How often did you give your newborn a bath?

Question

I asked a couple of moms i know & they said every day..

but somehow i always thought you weren't supposed to do it everyday.. anyways, just asking...thanx for your help

35 wks pregnant with 1st

Answer 1

Once a week at most. However I give "sponge" baths fairly often. With my first I had to clean his neck thoroughly at every diaper change. I don't know how he got so much milk in there but he did and it would be sticky and then of course get lint and whatnot stuck in it.

Generally speaking "they" say not to bath a baby more than 2-3 times a week because it can cause dry skin and other problems. Remember the healthy bacteria and natural oils are there to protect the skin, and a baby doesn't roll around in the dirty *lol*.

If you really want to bath every day you shouldn't use soap at all for most of the baths to help protect the skin.

Answer 2

A newborn? My daughter is 3 weeks old, and I give her a bath now at the most 1x a week. She doesn't get very dirty now?? I will wash her face with just a wet washcloth, but it's so cold and dry out that I am nervous to give her a bath more than 1x a week at this point. I am not going to put lotion or anything on her until she gets a little older because their natural oils and other are just getting up to speed themselves. Looks like people are doin' their own thing, but I think 1x a week for a newborn is sufficient. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Newborns really don't need to be bathed every day, their skin is very dry anyway and the water dries it out even more, 3-4 times a week is plenty, just make sure you are topping and tailing them (washing their face, eyes, neck, hands, bum and bits) on the days you are not bathing them. Once they start crawling around you can start bathing them every day, before bed is the usual time. My baby is 4 months old and I bath him every other day in the morning as he prefers his bath then and he doesn't need any help getting to sleep, he is a very good sleeper.

Answer 4

You do not need to give a newborn a bath everyday. If you feel the need to, I would recommend a wash off, but not necessarily an actual bath everyday.

To each his own in this regard, but if you have any concerns, just ask a pediatrician. Both of my kids are perfectly fine, healthy and clean, and I never gave them baths everyday.

With my son, he had really dry skin, and so the doc. recommended not to bathe him often (to prevent his condition from worsening). So I would just give him a wash off with wipes, or a warm towel when I felt he need it, and then I bathed him twice a week. Needless to say, his skin condition improved, and now he is a healthy, happy 3 year old, who definitely needs a bath everyday:))

So it's really something that you have to determine for yourself, and again I would consult a pediatrician also.

Good luck!

Patricia Godfrey
http://www.rocabyebaby.com

Answer 5

When he was a newborn, I gave him a sponge bath once a week or as needed. He's now 8 months old and gets a tub bath every few days or as needed. My 3 year old daughter, on the other hand, thinks she's a mermaid and begs for a bubble bath just about every night.

Answer 6

We were told by the hospital nurses to bathe our son twice a week, and I did it that way for the first few weeks. I've now upped it to every other day, and sometimes more if he's particulary upset as bathing relaxes and soothes my 9 week old.

I would recommend that you avoid using soap on your baby for atleast the first few months. Comfortably warm water is enough to get your baby squeaky clean, and water doesn't dry out or aggrivate a baby's sensitive skin. Babies don't get dirty, and as long as you pay close attention to rinsing away any grime that might accumulate in their "folds" (i.e. neck, between legs/groin area, fingers and toes, etc.), then your baby will be perfectly hygienically sound.

Soap isn't necessary to keep your baby clean, and a baby's skin produces all of the natural oils that it needs to remain moist and healthy. Using a soap - even one that is considered 'mild' and safe for baby - will mess with the PH balance of your babies skin, and can even be counter productive by spurring baby's sebacceous glands into producing an over-abundance of sebum (oil). Also, the perfumes, dyes and drying agents in soap are not necessary for keeping a baby clean!

I don't mean to sound so against using soap, I just don't think that is the best option for baby's gentle skin, and I thought I would express that opinion.

Anyway, congrats on your upcoming new addition!

Answer 7

You really don't need to give a newborn a bath everyday unless of course they spit up all over themselves everyday. Then you have a different problem. A bath everyday will dry their skin to much. It was 7 yrs. ago my son was a new born but I seem to remember giving him a bath every third day or so depending.

Answer 8

I just had my baby on the 5th of Dec. I didn't bath her in actually water until this past week after her umbilical cord fell off. Before that I just used a warm, wet cloth to give her a sponge bath. I noticed that if I didn't do this everyday the creases in her neck and under her arms would get a build-up of body oils and lint from her clothing and possible spit up that I may have missed. I always slather her up with lotion after wards to help make sure I don't dry her skin out to much. This week I started her in a sink of water with a towel in the bottom to help cushion her and she loves it.

Answer 9

Every third day, or when there was a huge diaper blowout. Really, they don't get that terribly dirty that spot cleaning doesn't do the trick. Also, the very frequent cleaning can be a negative thing. It dries out baby's delicate skin, and takes away good bacterias. It's important to allow baby to encounter everyday germs, as this is what builds baby's immune system.

Answer 10

My advice is as needed at first but give them a sponge down daily before bed covering your newbie with a hand towel to protect from chills. I know you didn't ask how to give a bath but I just want to add Dove is the best to wash baby with because its not soap and is really gentle..
Congradulations!