Baby Bath Delivery or Pickup

Your baby should receive its first bath within 24 hours of birth. Sponge baths, where you don't fully immerse the baby in the water, are recommended until the baby's umbilical cord stump falls off. It's OK for the stump to get wet as long as you dry it thoroughly when bath time is over.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends bathing your baby 3 times a week during the first 12 months. However, you may occasionally need to bathe your baby more often if your child gets messy. The primary hazard in bathing your baby too often is dry skin. Although you shouldn't need to bathe your baby daily, you need to clean the diaper area with every change thoroughly, and you may want to apply a baby lotion daily.

Baby tubs can allow you to easily bathe your baby by elevating the bath area to a countertop or tabletop so that you don't have to bend or kneel during bath time. As an alternative to a baby tub, you might try a bath seat. This fabric sling provides a safe, comfortable place for the baby to lay during bath time. If you have a large sink, you can simply place the baby on the bath seat inside the sink for a soothing bath. Both bath seats and baby tubs can be placed in your bathtub as well.

Your baby will typically graduate from a baby tub to the regular bathtub when your child can sit independently. This milestone happens around 6 months of age. At this point, you may need other bath accessories, such as a nonslip mat, bath toys, and a kneeler beside the tub for adults.

Never leave your baby unattended in the tub. An infant can drown in as little as 1in of water. If you must leave the room, wrap the baby in a towel and take your child with you. Gather everything you will need before placing the baby in the tub, including a few washcloths, baby soap, and towels.

Turn down your water heater to 120 degrees to prevent scalding if the baby accidentally turns on the faucet. The water should be around 100 degrees for a comfortable bath. If you don't have a bath thermometer, test the water with your elbow. It should feel warm, but not hot. Turn up the thermostat in your home to 75 degrees during bath time so that your baby doesn't get cold. 

You don't need to use soap to wash your baby's face. Instead, use a clean, damp washcloth. Either wash the baby's face first or use a separate washcloth for this task. You should not wash the face with a cloth that you've already used on other parts of the baby's body. 

Gently wipe from the inner corner of each eye to the outside. Softly wipe beneath the nose and around the mouth if you need to remove dried secretions of milk. While you can use baby soap or shampoo on infants with hair, you should shield the forehead and eyes with a washcloth to keep the soap away from the infant's face.