Your Baby's Bath - Safe and Enjoyable

Your baby's bath can be a stressful moment with an infant screaming at the top of his voice, fear of dropping him, the phone ringing and the diapers somewhere else.

Or it can be a great moment to look forward to both for you and your baby.

It just needs a bit of planning and timing.

Follow our tips and you can't go wrong!

Tips for Bathing Your Baby

2) Bathing a newborn?

3) When?

4) Where?

5) How?

6) Never ever leave your baby alone!

7) Watch out for kicks!

8) Hop in the tub together

1) Load your camera

This is a great part of the daily (or weekly maybe) baby care!

For your baby's first dive, load the camera! Not because he's likely to react in any particular way, but because it's a memorable moment. Many newborn babies get very calm when put in warm (not hot!) water.

On the other hand, many newborns get furious when stripped naked. So if you don't want to record that, wait until you are just about to put him into the water before you get any film rolling.

2) Bathing a newborn?

The advices vary whether you can bathe a newborn baby or not before the umbilical cord or any circumcision has healed. I wouldn't. It just doesn't feel right to wet a wound on a little baby.

Instead, give your baby a sponge wash if you like. That is, put him down on a soft towel in a warm room. Wash him carefully with warm water especially on his face, neck, armpits and the diaper area.

Don't care about the rest of the body; a newborn baby doesn't get dirty!

3) When?

You can bathe your baby more or less anytime.

You don't have to do it often, though. Babies don't really get dirty. Once a week is just fine. If you wet him very often, there is a risk that his skin will get dry.

The evening is a good time of the day to set up your baby's bathing routine. Bathing is said to first increase any person's metabolism and then reduce it, making you tired.

Many babies sleep well after a nice, warm moment in the water.

4) Where?

Your baby is not picky. Buy an inexpensive plastic baby tub; use the bathroom sink or the bath tub. If you use the sink, it can be a good idea to line it with a towel to make it a bit more comfortable.

Make sure the room temperature is nice and warm and that the water is of body temperature. A thermometer may be handy until you've learned to recognize the right temperature.

What you don't need is to buy a special seat for the baby tub. You can easily learn how to hold and support your baby's back and neck with one hand and wash him with the other. Be two adults to help each other in the beginning.

5) How?

Before you start, prepare everything. Bring a towel, new diapers, ointment if you need it and clothes for your baby.

Then just have fun with your baby. Lower him into the water slowly and with a big smile to reassure him that everything is fine. This way you will also notice if he doesn't like the water temperature.

Don't use soap! I know it's "allowed", but I think it is completely unnecessary for babies. Water and a few drops of organic baby oil is enough.

When your baby gets older, he is likely to start splashing the water like crazy. Very wet and a lot of fun. Take off your own clothes as let your baby splash away; it's a great way to get used to get water on the head and face.

6) Never ever leave your baby alone!

Never leave your baby in the tub, not for a second.

Don't "just" go to answer the phone, get a towel or anything like that. Babies can drown in very shallow water. Nothing is worth taking that risk.

7) Watch out for kicks!

When the baby grows, watch for his kicks if he is bathing in anything smaller than a big tub. If he manages to kick the sink or baby tub, he might do it hard enough to send himself flying towards the opposite side and hit his head.

8) Hop in the tub together

A great thing to do when your baby is old enough to hold his head just a little bit is to bathe in the tub together with your baby. It's wonderful!

Just make sure you support his head so that he doesn't dip his face in the water by accident.