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Before you start bathing your baby, gather together everything that you'll need - you
must not leave your baby alone in the bath - even for a second.
what you will need
- baby bath (main bath for older babies)
- clean towel or two
- two washers (one for face, one for rest of body)
- bubble bath (not necessary for very young babies)
- bath toys
- anti-slip seat or mats
- shampoo (depending on amount of hair baby has)
- sorbolene cream / body cream / massage oil
- change mat or suitable flat, cushioned surface
- clean nappy
- clean clothes
If using a baby bath, place in an area free from drafts and at a
height that is comfortable for you. Many baby baths come with their own stands
and plugs for easy emptying. Baby baths and accessories, such as non-slip seats and mats, which
are a great idea, are readily available from general baby equipment stores.
Babies
grow out of the seats quite quickly, but they're very inexpensive and
well worth the money. Alternatively, a towel at the bottom of the tub
will help stop a newborn from slipping. But no anti-slip
device should lull you into thinking that you can leave your baby alone
in the bath - DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BABY FOR A SECOND even if you are
leaving an older sibling in the room. It's just not worth the risk.
For more information on bathing safety and issues with infant bath seats and 'bathing rings', see the
Queensland Office of Fair Trading website
here.
Once you've got the bath set-up, fill with warm water - a temperature
that would be comfortable for you is a good guide. Test the water with
the inside of your wrist or your elbow and if in any doubt, err on the cooler side rather than risk
scalding baby's skin. If you have a water thermometer, a good guide to a
maximum water temperature is 38oC.
Undress your baby completely and lower carefully into the water. Pour
water gently over your baby's body during the bath to keep them from
getting too cold (don't pour over the head to avoid getting
water into the mouth.)
Wipe baby's face, ears and eyes with a clean washer. Use another washer
for the rest of the body, making sure to get into all the skin folds.
Afterwards, dry baby thoroughly and apply a body cream or massage oil.
Very young babies only need bathing every two or three days and you can
even 'top & tail' or 'sponge' instead, by wiping baby with damp cotton wool and
washers on a suitable flat surface or change mat. Sometimes it's easier
to clean the eyes, ears and bottom of young babies like this before putting
them in the big bath as they can get very slippery in water!
You need to consider bathing your baby more often once they start
getting messy with solid food and when they're crawling around on the
floor. Babies can get hot in the summer, so you might
wish to consider giving cooling baths on a more regular basis at that
time of year.
bathing & skincare information online
- bathing instruction guide, with photos from Lamaze (US site)
- bathing instruction online video from Lamaze (US site)
- eczema information from the Eczema Association of Australia
- eczema information from Eczema Control
- Caring For Your Baby's Skin from Coles Baby Club
- Cradle Cap from MedWeb.com, US
| Understanding Eczema |
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| Controlling Eczema |
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