Sponge Baths

For the first few weeks, while the umbilical cord is drying, sponge baths are the best way to bathe your baby.  Although umbilical cords and circumcisions need daily care, newborns only need to be bathed every two or three days.  Decide where you'll feel comfortable working and gather supplies, such as clean diapers and clothes, ahead of time. If you're bathing the baby by yourself and you must leave the room, always take the baby with you. Never leave your baby alone in water, even for a few seconds.

Bathe from Head to Toe

Place your baby on a towel-covered counter in the bathroom or kitchen, or spread a blanket on the floor. Fill the washbasin with warm-not hot-water. Then bathe your baby from head to toe. Use the tips below as a guide.

• First, wash your baby's face, using water and a clean, soft cloth or fresh cotton balls. Gently wipe the eyes and the corners of the mouth. Wash behind your baby's ears and under the chin.

• Next, use a mild, fragrance-free soap to wash your baby's body. Clean between the folds of skin, but do not wet the umbilical cord stump. Uncurl baby's fingers and wipe the palms. Wash under your baby's arms and behind both knees. Remember to wash between the toes.

• Always bathe the genitals last. Wipe girls from front to back only. When bathing a boy, never push back the foreskin on an uncircumcised penis.

• If your baby has hair, shampoo at the very end of the bath once or twice a week. Use a mild, no-tears shampoo, and be extra careful to avoid getting soap in baby's eyes.

Safety Tips

• Never leave your baby alone in a bath. Even an inch of water can be deadly for a newborn.

• When adjusting bath water, start with cool water and add hot water to it. Mix the water until it feels warm but not hot. Always test the water temperature with your elbow. To avoid scalds, turn the hot water heater down to 120°F or lower.

• The temperature of the room where you're bathing the baby should be about 75°F.

• Keep baby out of drafts.

• Clean only the parts of your baby that you can see. Don't poke cotton swabs into your baby's ears or nose.

Caring for the Cord

If your doctor recommends, wipe the stump of the umbilical cord with alcohol several times a day. There are no nerve endings in the umbilical cord, so don't be afraid of causing your baby pain. Use a cotton swab to wipe all around the base of the cord next to the skin. This helps prevent infection and dries the cord so that it falls off sooner, usually 10 to 14 days after birth. Once the stump falls off and the area underneath heals, you can wash your baby.

If Your Baby Boy Is Circumcised

When changing diapers, coat the tip of the penis with a lubricant, such as petroleum- or water-based jelly. This keeps the diaper from rubbing against the circumcision. The hospital dressing covering your son's circumcision will fall off in a couple of days. After this occurs, gently wash the penis with warm water each day. Let the skin air-dry.