Bathing your baby

• July 1, 2008

Baby

Here are some tips when it comes to bathing your precious little one!

How often do babies need to have a bath? 
Your new baby does not need a full bath every day, rather aim for every two to three days or every week, depending on what suits you both. In between baths, you can "top and tail", cleaning your babies face, neck and bottom. If your baby particularly dislikes bathing, you could stretch time between baths even further. On the other hand, if your baby loves bathing, and finds the bath settling, you can bath him/her every day if you want.

Be sure you have everything ready before the bath! When bathing your baby make sure you prepare everything you need and keep things close at hand. You should never leave your baby unattended in the bath, even if you are using a baby bath support. One easy way to make bath time easy is to keep all bathing items in a portable container - at bath time grab a towel, add clothes and off to the bath you go! Take a look at The Essential Baby Bath Time Kits for everything you need to bath your new baby.

What will you need at bathtime?
Prepare everything you need before you bring your baby to the bath area.

Where should I bathe my baby?
Whether you use a specialised baby bath, the laundry tub or a sink, the main thing is that the room is free of draughts, and that the area is safe, clean and free of hazards.

I just can't get comfortable bathing my baby, what should I do?
Contact a support organization such as Karitane , Tresillian , your local Child Health Nurse or your Health Practitioner to find out how you can spend some time with a midwife or nurse specialist to help you gain your confidence. There is help and support available which can make a huge difference to your ability to cope with your new baby. Never be afraid to ask for help! Go to the Essential Support page in this site for more information.