Skills
Bath a baby
What this is for
A newborn in water is slippery, loud and surprisingly strong. This is the hold that leaves Dadda one free hand.
Before Dadda starts
Within arm's reach before bub goes near the water:
- An open towel.
- A clean nappy and clothes.
- Baby wash or plain soap, if he uses any.
Never leave bub alone in the bath. Not for the phone, not for the door.
A bath seat is not a second pair of hands. Its instructions beat this page.
The steps
- Lay the towel, the nappy and the clothes out within reach.
- Fill the bath to about 10 to 13 cm.
- Check the water with the inside of your wrist, or a thermometer. 37 to 38 degrees.
- Lower bub in along one forearm. That hand grips bub's far upper arm.
- Let go with your other hand. The holding arm does not move again.
- Wash the face, then the neck and body, then the bottom last.
- Lift bub straight out onto the open towel and wrap them.
What goes wrong
- The towel is somewhere else. Bub never gets left in the water while Dadda fetches it. Bub comes out first, wrapped, and goes with him.
- The holding hand grips the near arm. It feels natural and it does nothing. The far arm pulls bub towards you; the near one lets bub slide away.
- The bath turns into an event. Two or three a week is plenty, daily if bub enjoys it. If bub hates it, a wash on a towel does the job.
Dadda's note
Bathing is quite fun. Our bub loves it and he stays pretty still.
The hospital taught us a technique where you put your arm behind bub's back and grab the shoulder furthest from you. Your forearm is their neck rest. That is the one I still use.
— Josh, on HOW-93.
Also look at
- Baby bath
- Bath aid