What it is
A newborn does not get dirty the way a toddler does. Spit-up, drool, and the diaper area need daily wiping. The rest needs a bath two or three times a week. Until the cord stump falls off, that is a sponge bath: baby on a towel, wiped section by section, wrapped in between. After that, a baby tub or sink with two or three inches of warm water.
What's typical
The first bath is now often delayed. The WHO suggests waiting at least 24 hours after birth so the waxy vernix can soak in. Water should feel warm on the inside of your wrist, around 100°F. Many babies cry through the first few baths and love them by a month or so.
What's known
The AAP says daily baths dry newborn skin, and plain water is enough most days. The one hard rule: never leave a baby alone in water, not for a second. Drowning can happen in an inch of water. Set the water heater to 120°F or below.
What helps
- Gather everything first: towel, diaper, clothes, washcloth. The baby comes last.
- Warm the room first. A cold baby is a crying baby.
- Face first with plain water, diaper area last. Get into the neck and thigh folds.
When to call someone
- Nowthe baby slipped under the water, even briefly, or was burned.
- Todaya rash that spreads after a bath, or skin that cracks and weeps in the folds.
- At your next visitvery dry or scaly skin, or questions about soaps and lotions.
Who helps
Tools: Postpartum Prep Checklist
Related
- Umbilical cord careBaby Basics
- Circumcision care (if you chose it)Baby Basics
- Baby acne, cradle cap, and rashesBaby Basics
- Skin-to-skin and the golden hourGetting Ready for Birth
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Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org — Bathing your baby
- World Health Organization — Recommendations on newborn health: timing of the first bath
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