What's the best technique to bath a newborn baby???

Question

I would like to know if it's done better in a sink or tub? how much water should I use? what's the best soap/shampoo???

Answer 1

The sink or an infant tub is the easiest and the best for your back until the baby can sit up on their own.

Soap/Shampoo - Anything that is tear free. Walmart has an off brand of Johnson & Johnson

Here is what I found, it was taken directly from the link below:

Until your baby's cord falls off and / or the circumcision heals, give
your baby a sponge bath on a folded towel, as shown to you by
your baby's nurse. After the cord falls off or circumcision heals
you can use a sink basin or infant tub.
1. Arrange all your supplies within easy reach.
2. Wash your hands.
3. Fill the basin or infant tub with warm water.
4. Test the water for the correct temperature.
5. Undress your baby and place him or her in the basin of water or on the
folded towel, if a sponge bath is being given.
6. Eyes
Use only water and a clean wash cloth to clean the eyes. Begin
with the inside of eye and wash toward ear. Use a clean part of the
wash cloth and wash the other eye.
7. Face
Wash your baby’s face with water, but do not use soap.
8. Ears
Use your little finger tucked inside a wet wash cloth to clean ears.
Never use Q-tips inside your baby's ear.
9. Hair And Scalp
While your baby is lying on the pad or in the basin, reach under
the baby's back and lift the back and head up with your arm.
Cradle the head in your hand and the baby's back lying on your
forearm. This gives your baby a sense of security and gives you a
firm grip on his or her body.
Wet your baby's head with water. Work up a lather with the wash
cloth. Apply lather to your baby's head. Gently rub the lather
over the head from front to back, to keep suds out of the eyes.
Rinse the head with clean water and pat dry with the towel.
10. Body
Work up a lather with the wash cloth. Start with your baby's neck and
wash the back, tummy, arms, and fingers. Rinse the wash cloth, then rinse
the area just washed with water. Again, lather the wash cloth and wash the
legs and feet. Repeat the rinsing and lathering of the wash cloth. Clean
your baby's diaper area beginning with front and moving to the buttocks.
Rinse and dry your baby with a clean soft towel or hooded towel.
Page 3
After the bath:
1. Dry your baby well.
2. Dress your baby.
3. Comb or brush your baby’s hair.
4. Clean your baby's fingernails and toenails with a wash cloth. Use baby
clippers to clip the nails. It is important to keep your baby's nails short, so he
or she will not get scratched.
5. If you desire, place lotion on the baby, except for the face. Baby powder, if
used, should always be put below the waist level, especially with babies with
lung problems. Use only corn starch. Never use powder and lotion together
because they become caked and irritate the baby's skin.
Special care:
C If your baby's scalp (head) becomes scaly, dry or dirty looking, this is
commonly called cradle cap. It is not due to infection or inadequate
washing. It is thought to be caused by exposure to increased
hormones before birth. It is harmless and goes away in time.
You can treat this by applying a small amount of baby oil. Rub the oil in
well and leave it on overnight or for at least 8 hours. Cover the head with
a cap to prevent soiling sheets or clothes. Gently comb the hair with a
fine-toothed comb and shampoo your baby's head and skin. If the
scalp does not look better after shampooing, you may need to
repeat this every day until the scalp looks clean and normal.
If after several days of doing this, the scalp does not improve, call your
pediatrician. Always wash and dry the baby's brush after each use.
C If your baby has been circumcised, be sure to follow instructions on how to
clean and care for the circumcision. For circumcised boys gently pull back the
remaining small portion of foreskin and clean. Do not forcibly pull the
foreskin back. No tub baths are permitted until circumcision heals, generally
in two weeks.
C For girls, always remember to clean the genitalia from front to back. This
avoid getting stool from the rectum into the opening leading to the bladder.
Infections of the urinary tract can be common in girls. This infection is a
result of germs in the stool getting into the bladder. Also remember to clean
between the folds of the genitalia. Stool and pieces of the diaper can
sometimes be found in between these folds, so it is important to clean well.

