Baby's First Baby Bath

Until a babies umbilical cord falls off a full baby bath is out of the question. The way to give a baby bath for a baby just home from the hospital is a sponge bath. You want to make sure you pick a draft free warm spot in your home to give this type of baby bath to your new infant.

Before you start the sponge baby bath, make sure you have everything ready. You need One or two wash clothes, cotton balls, 2 towels, a waterproof mat or changing mat, some sort of baby soap bar or liquid, baby shampoo (which is not necessary, you can wash the hair with baby soap), Rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide for the umbilical cord and a dry diaper and change of clothing. You can have baby lotion or oil and baby powder or cornstarch if you wish for baby’s bottom.

The first thing you want to do is make sure you have a waterproof pad, changing mat or towel. New borns get cold quickly so you will need an additional towel to keep the baby covered during the sponge baby bath process. You may open the baby’s undershirt and you may loosen the diaper if you wish but I don’t recommend you removing either until you get to that part to bathe. You can cover the baby with the second towel to keep him warm.

The first step is to clean baby’s face. Gently wipe the baby’s face with a washcloth or cotton ball and warm water. Do not put soap on baby’s face because it could get into their eyes. Also wipe the folds in baby’s neck, and in and around the ears. Never dig into the ears. Dry baby’s face and neck especially the folds because moisture in the folds can cause irritation. Next take a moistened cotton ball with warm water and wipe baby’s eyes from inward eye out. Use a clean cotton ball for each eye to avoid infection.

Step two is removing the baby shirt and recover baby with the towel to keep him warm. Exposing one arm, clean one arm armpit and hand, including in between the fingers with a washcloth that has soap on it. Follow with a washcloth with just warm water to remove the soap and then dry. Pay attention to under the arm making sure you dry well to avoid irritation. Recover the arm and do the other arm. Then gently soap and wash the torso the same as you did with the arm. Do not touch the umbilical area. Clean the umbilical stump very carefully with a cotton ball and some alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. If the umbilical cord looks infected call the pediatrician immediately.

While baby is covered, Hold them to one side and wash and dry their little back. If the baby needs their hair washed you can do it at this time. Supporting their head hold them and put a little soap or shampoo on the head and wipe clean with a wash cloth. Dry well. Most people recover the upper body with a towel but I would now put on a clean shirt and the upper body is done.

Now for the bottom half of the sponge baby bath. If you have a girl wash the genital area front to back don’t use soap in the folds of the vagina, it could cause irritation. If you have a boy that is circumcised, wash gently do not wash the penis with soap for the same reason, if there is a gauze dressing put petroleum jelly on the penis tip and recover with gauze as per the pediatricians instructions. If your baby boy is not circumcised do not retract the penis. It takes several years for that. Wash the backside well with soap and water and dry. Replace a fresh diaper but don’t close it yet. Just put it in place to avoid accidents. Next clean one thigh, leg and foot with a soapy washcloth and rinse with a plain warm water washcloth paying attention to in between the toes and dry well. As with the arms do one leg at a time. Before you re-close the diaper you may apply powder of a diaper protection ointment of your choice.

This is basically how you give your baby their first baby bath. There are variations of course on basic techniques and most people have little tricks that they find work for them. As long as the baby doesn’t get cold or the umbilical cord gets wet the baby bath process should be easy.

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