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Baby’s first bath
- Step 1: Wipe baby’s face, neck and ears
Wet cottonwool rounds with warm water and wipe baby’s face gently. Use a new cotton pad for each eye. Also remember to wipe in the folds of her neck and behind her ears: milk has a tendency to stray.
- Step 2: Remove baby’s clothes
Make sure that your bathroom or nursery is very warm before starting the bath and minimise the amount of time your newborn spends exposed to the open air. Remember, their temperature control is not great.
- Step 3: Wash baby’s Hair
After undressing her, wrap her in a towel and lean her securely over the bath to wash her hair. Even if your baby doesn’t have much hair, you need to keep her head clean and stimulate the natural oils on the scalp.
- Step 4: Apply baby soap (Images 1 - 3)
After drying her hair, unwrap her and rub her body with aqueous cream or your choice of baby soap. If you are unsure of handling a slippery baby, rewrap her in a towelling nappy before dipping her in the bath.
- Step 5: Wash baby’s body (Images 1 - 4)
Wrapped in a towelling nappy or not, lower your baby gently into the water and keeping a firm grasp on her with one hand, use the other to rinse. Make sure the bathwater is not too cool – babies enjoy warm baths.
- Step 6: Dry baby’s body (Images 1 - 5)
After rinsing, take baby out and dry thoroughly. Add baby powder to help dry in all the nooks and crannies and bum cream as a final touch. Dress her and have a cuddle. This forms the start of a great routine.
