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| The Basics of Bathing your Baby |
| Bathing pg 2 |
| Bathing Baby pg 3 |
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A bath is an important part of your baby's routine, however you needn’t bathe your baby every day. It’s strictly an individual and in some cases a cultural matter. American babies, for instance, are bathed twice as often as European babies, without any difference in the health of either group.
In a warm climate, you may wish to give your baby a bath daily, even sponging a baby off (without soap) every few hours during hot summer months to help keep them cool. In winter, you may cut back to a bath every other day or three times a week, because indoor heat lowers humidity and dries out a baby’s skin. Frequent bathing increases chafing and itching. The number of baths also should be reduced if the baby has a skin rash. Too much bathing does bother a baby’s delicate skin.
A baby’s first bath is usually a sponge bath. Tubless cleansing continues for the first three or fours weeks, until navel and circumcision are healed. After that babies are generally ready for his or her own portable tub.
Set a regular place and time for bathing the baby. A bath after a feeding is a good idea, because babies are generally less restless when they have full bellies. Many parents prefer a morning bath, so the baby is dressed in clean clothes for the day. After the bath, the baby can be tucked into the crib or bassinet for a morning nap. In many families now evening is bath time and many fathers pitch in to help and give mom a much needed break.. This also allows him socializing time with the baby, which some say is comparable to the mother’s intimate periods of nursing.
Almost any place that is warm, free from light wind, and a convenient height is good for bathing. The kitchen sink will do if it’s large enough, or baby’s own plastic tub may be placed on the kitchen counter. There is no special magic about a bath table except to be sure the height is right for you to bathe the baby without stooping.