Bath time

During the first days or weeks the baby does not need to be bathed daily. It is enough to clean and care for the genital area or diaper area. Bathing him frequently during the first days or weeks could dry out his skin, especially if soap is used.

• To bathe we can use a bathtub with a base, a mobile bathtub or a large container.
• We recommend touching the water and regulating the temperature (warm water) before putting the baby in.
• The amount of water needed should be such that most of the body is above the water level.
• Before removing the baby's clothes, we prepare everything we need to care for him during and after the bath: bathtub, water at the appropriate temperature, soap, towel, diapers, creams, cleaning and toiletries, clothes, etc.
• Once we undress the baby, we recommend putting him immediately in the water so that he does not get cold.
• Hooded towels help keep baby's head warm when wet.
• Once the baby is sitting up, bath time can be a time of play and lots of learning, therefore, we can include some special water toys, water books, watering cans, floating toys, sponges and containers ( do not use toys with batteries).

How to give him a bath?

• We carry the baby on his back in the following way: we put one of our arms around the baby's back so that his head and neck are supported by our forearm. As a safety measure to prevent slipping, we hold the baby with our hand on the upper arm, between the shoulder and the armpit (opposite to your body).
• With the other hand, we support his body and introduce him into the water, starting with his feet. The baby's buttocks will be resting on the bathtub and now we will have our hand free.
• With this hand, we wet his body frequently to keep him warm. With a damp hand or a soft cloth, we start by washing his face and then his hair.
• To wash the hair, we can use a mild baby shampoo once or twice a week. We can spray a little water with our hand on the scalp to rinse it, preventing it from falling on the face and ears.
• We continue with the rest of the body from top to bottom.

To give the sponge bath, we need a container with water and another with soapy water (with neutral soap, mild for babies). We first use the damp cloth without soap to wash his face. Then we dip the cloth in the soapy water and clean its body. Lastly, we clean the diaper area, paying close attention to the girls' genitals.

Attention should be paid to cleaning the folds under the arms, legs, behind the ears and around the neck very well.