Wash your baby’s hair frequently, with baby shampoo or plain water. After about 12 to 16 weeks, wash your baby’s hair with water daily and once or twice a week with baby shampoo. Make sure that you use a tear-free variety of baby shampoo, but nevertheless take care to avoid getting in near her eyes. You can sit on the edge of the bath with the baby across your legs, facing you. Don’t be nervous about the fontanels; the membrane that covers them is very tough, and there is no need to scrub the hair, so you can do no harm as long as you are gentle.
Apply the shampoo or bath lotion to your baby’s hair, and gradually work it in until a lather forms. Wait about fifteen seconds before rinsing it off: there is no need to apply it a second time. To rinse the hair, just use a washcloth dipped in warm water to wipe the suds away. Try to remove every trace of soap. When drying your baby’s hair, avoid covering her face or she may panic and start no cry. It is best just to use the end of the towel to avoid this.
Upper body Sit your baby on a towel on your lap. Undress her top half and wash her front with a sponge or cloth and warm water. Pat her dry. Lean her forward over your arm and wash her back.
Diaper area Either wash your baby’s hair at this stage, or put some clean clothes on her top half and remove her lower clothing and diaper. Clean the diaper area.
Lower body Using the sponge or cloth, wash your baby’s legs and feet. Gently pat her skin dry, put on a clean diaper, and dress her.
If your baby really hates being undressed, or if you are a bit daunted by giving her a bath, the best method is to give her a sponge bath. Hold your baby securely on your lap while removing only the minimum amount of clothing at any time. If you find it difficult to maneuver your baby while she is on your lap, put her on a changing pad and follow the same sponge bath method, taking care to keep one half covered while you wash the other.
Part of your daily routine will be t keep your baby clean. Many new parents worry about handling a very small baby in the baby bath, but you will soon get used to bath times and look forward to it as an opportunity to have fun and play with your baby. Instead of feeling apprehensive, set aside half an hour, have everything you need around you, try to relax, and you will enjoy it.
A young baby doesn’t need bathing very often because only her bottom, face and neck, and skin creases get dirty, so you only have to bathe her every two or three days, and even then you can wash only the dirt-prone parts instead of putting her in the bath. This allows you to wash the parts that really need washing with the minimum of distress to her. Be sure the water you use is just warm to the touch. Avoid hot water, which could scald a baby’s delicate skin, and cold water, which may give the baby a chill. Do wash your baby’s hair fairly often; it gets dirty from sweat and other sources. A small squeeze of baby soap in the bath water will suffice for newborns; you don’t want to leave soap residue on the skin.
Babies don’t like having their skin exposed to the air, so you should keep your baby undressed for as short a time as possible. Warm a big, fluffy towel on a radiator (not too hot) and have it ready to wrap your baby in as soon as you are finished.
For the first three months of her life, you should always lay your baby on her back.
Research in recent years has shown that babies who sleep on their fronts are at greater risk from crib death (SIDS) than those placed on their backs, and media publicity about this finding has resulted in a significant drop in crib death.
