How To Bathe A Newborn For The First Time

Did you know that you should only give babies sponge baths until they’re at least a couple of weeks old?

If you didn’t know this, there’s a chance that you’re a new parent with a newborn on the way. If so, you might be worried and a little overwhelmed. What’s the right feeding schedule? How much should I expect the baby to cry? How do I bathe a newborn for the first time?

If you’re not sure what to expect with your first newborn bath, there’s no need to worry. Keep reading for our guide on how to bathe baby for the first time.

When to Give Baby a Bath

It might be tempting to wash your baby right away—but it’s okay to wait a while for the baby’s first bath. In fact, the World Health Organization recommends waiting at least 24 hours.

That’s because newborns don’t actually get dirty very easily, and their skin has lots of natural oils that help them to stay clean.

You can give the baby a bath 24 hours after coming home. You could also wait a week or even longer. The timing is completely up to you.

How to Bathe a Newborn

You should start by picking the right location.

You can give your baby a bath at home in something as simple as your sink. You can also get an infant tub that can fit easily inside your bath or shower.

Just make sure you don’t bathe the baby in a full-sized bathtub. After all, they won’t actually be sitting in water.

Now heat the water to the right temperature. It shouldn’t be cooler than 80 degrees, and shouldn’t get much hotter than 100 degrees.

Just don’t forget that babies get cold more easily than you do. It’s actually more likely that the water will be too cold than too hot. So check the temperature regularly! 

Next, give your baby a sponge bath. Dip a clean sponge into warm water and gently wipe your baby’s skin. Make sure to wash between the folds of skin around the neck, legs, and arms.

Choosing the Right Supplies

When you first bathe baby, it’s definitely okay to use just water. But it can also be helpful to clean your newborn with clean, natural soap.

Babies have skin that is significantly more sensitive than adult skin. That means you need to be especially careful about what products you use.

Non-natural soap products can cause irritation, rashes, and dry skin, so you should look for natural products. Plus, there are tons of added benefits of using natural baby products.

To make sure that the baby doesn’t get too cold, you should keep your baby covered with a warm, wet washcloth until the bath is over.

Don't Stress!

You might be nervous to bathe a newborn for the first time. But don’t worry!

As long as you pay attention and you don’t leave the baby unattended in the bath, there isn’t much that can go wrong. Just enjoy the experience, and don’t forget to take lots of pictures.

For more tips on taking care of a newborn, check out our Every Thing Mom category!