How to Give a Newborn a Bath (with Umbilical Cord)
You’re bringing your baby home from the hospital, and they still have their umbilical cord. This stays with your baby for a few weeks until it dries out and falls off. This is perfectly safe and does not bother your baby!
While it doesn’t bother your baby, you should be careful around it to avoid accidentally pulling on it or getting it wet. You want to avoid getting moisture around this area to avoid infection.
Nervous about giving your baby their first bath after coming home from the hospital? Read these FAQs and suggestions to give you plenty of confidence in giving your baby their first bath!
Can You Bathe Your Newborn with the Umbilical Cord?
The answer is yes and no. The traditional sense of a bath with a tub full of water should be avoided until after the umbilical cord falls off.
With this in mind, they can sit in their baby tub in the bathtub with a small amount of water and be given a sponge bath until their belly button makes an appearance. Until then, avoid filling the tub to where their umbilical cord would be submerged.
Why Can’t Babies Take a Bath With Their Umbilical Cord?
As the umbilical cord is dries out, it begins to leave a wound that needs healing. If the umbilical cord gets wet or is filled with debris, it can open your baby to infections. Steer clear of the umbilical cord if possible to avoid this possibility.
If you have a little boy, this might be harder than you think! Sometimes they surprise you, and urine can end up everywhere in between diaper changes. If this happens, blot the umbilical cord with warm water and mild soap. You can do this with a Q-tip, as it is small enough to get at the base of the umbilical cord properly. Be sure to dry off the area completely!
How Do You Keep the Umbilical Cord from Getting Wet?
This is one of the biggest challenges for parents in the early days of parenthood. Thankfully, your little bundle of joy does not need baths every single day! Until your baby loses their umbilical cord, opt for sponge baths to keep the area free of moisture.
That being said, there are instances where it may get wet on accident. This is okay, so don’t stress about it! Simply clean up the area with mild soap and water, dry it completely, and give your baby some love!
Steps to Wash Your Newborn
A full bath is not recommended until the umbilical cord has fallen off your baby. Because of this, their first few baths should be done in parts. If you are unsure what we mean, this is a great place to start:
Gather your supplies. You want to collect all of the supplies you will need before beginning the bath so they are all within reach. Once in the warm bath (not hot!), you should have two towels, two washcloths, and any other baby supplies you will need. This could be baby nail files, lotion, and a brush. Whatever you need to make your baby sparkly clean!
Fill the tub with warm water. Their tub should be filled just enough that you can use it to sponge bathe their body. Try to keep the water from reaching their abdomen so that the umbilical cord doesn’t become submerged.
Wash your baby’s hair. Washing their hair in the tub can be uncomfortable (for you and them!), so try washing their hair in the sink! You can do this by holding your baby close, wrapped in a towel, and leaning their head into the warm running water. Washing their hair in the sink will keep water from dripping down their body and into their umbilical cord. This can be done before or after washing their body. We recommend it after, as many babies hate their hair being washed!
Wash your baby’s face. Use a damp washcloth to wash your baby’s face before moving onto the rest of their body.
Wash your baby’s body. Once your baby’s face is washed, you can wash the rest of their body. Work slowly and be sure to avoid their umbilical cord.
Dry off. After they are completely clean, pat dry your baby with the towel. Inspect their umbilical cord to be sure that this area is dry.
Tips to Care for Umbilical Cord
Other than steering clear of the umbilical cord when possible, there are other things that should be done to care for the umbilical cord. Some helpful tips are:
Fold the diaper in front. Folding the diaper and securing it with the tabs will keep the diaper from chaffing the umbilical cord.
If the cord gets dirty and needs to be cleaned, it can be cleaned with warm water and mild soap. A cotton swab will work best to get in the crevices if need be.
Regularly monitor the umbilical cord. Checking it out after each diaper change is best. This allows you to monitor for infection. If you see a little blood at the base, this is completely normal!
Monitor Your Baby’s Umbilical Cord with Baby Connect
The umbilical cord was once an important part of your baby, connecting Mom and Baby together. But now that they’re out of the womb, they no longer need it! The umbilical cord, at this point, should be left alone as much as possible to avoid infections.
Baby Connect is an app designed for parents and caregivers to keep track of everything going on in their baby’s life. You can use it to monitor your baby’s umbilical cord, track bath days, and document feeding times. With an app as handy as this, you’ll never have to carry around a notebook for your baby ever again!
