To bathe baby once per week?

[StarfishSandwich]

He’s 7 weeks. I thought this was totally normal and fine. He gets top and tailed as and when needed - certainly daily! But I don’t feel like he particularly needs bathing. We always bathe him in the bath with one of us so daily would be a complete waste of water. I keep reading about people using baths as part of the bedtime routine and it’s just occurred to me that this means that lots of babies get bathed daily.

AIBU and scummy? His skin is flawless and he doesn’t smell FWIW!

To top and tail, I used cotton wool and warm water with them lying on a warm towel. Every morning.

I must be a bit nuts. I bathed both mine twice a day from birth. They enjoyed it and it also soothed that wtf crying that babies do.

They are 22 and 19 now and didn’t melt away but I guess it’s each to their own.

We did top and tail each day and a couple of baths a week - depending upon what they were doing. Once they got to about six months we took them in the shower with us instead - so much quicker, especially when they could stand independently.

Surely a bath of warm water is better for a baby than baby wipes?

We use cloth wipes with water only. Bamboo for his bottom and cotton or microfibre for the rest of his body. He’s never been wiped with a wet wipe 🤷‍♀️

You can't really compare to older children's routines. Lots of little babies get sensitive skin from soap and are given thorough cleans after changes anyway so no need to bathe daily.
Children are touching stuff, getting sweaty, spilling food, if they are young maybe dripping wee or not wiping their bottom properly so yes I do think nightly baths are a good idea.

Once a week is not enough. At least every other day.

I usually do a daily bath, yes. My grubby toddler has to have a bath every night so I just do baby first and then use the bath water for the mucky tod. I wouldn't say he NEEDS a bath every night but he enjoys bath time and hates being "wiped down". As long as the baby isn't dirty and has clean clothes, just do what works for your family and fuck what other people think

If you are topping and tailing every day.
Face. Eyes. Ears. Especially neck, under chin. Bottom then a baby doesnt really have to bath that much.
Because what else is missing. Back. Belly. Arms and legs... This time of year, (if in England or somewhere cold) there isnt any need for suncream and baby is covered so baby isnt getting dirty.

A bath every day isnt good for your babies skin.

Once a week or once every 2 weeks if fine i think

DS was bathed every other day, he was a large plump baby covered in rolls of fat and would get stinky hands, and a stinky milky neck quite easily. He was a total milk guzzler and did lots of poos, which was another reason for the frequent baths.

DD was a little pixie of a thing and just didn’t get as grubby, nor do as many huge messy poos. At that age she was bathed once or twice a week.

They’re 4 and 1 now and share a bath every night as they’ve fallen into a nice routine with sleep

Totally with you op.
I wiped dirty hands, neck, face and bum when needed at a babe until about 2 months old ish. At which point she was able to sit in the baby bath a bit better (she was tiny) and we had a bath once a week or after a blowout and still a wipe down as and when. Once she got older and more grubby we started doing baths every 5ish days. Now she's two and still only has a bath maybe twice a week, every 3-4days.
She doesn't smell, isn't filthy doesn't have greasy hair or bad skin.
I refused to use a babywipe until she was about a year old because those things are full of crap. Ever used one on broken skin or sore lips yourself? Not just water and oils as they claim.

Just to add that my daily bathed babies who are now 15 and 7 and now have daily showers have never had cradle cap.

My 5 year old still only bsths twice a week maximum- he washes himself daily though. Mashing food in hair isn’t allowed in our house (or at the childminders), so we don’t have a need to bath more often.

Once a week seems plenty to me, I never bathed DS more than that when he was a baby. They don't really get dirty. Didn't use it as a bedtime routine - feed, say the same things as you close curtains etc, then a song seemed a good routine for us and he learned quickly how to get to sleep. Introduced a book before the song a couple of months later.

@Zoflorabore do you know what cradle cap is?

Hint - it has nothing to do with dirt.

I was advised not to bathe baby too often (and no shampoo/soap) as it's not good for their skin, once a week is fine at 7 weeks, I think I did about once a fortnight then (I was washing his bum under the tap every time he poo'd though so that area was very clean! But the skin on his legs got so dry so once he started solids and his poo wasn't liquidy any more I stopped doing that and his skin recovered)

Every other day plus a wipe over if needed

I know it has nothing to do with dirt, I was responding to a pp who had suggested that babies prone to cradle cap where those washed/bathed daily.

It's fine. People don't need to be immersed in water to get clean. I care for people that haven't had a bath or shower in years and they're perfectly clean because they're washed, just not in a bath of water!
I had a bath last night, and won't shower until tomorrow morning. Still clean

When we got DD home DH and I cooed over her and couldn’t wait to get her in the bath tub, we were under the illusion she would love it straight away and be sleepy and user friendly afterwards and gently fall into a lovely deep sleep for the night.

Actually what happened was that she wailed and panicked and scared the shit out of both of us as we tried desperately to dry off (and definitely not drop) this angry, wet, wriggly ball of fury.

As a consequence we don’t bath her much. She will come in with me now and again, but at the end of it we’re almost guaranteed a fight and some tears. It all undoes the idea of baths being relaxing.

Her skin is absolutely beautiful and I don’t think she smells, but she has reflux so we probably both smell of sick permanently anyway.

When she’s a bit bigger she’ll have to do baths at least every other night I reckon, but whilst she’s still only being carried about in my arms she’ll be a soap dodger.

Loads of different advice. Its your baby. What YOU do is best for YOUR baby. Congrats

We did as and when neccsary otherwise 1 or 2 rimes a week, mine hated Bath, baby bath even and I also don't belive in stripping skin of natural oils.. I can't help but feel companies like Johnson pushed baths everyday.

When my son was born once a week was recommended by the midwives - he was topped and tailed daily - to protect natural oils in skin.

If baby is dirty (after a wipe/wash) or smelly, bath them. If not, dont. People are overly obsessed with hygiene nowadays to the point where it can be actually detrimental to health.

honest answer do whats right for you and your baby, hes not rolling in mud is he so top and tails perfectly fine, ive had 3 and did things differently with each one so dont stress if others say your in the wrong x

I used to use a baby bath and my children all got bathed daily and more frequently if had nappy explosion. It is just quicker to put in bath than do topping and tailing. My babies all loved bath time. At about 5 months moved them to big bath.