Bathing your newborn for the first time? We can smell your excitement. Bathing is a little tricky at first until you get the right knacks to secure your baby. While doing it for the first time, it is advisable to seek help from a nanny or even your own mother and learn, just the way you learned the best way to swaddle a newborn.

It isn’t necessary to bathe your newborn daily as babies aren’t exposed to a lot of dirt. Moreover, giving a daily bath can tamper with your baby’s natural moisture. Giving a bath once in two or three days is sufficient but make sure to wipe your baby’s private parts and body creases daily as any locked moisture in those parts can lead to rashes.

Organize your Essentials

The first step is to keep your essentials ready beforehand. You will require two towels, wipes, a wash cloth, baby lotion, clean clothes, a gentle non-soap cleanser, and a clean nappy.

Choose a warm and cozy spot for the bath, you can use a small tub or even your kitchen sink.

Check the Temperature

While setting up the water for the bath, make sure to check the temperature with your hand, it should be a sweet spot between warm and cozy, neither hot nor cold.

Bathing your Baby

Once everything is set, place the baby carefully in the bathtub.

The neck area is very soft and fragile, so remember to secure the baby’s head and neck with one hand at all times.

Now wash the baby’s back and front by gently massaging the body with a non-soap cleanser. Be careful around the area of the umbilical cord stump. Wash the private parts of the baby, only using water.

Next up - the Head, Face, and Neck

Once this is done, gently submerge the baby’s back into the water, carefully avoiding the ears area. And use your hands to splash water on the head of the baby and give a light massage. Use a fresh cotton ball dipped in warm water to gently clean the area around the eyes, the nose and the creases around the neck.

After the Bath

Take the baby out and place them on a dry towel. Hooded towels are absolutely the best since they allow you to cover the baby’s head and ears. You can also wrap the baby completely in them to keep them warm, dry them up and make them looking even cuter.

While drying your baby be careful around the area of the umbilical stump. Wipe the genital areas with baby wipes. Ensure that no residual water is remaining on the private parts and creases of the body as these can lock moisture and cause rashes. Apply lotion to seal the suppleness of the skin. Also keep a stack of baby sheets and blankets ready.

Finally, it’s time to dress up your little munchkin and you’re all set for the day.