Bathing the new born baby need not be seen as an intimidating or stressful time. Little babies need to be kept clean and fresh; otherwise they develop that stale milky smell that is not altogether pleasant. Bathing your new born will make him or her feel refreshed and happy, just like it does for children and adults. Babies often settle down and have a great sleep after their bath.
The main thing to remember when bathing the new-born is that their heating system does not activate for a few weeks, so they should be kept warm. The water should not be hot but only warm to the touch and so will cool down quickly. Therefore baby should not be left in the water for too long, otherwise he will become chilled.
A baby’s skin is very delicate, so it is not totally necessary to use soap or any other cleanser in the water at first. Soaping a baby up will make them slippery and harder to hold too. If a cleanser is desired, adding it to the bathwater rather than baby’s skin is the better option. This will ensure that it is well-diluted before any skin contact is made.
The traditional way to bathe baby is to wrap him securely in a towel and tuck him under your arm with his head over the bath. The head can then be sponged over and towelled dry before the rest of him. This saves him fro getting too cold and it is easier to wash baby’s head from this position rather than when he is in the bath. It also keeps the water out of his eyes.
When the head and face have been carefully sponged and dried, baby can be lifted gently into the water. Hold him in a semi-reclining position with his feet near to the end of the bath to prevent him slipping out of your grasp. He should be supported by your left hand under his shoulders and holding him firmly by the far side upper arm.
Your right hand will then be free to gently sponge him with the washer. Some mothers prefer to simply hold baby with both hands and swish him through the water rather than using a washer. The action of the water will cleanse him, but you may need to use your fingertips to open up creases such as under his chin and armpits and around the groin.
Have the towel ready on a flat surface such as a table or his nappy-change table and after a few minutes in the water he can then be transferred to the towel. Wrap him up in the towel to dry him so that he does not get chilled. Even if you don’t feel cold, baby can. Keep the towel over his bottom half while you dry the top half, then place some of the towel over his chest and arms while attending to the lower section.
Newborns often cry when they have their bath. Sometimes this is because they feel cold, but more often it is simply that they are not used to being undressed and in water so they don’t always feel secure. This stage will pass quickly and baby will soon look forward to his bath with pleasure.
It is important that the towel be large enough to fully cover the baby and provide sufficient overlap to help keep the body heat in, and be made of a suitable absorbent material (like 100% cotton terry) to absorb moisture rather than just re-distribute the moisture as the baby is being dried.
Epic post, I’ve just had a baby boy myself.