After months of waiting and preparation, your little one is finally here! Parenting comes with so many new challenges, worries that bathing your newborn should not be one of them!
As a new parent, you will be inundated with advice from well-meaning people. Often times, it is hard to know what advice to listen to or ignore. One aspect of your newborn’s care that does not have to be a mystery is bath time! It is convenient to look for how to bathe a newborn.
Here are five surefire ways to make your newborn’s first bathing experiences safe and enjoyable for all.Be Prepared
Being prepared is pivotal to all that you do with a newborn! Whether it is remembering to bring the extra bottle or a change of clothes. Otherwise you can never be too well prepared for a baby. Giving your newborn a bath is no exception to this guideline.
There are some basics that you will need for every bath that you give your baby. You will need to have a tear-free baby wash, a washcloth, a towel, a fresh diaper and an outfit laid out in preparation.
When it comes to choosing what baby wash to use the choices can be overwhelming! With so many different companies all claiming to have the best product, how do you choose what is right for your baby?
Probably the single most important aspect of any baby wash is the tear free formulation. Although you never plan to get any soap in your baby’s eyes, it can happen accidentally.
Another consideration is allergies. If allergies are prevalent in your family, then it is probably best to avoid scented soap and stick with hypoallergenic formulations. It is always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to caring for your baby.
The outfit that you choose to dress your newborn in after their bath. Basically it greatly depend on the climate in which you live. However, water can easily chill a newborn. Soit is strongly recommended to place them in an outfit. It will help them to regulate their body temperature after a bath.
Timing is everything
One piece of advice that new parents often receive is that it is when to give a baby first bath at certain times of the day. While this can have some basis in truth, the most important aspect is ensuring that you will not be rushed during the bath.
As a sleep-deprived new parent, trying to rush through any task can result in problems. When it comes to bathing your baby, always make sure that you allow yourself enough time to complete the task in the best time to bathe newborn.
Occasionally, people in colder climates do choose to try and time baby’s bath around whenever the temperature will be the warmest. This is a good idea, but only if you are able to do so. Do not end up rushing to fit in a bath because you feel that you have to do it only at a certain time of the day.
Think outside the tub
As adults, we are preprogrammed into associating baths with bathtubs. While this is the best option for us, this is not necessarily the best choice when it comes to how to bathe a newborn boy. Not only are tubs very large and require a good deal of water to fill, but they are very hard to lift a baby in and out of.
Since a newborn is not yet able to support themselves, you have to ensure that you are able to fully support your baby during the bath.
Often times, one of the best options for this is in a kitchen sink or in a plastic baby bath tub. Folks have been figuring out on how to bathe a newborn in the sink for years. You will find the best tutorials online in no time.
If a bathtub is your only option when it comes to bathing your baby, you don’t need to worry. There are foldable baby bath tubs that rest inside of your large tub that will support baby during their bath. These are generally made of a mesh fabric so that your baby will not get chilled by being lifted out of the water.
Keep Umbilical area dry
When discharged from the hospital, the general recommendation is to not bathe your baby until the umbilical stump has fallen off. This will help to reduce the risk of infection or prematurely removing the umbilical stump by accident. It is very crucial to figure out how to bathe a newborn with the umbilical cord.
While you are waiting on this to happen, you can still give the baby a sponge bath. It is very easy to understand how to sponge bathe a newborn.
This is done by placing your baby on a surface, generally covered with a towel or blanket. Then use a washcloth or sponge to gently clean your baby with warm water mixed with a baby soap.
However, since the baby will not be able to be in the water, it is recommended to not make a sponge bath a long process. This will reduce the likelihood of your baby becoming chilled while they are still adjusting to life outside of the womb.
Sponge bathe is also the best alternative on how to bathe a newborn before umbilical cord falls off.
It’s also a good idea to watch the nurses give a #baby a bath before you go home. They may have advice to give. #newborn
— Change Bag Boutique (@ChangeBagBoutiq) September 26, 2014
Newborns don’t need daily baths
Speaking about how often should a newborn be bathed, it is surprising for many new parents to learn is that newborns and babies do not need baths daily. In fact, daily bathing can have negative effects on your baby’s skin and cause it to become too dry.
It is generally recommended to only give your newborn a bath a few times a week at most. For smaller “clean ups” a wet washcloth is often more than sufficient to keep baby clean, happy and healthy.
Final thought
Although bathing your newborn can seem like a daunting task, there is no reason to dread this.
When properly planned, bath time can be a relaxing, and enjoyable time for both you and your baby. Although you may be rife with worry about trying to do everything correctly these precious moments with your baby will go by too fast.
The biggest thing to remember is to enjoy your newborn!
Photo by jared 
