How to Give a Baby a Bath

After weeks of fumbling, making awkward mistakes and feeling like the most incompetent parent in the world, you have finally mastered the art of giving your new baby a sponge bath. Just when you're feeling confident, you're hit with the news that it's time to start bathing baby in an infant tub. This transition may be slightly overwhelming at first, even a little scary. Following these simple steps will help you and baby get the most out of bath time.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Infant tub
• Two soft washcloths or sponges
• Mild baby soap
• Mild baby shampoo
• Bath sling
• Dry towel or infant robe

1. Gather all of the supplies you will need and place them within arms' reach of where you will be bathing your baby.
   

2. Adjust the temperature of the room you will be bathing baby in to make sure it is warm enough to comfortably accommodate a bare baby (around 75 degrees).

3. Fill the infant tub with no more than 2 inches of warm water.
   

4. Test the temperature of the water with your elbow, wrist or thermometer to ensure that it is only warm and not hot. The water should be no more than 100 degrees. Some infant tubs even come equipped with a special built-in thermometer that indicates if the water to too cold or too hot for your little one.

5. Undress your baby and gently set him in the tub while making sure to keep him in a partially reclined position. You can purchase a bath sling to help keep baby positioned correctly.
   

6. Keep one hand on your baby at all times. With your free hand, wet a soft washcloth or sponge and begin gently cleaning your baby. It's best to start with the "cleanest" parts first and save the diaper areas for last.
   

7. Gently dab each area with the washcloth, instead of rubbing, which can irritate baby's sensitive skin. As you move to different areas of the baby, try to use a different spot on the washcloth on each part. Don't forget to pay special attention to the folds in baby's legs, arms and neck. These areas tend to build up "gunk" rather quickly so it is important to thoroughly them.

8. Turn baby over on your arm to wash her backside. Be extra careful; a wet baby is a slippery baby.
   

9. Use a second washcloth for rinsing your baby. Try rinsing each spot immediately after it has been cleaned, if you are using a mild soap and make sure to rinse completely clean.
   

10. Washing your baby's hair, or scalp if he's a baldy, should be limited to once or twice a week. Use only a mild baby shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
    

11. Remove baby from the tub carefully with both hands and immediately wrap in a dry towel or terry cloth infant robe. Pat her dry, don't rub, and redress her immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Keeping all of your baby's bath supplies in one container will help cut down on prep time.
• Many babies don't like having their faces washed, so consider doing this separately instead of at bath time.
• If using a new soap, test it on a small area of baby's body first. If the skin turns red, get rid of that product.
• As your baby gets older you can integrate soft bath toys into your routine to keep baby interested.
• Try not to bathe your baby immediately following a feeding, all of the jostling will inevitably cause the food to come right back up.
• It is recommended that you use soap only on the diaper area and hands at every bathing. Other areas can be cleaned simply with a clean washcloth and warm water. Soap will be needed on these areas only about once a week until your baby starts crawling.
• Never take your hands off the baby at bath time. It only takes a split second for baby to become submerged and he can drown in as little as 2 inches of water.
• Always make sure your water heater's temperature is turned down to at least 120 degrees.
• Never use adult bath products on your baby. Remember, a baby's skin is more sensitive.
• Tub bathing is recommended only after baby's umbilical cord and circumcision (if applicable) have healed completely.

Who Can Help:

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[Mommyme]

on 7/6/2008 I had a major fear of bathing my baby after she was born. We tried a wonderful new product that is incredibly simple and works amazingly well. They help to have a great grip on your baby while bathing. My husband uses them too when he showers with our baby. It's called Palm-Palms baby bath grips (palm-palms.com).