Answer 2

Gad, they used to teach this in the hospital...do it where YOU are comfortable. A sink is usually more comforable, standing up. Get everything together before you get the baby, towel, soap, shampoo, everything...
CLEAN THE SINK FIRST! make sure that is clean. Put a towel in the bottom for less slippage. Run the water, make sure it isn't too hot or cold. Put the baby in 2 or less inches of warm water, & hold onto the neck/shoulders the whole time, do everything else with the free hand. Baby soap & hair shampoo is good, Johnsons is the oldest. Open them all before you start.
Take your time, put the baby in a big towel when done & worry about the sink are AFTER you have the baby dressed & in crib or strapped into a seat

Answer 3

Use an infant tub (you can even do this on the floor, just make sure the stopper is in all the way to avoid a water mess...it sure saves on an achy back leaning over the tub) and prop your baby on the little mesh thing that comes with it (can't think of the name of it right now, but I am sure you know what I mean). You only need 2 - 3" off water and maybe a dime size squirt of baby bath. I would suggest Johnson's head to toe wash. It's mild and can be used to wash the babies hair. Start at their head (the cleanest) and work your way down to their genitals (the dirtiest). To clean their ears use safety swabs. They are made especially for little ears and you can find them in the infant department.

Also, DO NOT fully bathe your infant until their umbilical cord stump falls off. Until it does, you will have to give your baby sponge baths. If you have a changing table, just lay your baby in a hooded towel and gently cleanse that way with a luke warm washcloth.

Answer 4

IMO the best way to give a baby a bath is to run a tub of warm but not too hot or cold water & get in, have DH or SO hand the naked baby to you & lay the baby on your legs & batht hem that way. I have done this so many times. It's so much easier than leaning over a tub or sink & you have the baby on your legs to keep from dropping them. ALso you can lay a hand towel out onto your legs & lay baby on it so they won't slip as easily. Then when you are finished with washing the baby, call DH/SO & have them wrpa baby ina warm towel.(good tip I learned was to have the towel in the dryer on low whiel you're washing so it's toasty) Then you can get out & dry off quck & then lotion & dress the baby. I always used Baby magic soap & lotion mainly cause I loved the smell. Johnson's is good too though.

Answer 5

It's done better in the sink for right now. You should use no more than a half to a little water. I use Phisoderm on my 3 week old for now because their skin is so sensitive at this age. When the baby is around 2 months, then you can use Johnson & Johnson soaps and shampoos. Congrats and good luck.

Answer 6

It's better done in the sink with as much water as you want as long as you are holding the baby. The best soap and shampoo is Johnsons shampoo.

Answer 7

Try it both ways -- see which is easier for you to get them in and out of the tub from. That's my yardstick -- the little critters can be darn slippery, and you're going to want to be sure you can get a good grip on them.

As far as how much water, you really only need about an inch or so -- he's going to be laying flat on his back, and you don't want him turning his head and getting a lungfull of water. For the most part, you're going to be bathing him like you would with a sponge bath -- a damp cloth wiping him down, not submersing him.

For a NEWBORN, I think you can get away with just plain water, particularly on the face -- they're not doing a lot of running around and getting dirty, and their skin can be VERY sensitive. As they get older (a few months), I'd recommend Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo or some other hypoallergenic baby wash and/or shampoo. The Lavender Body Wash smells nice, and the fragrance can be very soothing and help induce sleepiness.

Answer 8

I would suggest a sink. But don't use too much water if the umbilical cord is still intact. They aren't supposed to get wet. When that heals, then you can use more water. As far as the best, I prefer Johnson and Johnson. They have the lavender scent that's called babies bedtime bath and I bathe my grandson in that when I bathe him at night and then use the lotion that comes in the same scent. In the morning, I usually just use a wet cloth. Over bathing them is NOT good for their skin.

Answer 9

i dont recommend the sink because of the bacteria in there from everything else in there. Id get a baby tub and fill it like half way, and then hold their head and use ur hand to scoop water and wash the baby's head and then still hold the head while washing the rest of the body with the other hand.

Answer 10

I found it hard either way so I got in the tub and bathed my son with me or put him in the shower with me. I did that with both of my sons. It was easier to hold him and get him washed and rinsed. When I would shower with him I would get him undressed down to his diaper and then put a towel in his carseat and set him in it, then put a blanket on him to keep him warm. I would shower and when I was all done I would pick him up, take off his diaper and then hold him to my chest and shower him. When I was finished I would wrap him up in a towel and put him in his carseat while I dried off and got dressed really quick. Both of my sons loved it and love water now, I think because they felt so safe in my arms while in the water.

It worked for me, doing it in the sink or the baby tub in the bath was too difficult for me!