Caring for your new baby

Bathing your baby

Wait at least 24 hours before bathing your baby. If you need to bath your baby for cultural/religious reasons, please aim to wait six hours from birth before bathing.

Take some time to prepare before you start. Make sure you have everything you need like clean nappies, clothing, towels and a changing mat to hand. Ideally, bath time needs to be carried out quite quickly as babies find it hard to control their body temperature and can get cold and upset easily.

How to wash your baby during the first few days (top and tail)

A sponge bath or ‘top and tail’ with water is enough during the first few days, then 2 to 3 baths a week is fine.

Use plain water only for the first month as their skin is very fragile
Wrap your baby in a warm towel on a changing mat. Clean around their face and neck using cotton wool pads or reusable wipes/flannels. You can keep their nappy on for now. Using a clean piece of cotton wool for each eye, wipe from the inside outwards. Talk to your health visiting team or your GP if your baby’s eyes look red or sticky
Now take off your baby’s nappy and using more cotton wool pads or reusable wipes/flannels dipped in water, clean their bottom and around their genitals. With boys, there’s no need to pull the foreskin back. With baby girls, remember to wipe from front to back to reduce the risk of infection. Don’t worry if there’s some discharge from the vagina, it’s completely normal in newborns
Smile at your baby while you’re doing all this, and talk or sing to them. This will soothe and reassure them

How to bath your baby

Make sure the room is nice and warm and run the bath to about 37°C. Use a water thermometer if you have one. Fill with cold water first and then add hot water to get to the correct temperature. Make sure you check the temperature with your elbow or wrist and mix well to avoid any hot patches.

Curl your arm into a ‘C’ shape and position your hand under your baby’s arm to support their head and to give you a firm hold
With the other hand, you can gently scoop water all over their body, smiling and talking to them the whole time
Turn your baby over to wash their back, keeping their face out of the water
Wrap your baby in a towel and then wash their hair by scooping water over their head with your free hand
Pat your baby dry with the towel. Avoid rubbing their sensitive Make sure all the little creases in the skin under their arms and around their legs are dry. There’s no need to use baby powder

Please remember to never leave your baby or child unattended during bath time. Babies of any age should only be supervised in the bath by adults.

Safe sleeping

Following safer sleep advice can reduce the chances of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS or cot death) happening. The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own clear, flat cot or moses basket in the same room as you.