When do you think it's okay to top and tail?

[sweettooth45]

I just had DS yesterday is it okay for me to top and tail him ?

[RoganJosh]

You’ll clean their bottom when you do the nappy.
If they get milk on their face then wipe it.
Is that what you meant?

Don’t use any washing gel stuff on them, obv.

[DramaAlpaca]

I wonder if top & tail bowls and the phrase itself began to be phased out when baby wipes came into regular use.

That would explain why only those of us who are older, say 50 plus, are familiar with it. Wipes were only really coming in when I had my children in the early to mid-90s, and we were advised to use cotton wool and water.

[yankeedoodledandee]

I even had what was referred to as a Top and Tail bowl with 2 compartments from Mothercare so I don’t think it is an unknown phrase

Even with many people on this thread saying they didn't know it?

I'm in my 40s and have never heard of it. Perhaps it is regional? I don't know, but it was new to me today.

[DramaAlpaca]

@Evenstar

My DM referred to washing a baby that way, and I called it that when mine were small, eldest is 30. I even had what was referred to as a Top and Tail bowl with 2 compartments from Mothercare so I don’t think it is an unknown phrase

OP you are fine to wash baby or give a gentle bath as others said 🙂

Same here, my eldest is late 20s. It must be an old fashioned phrase.

OP, go ahead, what the midwife told you is exactly right.

Congratulations

[Ineedaduvetday]

Goodness me people are being deliberately difficult here. "Top and tail" means to wash face and bum of a new baby.

Not difficult, I'd just never heard of this phrase

[Ticklemynickel]

Mine gets little wipe over with a wash cloth every morning. She seems to get loads of milk in her neck creases so needed! Bath every 4 days or so at the moment.

[Figgyboa]

@linerforlife

Goodness me people are being deliberately difficult here. "Top and tail" means to wash face and bum of a new baby. You're fine to do this OP. Use some cooled, boiled water and cotton wool (pads are best). It's also a good idea to gently wipe round the cord stump too. Don't double dip the cotton wool in the water. So use a fresh piece every time you put it in the water bowl, and start with the face and move on to the cord stump then their bottom. Congratulations on your new baby!

I've never heard this term used for washing of a newborn. Only for sleeping arrangements. We're not being difficult!!

[BikeRunSki]

I remember the terminology “top and tail” when my sister was baby, and she is in her late 40s. Anyway, it can also mean siblings/friends sleeping with their heads at opposite ends of the same single bed. I thought this thread was going to be about the age at which this becomes inappropriate.

[greenemerald]

I've heard of this expression also, don't worry OP lol. It's fine to do this. I did it myself for my newborn at first before his first bath

[Evenstar]

My DM referred to washing a baby that way, and I called it that when mine were small, eldest is 30. I even had what was referred to as a Top and Tail bowl with 2 compartments from Mothercare so I don’t think it is an unknown phrase

OP you are fine to wash baby or give a gentle bath as others said 🙂

[sweettooth45]

Lol sorry the midwife said top and tail unless she got that wrong my apologies 😫

[bloodywhitecat]

@MindyStClaire Not that recent, I am 57 and I topped and tailed my babies (and still top and tail my foster babies). OP, top and tail is fine, newborns don't need a bath, I think it is good for their skin to not bath them in the early days. Congratulations on your new arrival.

[MindyStClaire]

@linerforlife

Goodness me people are being deliberately difficult here. "Top and tail" means to wash face and bum of a new baby. You're fine to do this OP. Use some cooled, boiled water and cotton wool (pads are best). It's also a good idea to gently wipe round the cord stump too. Don't double dip the cotton wool in the water. So use a fresh piece every time you put it in the water bowl, and start with the face and move on to the cord stump then their bottom. Congratulations on your new baby!

Exactly this. Maybe it's a recent term? I have young children and it's commonly used among parents of babies I know.

[yankeedoodledandee]

Goodness me people are being deliberately difficult here. "Top and tail" means to wash face and bum of a new baby.

I had no idea. I guess based on a few comments above but tbh I don't think anyone is being 'difficult' for not knowing this term. It does much more commonly get used in the context of sleeping arrangements.

[linerforlife]

Goodness me people are being deliberately difficult here. "Top and tail" means to wash face and bum of a new baby. You're fine to do this OP. Use some cooled, boiled water and cotton wool (pads are best). It's also a good idea to gently wipe round the cord stump too. Don't double dip the cotton wool in the water. So use a fresh piece every time you put it in the water bowl, and start with the face and move on to the cord stump then their bottom. Congratulations on your new baby!

[lcdododo]

Absolutely fine.
However there is a lot of evidence to suggest that waiting a while before they get a bath is better

[herechickchickchickchick]

I take top and tail to be sleeping arrangements too

So confused

[yankeedoodledandee]

If you mean cleaning your baby you should be 'tailing' anyway when you change a nappy. The top bit? I'm not sure.

[Megan2018]

The longer you leave it the better for their skin. I didn’t clean anything other than bum or mouth for the first 2 weeks to protect her skin.

[Youvegotafriendinme]

I’m assuming by Top and tail him you mean as in bath him not sleep too to tail?
When I had DS 4 I was told to not bath him for at least a week/10 days because he was premature and something to do with his skin still having the vernix on it and it was best to keep it there for a bit. How that advice is now, I don’t know. I don’t see why you need to bath him yet to be honest but of course no harm will be done just don’t use any chemicals, water is fine

[New2020]

I think we waited 5days...we were both pretty she'll shocked but didn't want the midwife to think we weren't keeping baby clean

[scrivette]

I didn't give my babies a bath until after their cord dropped off/about 2 weeks, just topped and tailed.

[KatherineJaneway]

I thought top and tail were sleeping arrangements

[MargeryMcLatchie]

Washing him you mean? Yes of course.
I gently bathed both of mine on the second day (in plain water) to get the blood and yuck off; some people say that's too soon but we didn't have any problem.
Congratulations btw

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Do you mean give him a wash?