Safest Way in Bathing a Newborn

There are a 101 ways of bathing a baby. There has never been a standard to bathing a baby. However, when I was teaching, I always told the students that no matter what way you bathed a baby, SAFETY should always be a priority.

Newborn Infants still have to adjust to outside world, and this may also mean adjusting to external temperature. Unlike when he was still in his mother’s womb, the external temperature is much lower. I have made a checklist so when my students had to do practical exams in bathing a baby, all I had to do was check. I am sharing it to you.

• First, make sure you have closed the windows to prevent draft from coming in, if you have a heater, it is best you turn it on 2 hours prior to bathing a baby. There is no set temperature for the room, trust your instincts! Prepare all the necessary materials prior to bathing. This saves time.
• Prepare baby clothing and diapers on the changing table or bed. It is always safer to have all your baby’s clothes ready by the time you’re done. This is also an efficient way of saving time and preventing your baby from having chills right after his bath.
• Check the water temperature either by using your elbow,inside of your wrists or if you have a bath thermometer, you can use that. Recommended water temperature would be 90-100 F.
• If you are new to bathing a baby, it is always safe to clean the face first while he is laying on the bathing table. Get a clean washcloth or cotton ball, dip it into the water then squeeze off excess water. Clean your baby’s eyes from thee inner eyelid to the outer eyelid. Remove the “sleep” from your baby’s eyes. Do this gently and as often as necessary. Always remember to pat dry afterwards
• Get a padded tongue depressor, dip it into sterile water then gently clean your baby’s inner cheeks, roof of the mouth and tongue.
• Clean the nose and ears gently with a clean or moist washcloth. Pat dry
• Clean the face with a moist towelette then pat dry.
• You can now undress your baby, but make sure you have a bath towel still wrapped around him to prevent chills. If your baby particularly cries a lot during bath time, it may be because of you haven’t wrapped him and he feels uncomfortable with the cold temperature.
• Hold your baby using the football hold. Support the neck and head with your palms. If you’re baby is less than 2 months old, he still has no neck control. Supporting the neck and head would prevent injuries.
• Wet your baby’s head gently, it always helps that you talk to him soothingly while washing his head. Apply a little amount of shampoo then gently rub your baby’s head in a circular motion. Rinse off the water. Then remove the bath towel. And dip him gently into the baby tub. Support his head and neck with one hand while the other hand is supporting his lower body (preferably, it is best to hold him between the legs. Wet his body gently.
• Put him back on the bathing table then soap your baby’s body while still on the bathing table. This is the safest way. Get the soap, wet it a little bit and gently soap your baby. Always soap the genitals and hands last. The genitals are the dirtiest part while soaping the hands last would prevent the baby from hurting his eyes if he suddenly decides to touch it while you are busy soaping his legs.
• Now gently slip him back into the tub. Support his head and neck and his lower body. Rinse off all the soap in his body. Again rinsing off the soap in his genital last. Before turning him around, make sure the support on his head and neck is there. Make a V out of your hand and support his neck and head in front while rinsing off the soap on his back. It is best to have another tub for a second rinsing. Pay attention to the creases on your baby’s skin. This is where dirt is.
• Lift him out gently. Then pat him dry. You are now ready to dress him!

IMPORTANT: You should NEVER leave the baby unattended even for a short period during bathing!

This bath alone, would take only 3-5 minutes if done correctly. This prevents the infant from getting chills and, if your baby cries a lot during bath time, this is a better alternative. Just make sure all the things you need have been prepared prior to the bath. You will find out that these steps would make bath time for you and your baby a pleasant experience!