As a new mom, you might feel a bit nervous about bathing your newborn. It’s only natural. Newborn infants are so fragile after all. But don’t worry, if you know how to do things right, you’d be more confident in giving your newborn a bath.
But before anything else, if your little one is only in her first few weeks, just give her sponge baths. Use a lukewarm, moistened washcloth. And frequently wash her face and hands. After each diaper change, make sure to clean the genital area. Once her umbilical cord stump falls off and the area completely heals, that’s the time to give her warm tub baths.
Bathing a newborn infant is quite scary at first so it’s okay to be nervous. Just remember to stay calm. You’ll get used to it soon. Babies find warm water to be soothing so there’s less chance that your baby will cry and fuss uncontrollably during the whole bath.
To ensure your baby’s safety, remember the following tips:
• Do not leave your baby without supervision. If you need to attend to something unexpected, like a ringing phone, get a towel, scoop her up and take her with you.
• Do not put your baby into a tub with running water. A baby can drown easily, even in less than an inch of water.
• Make sure to set your water heater to 120˚ Fahrenheit. At 140 degrees, your baby can easily get a third degree burn in less than a minute.
