My suggestion of how often you should bath your baby is two to three times a week, that’s our recommendation. However if you want to bath your baby every day that’s absolutely fine if it does establish a routine and you like it and baby likes it.
So to prepare to bath your baby, you need to fill the bath up, just with cold water first and then add the hot water. We recommend about 8-10 centimetres and then to check it’s the correct temperature you use your elbow, dip your elbow into the bath water and it should just feel the same as your body temperature.
So to top and tail your baby before we put your baby into the bath we need to strip your baby off down to the nappy and then we wrap your baby in a towel.
Using the water that you’ve already run for the bath we will clean your baby’s face with cotton wool, use a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye to avoid infection and the same goes for your baby’s ears. Make sure that you clean underneath your baby’s chin also and then we’ll move onto the bottom.
We’ll use clean cotton wool, dip it in the water, wipe your baby’s bottom, wipe the excess away, make sure that you’ve cleaned in between the folds, and that your baby’s bottom is nice and dry before you put your baby into the bath.
We need to make sure that your baby is secure so you put one hand underneath your baby’s shoulders and neck and the other hand supporting your baby’s bottom. Once your baby is secure you can put your baby in the bath water, talking to your baby all the time.
“So once bath time is over bring your baby out of the water, be careful because babies can be very very slippery when they’re leaving the bath. Make sure you put your baby straight onto the towel and then it’s really important that you dry your baby properly, all the nooks and crannies, clean nappy, clean clothes and lots of cuddles.”
When you’re feeling more confident with baby bathing, then you can put your baby into the main bath but never ever leave a baby alone in the water.
About video: Midwife Chantelle Winstanley shows how to bathe your baby properly.
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