Bathing the Baby
So you’ve got this beautiful baby and you’re just falling in love.. And then you notice some chunks of blood in their hair, or weird mucousy stuff in their ears, or they’ve got meconium on their leg or who knows what else.
Family and friends are eager to come and visit, and I’ve had some families share that they’re afraid to have everyone come over and meet their baby and a. be grossed out by what they see, or b. think that they’re bad parents because their babies are dirty.
In a lot of the baby books you read or crunchy doula/midwifery pages, you’ll see a lot about vernix and how great it is to get all that stuff rubbed in to the baby and to leave it on for a few days. Absolutely true. It’s a white, creamy substance that protects and moisturizes the baby, and what I like to call birthday frosting. However, most of that is actually naturally rubbed in or off before parents really get to see it and what’s left on the skin is usually, again, mucousy or bloody.
The hospital will offer to bathe the baby for you and there really is no right answer, but there are a few things to consider.
The first is, how comfortable are you with bathing the baby? If the thought absolutely terrifies you or your partner, and you’d like to chance to see how it’s done by a professional, then that can be a great option. Of course your doula, wink wink, or parents or friends can also help with this at home, so it’s up to you who teaches you and where your comfort level is at.
The second is, it really is a protective layer and do you feel comfortable with baby having that washed off in a place like a hospital. Again, your call.
My recommendation is normally to wait the baby until they’re home and usually after a few days. Throw a hat on the kid so you don’t have to see their hair, or you can try to spot clean if it’s really bugging you, but scent is a really important scent for a newborn. They will often smell or lick their hands, and your breast emits that same smell, which is so magical it’s unreal, and that’s one way they can be comforted by the nurser’s presence and really feel like they’re with ‘their person’.
With all that being said, there are two main ways to bathe your baby and both get the job done. The first is in or near the sink with the traditional wrap the baby, football the baby, wash the baby’s hair, dry the baby’s hair, hat, wash the baby’s body with a sponge or towel, dry the baby, and everyone is crying and screaming by the time that’s done.
The other way is to submerge the baby in a tub of water with an adult also in the tub, and letting baby just float. Then with a sponge or towel as baby is submerged, you can wash into all those nooks and crannies. This one typically induces a state of deep relaxation and adorable cuteness with many less tears as long as the water is hot enough. A baby tub of water is usually not quite big enough to really do the float, but you can try it out. All methods where baby is not submerged means that they’re going to be cold and angry, at least in the first few weeks of being born, so I highly recommend trying the baby float until they seem comfortable and happy being wet while also exposed to air.
No baby soap, no baby shampoo, just warm water and a soft cloth. Of course you can use soap if you wanted to, but baby’s skin is regulating itself and getting used to being exposed to air after months of being in amniotic fluid so I tend to suggest not adding in any extra things to try to get used to and skip the soap and shampoo for the first little while. Baby gets bathed once, max twice a week, and gets baby wipe baths in between for all the spills and messes that might happen in between. Bath temperature is between 37 and 38 degrees celsius which feels quite warm to the touch but remember that baby was inside of you and is used to a really nice warm bath 24/7.
I’ve linked two videos to see the two different styles of bathing and remember I’m always here to lend a hand, as in actually help, if you’d like someone or an ear to debrief or prep as you figure it all out.
So you’ve got this beautiful baby and you’re just falling in love.. And then you notice some chunks of blood in their hair, or weird mucousy stuff in their ears, or they’ve got meconium on their leg or who knows what else.
Family and friends are eager to come and visit, and I’ve had some families share that they’re afraid to have everyone come over and meet their baby and a. be grossed out by what they see, or b. think that they’re bad parents because their babies are dirty.
In a lot of the baby books you read or crunchy doula/midwifery pages, you’ll see a lot about vernix and how great it is to get all that stuff rubbed in to the baby and to leave it on for a few days. Absolutely true. It’s a white, creamy substance that protects and moisturizes the baby, and what I like to call birthday frosting. However, most of that is actually naturally rubbed in or off before parents really get to see it and what’s left on the skin is usually, again, mucousy or bloody.
The hospital will offer to bathe the baby for you and there really is no right answer, but there are a few things to consider.
The first is, how comfortable are you with bathing the baby? If the thought absolutely terrifies you or your partner, and you’d like to chance to see how it’s done by a professional, then that can be a great option. Of course your doula, wink wink, or parents or friends can also help with this at home, so it’s up to you who teaches you and where your comfort level is at.
The second is, it really is a protective layer and do you feel comfortable with baby having that washed off in a place like a hospital. Again, your call.
My recommendation is normally to wait the baby until they’re home and usually after a few days. Throw a hat on the kid so you don’t have to see their hair, or you can try to spot clean if it’s really bugging you, but scent is a really important scent for a newborn. They will often smell or lick their hands, and your breast emits that same smell, which is so magical it’s unreal, and that’s one way they can be comforted by the nurser’s presence and really feel like they’re with ‘their person’.
With all that being said, there are two main ways to bathe your baby and both get the job done. The first is in or near the sink with the traditional wrap the baby, football the baby, wash the baby’s hair, dry the baby’s hair, hat, wash the baby’s body with a sponge or towel, dry the baby, and everyone is crying and screaming by the time that’s done.
The other way is to submerge the baby in a tub of water with an adult also in the tub, and letting baby just float. Then with a sponge or towel as baby is submerged, you can wash into all those nooks and crannies. This one typically induces a state of deep relaxation and adorable cuteness with many less tears as long as the water is hot enough. A baby tub of water is usually not quite big enough to really do the float, but you can try it out. All methods where baby is not submerged means that they’re going to be cold and angry, at least in the first few weeks of being born, so I highly recommend trying the baby float until they seem comfortable and happy being wet while also exposed to air.
No baby soap, no baby shampoo, just warm water and a soft cloth. Of course you can use soap if you wanted to, but baby’s skin is regulating itself and getting used to being exposed to air after months of being in amniotic fluid so I tend to suggest not adding in any extra things to try to get used to and skip the soap and shampoo for the first little while. Baby gets bathed once, max twice a week, and gets baby wipe baths in between for all the spills and messes that might happen in between. Bath temperature is between 37 and 38 degrees celsius which feels quite warm to the touch but remember that baby was inside of you and is used to a really nice warm bath 24/7.
I’ve linked two videos to see the two different styles of bathing and remember I’m always here to lend a hand, as in actually help, if you’d like someone or an ear to debrief or prep as you figure it all out.