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Parenting

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Original poster

Bathing and Washing a Newborn

13 replies

WestieMamma · 12/05/2013 15:50

When do you do it?

I feel like I can't do it before a feed as he gets all distressed because he wants feeding.

I can't do it after feed because he's asleep and waking him feels wrong.

His only really awake time is 11.00pm-3.00am, which feels wrong as I should be encouraging sleep at this time, not reinforcing awakefullness.

What do I do? Do I wake him to bath him?

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cupcake78 · 12/05/2013 15:54

I found ds hated being naked and getting bathed for a while. The crying kept him awake and I usually settled him with a boob or snuggle afterwards.

Try not to do it in the middle of the night, your reinforcing his wakefulness.

RooneyMara · 12/05/2013 15:57

I think just do it when he has had a big poo

That's what I have done this time, he's awake as you've got to change him, he's between feeds probably, and keep it fairly brief - mine didn't enjoy it much, sometimes I sit him on the bath support thingy, in the big bath, and just shower him for a minute or two.

The rest of the time you can get away with a quick wipe of their little face and hands.

Alanna1 · 12/05/2013 16:10

Don't bother! I just wash DD2's face and neck, and bottom, daily. There's enough time for baths when she's bigger. Or dirty!

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Original poster

WestieMamma · 12/05/2013 16:33

Glad it's not just mine who hates it. I feel like I'm torturing him if I bath him. Then I feel like a failure if I don't.

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noblegiraffe · 12/05/2013 16:39

I bath my baby twice a week, unless she does a massive poo. I fill the sink, hold her rugby hold and wash her hair, then I sit her in the sink and do the rest. Takes less than 5 minutes. Until she was 3 months old I only used plain water, now I use a bit of shampoo because her hair is quite long.

If you do it before a feed, the feed calms her down and warms her up if she doesn't like being washed.

RooneyMara · 12/05/2013 17:33

Mostly I just take him in the bath when I have a bath now - you need someone on hand to help take him out though, as the risk of slipping isn't very good. I get ds1 to take him sometimes, before I get out myself.

Kafri · 12/05/2013 17:44

DS didn't get a bath until he was nearly 3w old - spent first week in hosp where they told me to wait as he had cannula in and i certainly didnt want to disrupt that, then by the time we got hold i figured i might as well wait until his belly button thingy had dropped off. After that, I did bath him daily but ONLY cos of his colic/screaming/tummy troubles - consultant suggested bathing could help relieve him.
If it hadn't been for that I probably wouldn't have bothered to be honest - lets face it, it's not like he was doing anything to require a good hosing down. I only had the opportunity to bath him every day as the little sod darling screamed constantly so I wasn't disturbing any sleep. i was trying to find a way to make him sleep if anything

TheCountessOlenska · 12/05/2013 17:50

I gave DD a bath every day even though she hated it as a newborn, looking back I think, why??? - DS has had precisely one bath in his first 2 months, and that was just being dunked in his big sister's bath

I think a top and tail with hot water and cotton wool is fine when they're tiny - just do it at a nappy change time.

whatsoever · 12/05/2013 19:34

I did 3 times a week or so when DS was tiny. Mainly just to get my confidence up I think. I followed the pictures in my Miriam Stoppard book (brilliant for instructions on the basics), so held him rugby hold over the bath wrapped in a towel to wash his face and hair, then dunked him very briefly in the baby bath to wash the rest of him. He (as with most newborns) hated being naked & this meant his naked/not wrapped in a towel time was only about a minute so reduced the screams.

notcitrus · 12/05/2013 19:38

Sage advice from a friend of mine: don't bother until you think at least one of you will enjoy it. Ds had one just before his 6 week check so I could answer how he liked his bath (hated it), but by 6 months he loved them.
Washing with a warm flannel worked fine when needed. Dd loved baths from a month old so she had many more.

MrsHoarder · 12/05/2013 19:42

We DH only bathed him when he got mecconium from ears to toes whilst his cord was till on. 11pm on our first night home. Top and tail as much as you can until he's awake at a good time and looks like he needs it.

Lifeisontheup · 12/05/2013 19:51

I used to bath my first early evening, it seemed to make her hungry and therefore had a really good feed afterwards and was more settled. It also meant DH could help as he was home by then. With subsequent babies they got a quick dunk in the end of the toddlers bath and then I sat on the loo and fed them whilst chatting to toddler whilst they played in the bath.

Brownowlahi · 12/05/2013 21:25

Bathing your baby could be something to do with your baby to help switch day and night round. If his wakeful time is during the night, this does need switching so they are awake during the day, but to do that baby is going to need to be awake when the sun shines. Is baby awake at all during the day or early evening? A bath and then some baby massage could help keep baby awake for a bit meaning he might just sleep a bit more during the night. My 3dc all loved a bath even when they were tiny and so always had regular baths even when they were tiny.

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