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Home › Articles › Basic Care › Baby's First Bath

Baby's First Bath

A Trendy or Traditional Approach?

By Joe Cooke

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

One thing that almost everyone agreed on was that newborns do not like to be bathed and may become quite upset. Remember, newborns have just come from a warm environment where they were wrapped up tightly. Their bodies are still learning to regulate temperature, and they might panic a bit when they are out in the open.

When it comes time to relax after the bath, getting a good swaddle is of paramount importance. At first, my swaddles were loose and flimsy, but as time went by, they got tighter and more solid. Even now, Katie will bring me her dolls and ask me to swaddle them.

Here's my secret: lay out the blanket like a baseball diamond with home base pointing toward your belly button. Fold the top down so that second base touches the pitcher's mound. Baby's head goes right where second base used to be. Fold third base over and tuck it under Baby, making the blanket as tight as possible and pinning Baby's right arm down. It may seem a bit alarming to a new parent, but I found that the tighter the swaddle (within reason), the more relaxed the baby stays. Fold the bottom up next, and then wrap the right side over. When you are done, you should have a tight little burrito of a baby.

For us, once Baby was swaddled we could take a deep breath and relax. That first bath was beautiful but certainly left us feeling more drained than fulfilled. We were sopping wet, exhausted and the kitchen was a mess.

A New Approach
Nicole Gryler, a registered nurse who teaches childbirth classes for St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash., urges her students to take a more contemporary approach to Baby's first bath. She suggests that moms run a warm bath and get in with their babes. Water should be around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Test the water with your wrist or elbow, not your fingers. Get the baby into the water. Don't bother with soap, as babies have not yet developed the friendly bacteria that inhabit our adult bodies. Mom's body and the warm water help keep the baby from losing body heat.


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