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Before my first child was born, one of the many, many things we purchased was an infant bathtub. We also got some totally adorable hooded bath towels. Is there anything cuter? No, there is not. I imagined, consistent with Instagram videos, that bath time would be a relaxing time to wind down at the end of the day. The books indicated that it was an important part of a bedtime routine.
The first time we bathed my daughter, two weeks into her life, it involved three adults and more screaming (both from the baby and the adults) than I care to remember. It took weeks to work up the courage to do it again.
Was this even necessary? Probably not — as I’ll explain below, it’s fine to bathe your baby, but also mostly fine not to. As with most things newborn, though, if you do not understand it, it can become overwhelming. To avoid that overwhelm, we’ve got simple answers to help you make your bath plan.
How often should I bathe my baby?
Once you’re home with your baby, there isn’t a lot of concrete guidance as to how often they need to be bathed. The consensus for routine bathing is no more than two or three days per week. This is based largely on a general understanding of the skin and on logic, not on some kind of randomized data on bathing. There are some randomized studies (see below) on questions like “should I use soap”; in these studies, researchers tend to have parents bathe their babies twice a week, so that is not a bad place to start.
In practice, there is a lot of flexibility around this — again, it’s based on logic and not data. Dermatologists generally caution against bathing an infant every day since it can dry out the skin. And if you go too long — like weeks — between baths, the milk and oils that build up in their skin folds can cause irritation. But reasonable people could choose once a week, every other day, etc. Bath time does not need to become a consistent part of your bedtime routine at this stage.
Do I need to wait for the umbilical cord to fall off?
The stump of your baby’s umbilical cord will fall off over the first few weeks of life. Until then, you want to keep the stump dry, but this doesn’t mean you cannot bathe your baby. Just make sure that you dry the stump after the bath.
Do I need a newborn tub?
It is easiest for most people to use a newborn tub, since it lets you control the temperature of the water, and it is easier to control the baby. But this isn’t a requirement – there are many good ways to do this, including an adult holding the baby in a larger tub or using a large sink.
The two things to keep in mind: the baby’s head needs to be supported at all times, and you should make sure the water is warm but not hot. You do not need a special, expensive thermometer for this; your hand is fine. I promise, you know the difference between cold and warm and hot, and you do not need to be extremely precise.
Should I use soap?
Yes, you should use soap on their body. Many of the oils and dirt (rotten milk!) that get on your baby’s skin are not water-soluble, so you do need soap. You want a mild, fragrance-free liquid cleanser with a pH in the range of 5.5 to 7. Most cleansers designed for babies will have this feature.
Soap can be used on their body and head, but should not be used on their face.
Do I need to moisturize my baby after their bath?
Probably not. One randomized trial evaluated the impact of using moisturizers with or without soap, versus not. The authors found no differences in skin health across groups, which means if you do want to moisturize, great. And if not, also fine.
The one exception to this is if your baby is experiencing eczema or general dry skin; it is a good idea to use a moisturizer after the bath, which has been shown to improve these symptoms.
Do I need a hooded towel?
You do not “need” a hooded towel, but you do want to keep the baby’s head warm after the bath until they dry. And the hooded towel is the easiest way to do that.
What if my baby hates the bath?
If your baby hates the bath (mine did!), you can do it less. You do want to occasionally bathe them, but if this is a terrible experience, just do it quickly and less frequently. And be comforted that your baby’s tastes change over time, and they may well eventually come to like it.
The bottom line
- Make a plan for bathing so you do not get overwhelmed. A schedule ranging from once a week to every other day is reasonable.
- Use an infant tub or other setup in which you can easily control the baby’s head.
- Use a mild cleanser everywhere other than the face.
- You can use moisturizer if you want, but it’s only necessary if your baby has eczema.
Log in
Currently on day 36 without bathing…seems fine 😬
Why no soap on their faces?
The pediatrician told us there was no need to bathe our babies until puberty. That might be taking things a *little* far but we did go weeks (months?) without bathing them when they went through a phase (15mo ish) of hating baths with a passion. We mostly used the kitchen sink when they were tiny.
Just a mention that there is some mixed up copy between the 1st and second paragraphs.
Thanks for letting us know, Nini! This has been corrected.