How to Give a Baby a Sponge Bath
You hear the words sponge bath; what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you are thinking of a nursing home, although you are correct, it is not the only thing that you should be thinking of! When babies are first born, they have a portion of the umbilical cord attached to them, and it needs to stay dry until it shrivels and falls off.
Once the cord falls off, rubber ducky bath time is in full force! Until then, your baby will have to settle for a just as comforting sponge bath. Not sure how to go about sponge bathing your baby? Continue reading to learn more.
Why Do I Need to Sponge Bathe My Baby?
When your baby is first born, as much as you may have looked forward to filling up the tub and letting them splash around, they must get a sponge bath for the first couple weeks. This is because they will still have their umbilical cord attached to them after birth. Once it has dried and fallen off, you can finally give your baby a regular bath! Until then, you’ll have to stick to sponge baths to avoid getting the umbilical cord wet.
Gather Your Supplies
A failure to prepare is to be prepared to fail. Before you start giving your baby a sponge bath, you must be sure that you have all of your supplies ready to go! I couldn’t tell you the amount of times I got my kids ready for a bath and started, just to realize I forgot something. Before you start giving your baby a sponge bath, make sure you have:
Baby bath or tub with warm water. This should not be filled to the point where the water would submerge their belly button.
A large hooded towel.
A soft washcloth.
Cotton squares or rounds.
Soaps made specifically for newborns, such as Johnsons & Johnsons Newborn Wash and Shampoo.
And these are just the items needed for the actual bathing part! In addition, you will also need:
Moisturizing lotion free of dyes and fragrances.
Clean clothing.
Receiving blanket.
Soft brush or comb.
Once you have collected all of these items, you can get started on giving your baby a sponge bath!
How to Sponge Bathe Your Baby
Now that you have everything you need, it’s time to get your sweet baby squeaky clean! Follow these steps:
Talk to your baby throughout the process. While they may not understand what you’re saying, giving them a play-by-play of what is happening will keep them stimulated and is actually beneficial in helping them learn to talk down the line!
Wash your baby’s eyes. You can do this by using the cotton rounds or swabs and cleaning their eye from the inner eye to the outer. Be sure to use a new cotton round for each eye to avoid any possible contamination.
Wash your baby’s face. Take the soft washcloth and wash from the middle of the face to the outer, and be sure to only use warm water. You don’t want soap getting into their big, beautiful eyes!
Wash your baby’s body. You should be using a gentle, dye-free, and scent-free soap that won’t irritate your baby’s skin. Unwrap and remove your baby’s diaper, and use your hand or a washcloth to lather up the soap. Wash from their neck to their waist, including their arms and legs, and wash their buttocks and genitals last.
After their entire body has been washed, you can pat them dry and put on a clean diaper. Make sure that you are thoroughly drying all of their creases! Then, you’ll do the following:
Wash your baby’s hair. After your baby’s body is washed, dried, and wrapped in a warm towel, you can wash their hair. Move the towel away from their head and run warm water. Supporting their back and head, place them on your arm so that you can carefully hold their hair under the running water. Use a gentle shampoo, lather it into their hair, and rinse it out. Put the hood of the towel over their head and dry their hair off.
Check their umbilical cord. While it should not be submerged under water, the umbilical cord should still be gently washed with warm water with a cotton round or swab. Dry thoroughly, and make sure that it is not covered by your baby’s diaper.
Time to moisturize! Use your baby’s favorite unscented lotion and lather their skin up if they need it. Babies don’t necessarily need it if their skin is already moisturized, but during the colder months, it might be good as a preventative measure.
Dress your baby. Now that your baby is nice and clean and has moisturized skin, it's time to get them dressed! If you are getting them dressed at night, you can put them in some cozy footie pajamas (as long as their feet are dry), or if it’s during the day, the cutest outfit that you can find! They’ll surely be ready for another photoshoot!
Track Your Baby’s Baths with Baby Connect
If you’ve been through the wringer before, you know that hours, days, and weeks can go by in a blur when you’re caring for a tiny, adorable human. That’s why keeping track of all of their health and wellness is so important!
When both my kids were newborns, I would easily forget if it was two or three hours from when I fed them last or which day their last bath was. Was it Tuesday or Wednesday? Or maybe even Thursday? Say goodbye to second guessing yourself, and download Baby Connect. Baby Connect can hold all of your baby’s important information, so you’ll never forget how many days they go in between baths again!
