Bathing your Baby

The bathing time is considered to be a special time, in strengthening the intimacy between the baby and his/her parents. It is the time to play gently, talk and sing. Don’t forget to get all the necessary things with you before starting off. The list includes water of course, washcloth, alcohol pads, bath towel (with a hood if you have one), clean diaper, any items that you frequently use during a diaper change (for little circumcised boys this would include Vaseline and gauze squares), and fresh clothes. It is recommended to use baby wash and baby shampoo, preferably natural ones with calendula oils. The regular soaps and shampoos can be too harsh or drying for the baby’s skin. Babies lose the body heat pretty quickly, so make sure that the room is warm -- 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is an ideal temperature.

Cradle your baby's head gently in one hand and use the other hand to remove her clothing. Gently wash the baby with a soft, warm washcloth, and dry her off with a towel. A pretty good idea is to start off with the "less dirty" areas initially i.e. leave the diaper area to be washed at last – as to ensure that you’re not washing the baby in the dirty water. As you move on, be sure to gently wash behind her ears; the crevices at her neck, elbows, and knees; and in between her fingers and toes. It is also a good idea to wash a newborn's hair near the end of bath time as this will help in preventing him or her from losing too much body heat. You can wash one area at a time and put on a clothing item on as soon as an area is washed and dried, if you prefer to do so as this is not necessary or a thumb’s rule unless or until you are in a room which is relatively cold.

Most newborn infants don't have much hair, so it is easy to sponge it with water, pretty much the same way you do with the rest of the body. Almost all babies dislike getting their eyes wet. If you push the head a little at the back, just a bit, and work your way from the front to the back, you can avoid getting water in your baby's eyes.