from when to give the newborn a bath to when to bathe a newborn baby. At 12 months is also the perfect time if you were wondering when can baby swim.

Perhaps you are confused and wondering what the difference is between those two. See, now it should be a matter of monitoring your kid’s activity to reach a sensible decision of when can you bathe a newborn. This is around the age when you start introducing something other than formula and breastmilk. They have even become more mobile and perhaps it is time to upgrade your best baby bathtub. By the 3rd month, you should have stuck to a single shampoo that doesn’t have irritating effects on their skin.

Out of the 3-4 times, you bathe a newborn during this period, use the best baby shampoo only twice. If you are comfortable, put a swimsuit and enjoy those intimate baths with your kid till they reach around 1. Make sure you maintain the bath temperature for newborns even as you enjoy these baths. Moreover, use a dye-free soap with mild fragrance to avoid cases of eczema.

Baby Bath Safety

baby bath safety

Remember what might be warm to you might be quite hot for your tot. As such, bathtub temperatures for babies should be kept at lukewarm levels.

Ensure all the materials you will need are within reach and always have your hand around the baby’s neck to support the head. With the baby towel placed on your shoulders, wrap the baby after washing as you dry them. They shouldn’t be in the water for periods longer than 10-15 minutes. Apply the best baby moisturizer and dress them ASAP. Most toddlers will go to sleep immediately afterward.

bath water temperature for newborn

Bath Water Temperature for Newborn

Ideally, the bathtub temperatures for newborn babies should be their body temperatures. This will neither be too hot nor too cold for them. This is around 37°C – 38°C which translates to 98.6°F and 100.4°F. This is precisely why they should not take long in the best baby bathtub as the water is losing heat.

Newborn Bathing Tips

  • It’s always advisable to start at the top particularly the eyes and face and finish with the groins/genitals.
  • Instead of pouring water on them, use a wet washcloth for best results on how to wash babyface.
  • Washing newborn hair is also simple and most neonates enjoy this. Apply a drop of shampoo or baby wash on your hands or their head and rub gently with your palms. Here you can gently pour water to clean off the soap and use a washcloth to dry. The regularity of giving them an entire body wash is exactly how often to wash baby hair.
  • Try as much as possible to only expose parts being cleaned outside from the water.
  • Focus on the folds and rolls on their necks, wrists, and thighs as you also clean their fingers, hands, and feet. The folds are a probable place to inhibit bacteria.
  • Should you notice cracks on the skin or excessive dryness, try a different shampoo for a change.

Conclusion

This is the one period in your life your baby will be extremely dependent on you. Baby bath safety tips are therefore crucial to apply however you decide to wash your bambino. In case you need any further directions, make sure you get professional help from communities such as parenthoodroutine.com. All the best with your blessed little merry bundle!

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