More often than not, a baby’s first bath happens almost instantly after birth, but new research shows that holding off on baby’s first time in the tub could have some big benefits.
A new study published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing found that delaying a baby’s first bath for at least 12 hours after birth increased the odds of a new mom exclusively breastfeeding her baby during their hospital stay.
Every hospital has its own policy in regards to bathing newborns, but at the Mother/Baby Unit at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital in in Mayfield Heights, Ohio—where the study was conducted—the general rule was that babies were given a bath within two hours of birth. The study involved 996 pairs of women and their healthy newborns. Of these, 448 were given the hospital’s standard policy or bathing babies when they were about two hours old. The other 548 followed the new procedure of delaying the first bath for at least 12 hours.
The researchers found that exclusive breastfeeding rates went up from 59.8 percent to 68.2 percent with the delay. “It makes us happy to see that happen,” lead author Heather Condo DiCioccio, DNP, RNC-MNN, told TODAY. “Any increase that we can get in breastfeeding rates is going to be significant.”
January is National Bath Safety Month, so now is a good time for a few tips on keeping baby safe in the bathtub. Babies are wiggly little people. They don’t follow instructions and when they’re all wet, they become slippery, wiggly little people! Not all babies love baths, but most do and as long as you follow a few rules for tub time, you will too.
Sponge bathing is the right place to begin
There is a lot to be said for a good sponge bath for newborns. After all, they don’t have the ability to regulate their body temperatures very well so a full immersion might be more than they can handle! Sponge bathing allows you to keep baby warm with towels and only wash the parts that need it: face, diaper area, and hands.
Full immersion isn’t recommended until the umbilical cord stump falls off anyway, as it is best to keep that area dry to avoid complications like infection. Wait the week or two it will take for the stump to dry up and fall off before considering a full bath for baby.
Moving on to a baby bath is your next step
When you and baby are ready to move beyond sponge bathing, the next best bet is a baby sized bath. Whether you put a baby bath in the tub or go directly to the kitchen sink, choose a warm environment and make sure that you can can stand or sit comfortably. Attempting to get the baby out of the bath if you’re awkwardly positioned could be dangerous! Remember: slippery and wiggly!
Babies don’t need a daily bath; in fact, too many baths can dry out their skin. Every few days, fill up a baby tub or the kitchen sink with around three or four inches of warm water. Why a baby bath? A standard bathtub is hard to manage until baby can sit up. A baby tub will give you the ability to control the water depth and baby’s movements, with its gentle slope.
Have a hand supporting the head and neck as you slip them in, feet first. They can get used to the water more easily this way, which is less likely to trigger crying!
Start washing at the top and work your way down; and don’t use too much soap, as it can be drying. Less is more in this case.
When done, lift them out the same way they went in and get them wrapped up in a warm, snuggly towel.
Don’t let bath time run long: the water will cool quickly and baby won’t enjoy that!
Since you can’t step away from a baby in a bath for even a second—children have drowned in less than an inch of water!—have all the things you’ll need handy:
Towels; more than one is a good idea… just in case!
A thermometer designed for baths, to make sure that the water temperature isn’t too hot or too cold.
A soft face cloth for washing all the parts.
Mild, baby formula soap.
A plastic cup for pouring water on their heads and on their bodies throughout the bath, which helps keep them warm.
A shampoo cap, which keeps the soap out of your baby’s eyes when rinsing.
A bath toy, for older kids.
Fresh diaper and clothes.
When can you transition baby to a standard tub?
When your baby can sit without being held up, you can transition to a regular tub. They are still wiggly and slippery though, so you still need to be very careful before, during and after!
With all these tips, both you and your baby can enjoy bath time—safely.
Geneuviève Thibault is the co-founder of bblüv baby essentials. Geneuviève and her husband launched bblüv to provide thoughtfully created, well-designed, safe and durable baby products that will make life simpler for the modern parent.
When you become a parent, you do so many disgusting things you never imagined —to the point where conversations about poop at the dinner table are never questioned. One day, you’ll stop changing diapers (and hopefully stop talking about poop). In the meantime, here’s a list of disturbingly gross things all parents have done. At least you’re not alone.
You heard it here first : Organic is the new black. For more and more parents, buying organic — be it food, clothes, toys — is the norm, not the exception. NYC retailers have stepped up to meet the demand, with many specializing in the niche. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spots to help you keep your new addition chem-free. (Now if only we could keep those clothes and toys clean from baby drool…) Click through to see our picks!
For Cali Cool in Brooklyn or the UES: Sprout San Francisco
Sprout knows that it be can difficult to keep up with all of the new chemicals and hazards out there when shopping for your little one, which is why they’ve made it their mission to help provide the healthiest and happiest products for your family. Their stores (they have spots on the Upper East Side and in Carroll Gardens) carry natural and organic goods whenever possible, and the Sprout folks pride themselves on ensuring no toxic chemicals are in any of the store's products. With adorable clothes, toys, décor, bedding and bathing products, Sprout has got you covered on all things organic. Added plus? Its UES location has a playroom for your kids to enjoy while you shop, and hosts a number of amazing events for both parents and kids to participate in.
Believe it or not, there was a time when we could cruise through Hallmark and ASPCA commercials without shedding a tear. Back when were young and cool. It’s not that we didn’t care, we were just much tougher (heck, we could party all night and still run a 10 K the next day).
Then we had a baby and our emotional barometer completely exploded. Energizer bunny and Budweiser commercials set off the waterworks (oh, to have those abs again!).
Even this IKEA commercial made us cry (it’s a LAMP for pete’s sake!) The latest commercial to make us well up in tears is this Johnson & Johnson vignette of a mother bathing her adorable chubby little boy. We couldn’t watch it without a box of tissues.
OMG- How cute is that kid? Does it make you want another baby? Being a mother does change everything – we’re now a complete blubbering mess. Do you cry more now that you’re a parent? What are your triggers? Songs, videos, TV shows or commercials?
