Bathing your baby can be a wonderful, bonding experience, it can also be a source of stress for new parents. Is the water too hot? Too cold? What if I drop him? Those are thoughts that went through my head when I was first bathing my children. Even as a second time mom, I was still nervous at bath time for the first little while.
Kelly Bourne, a well known Canadian parenting educator, offers her tips to help with bath time.
Sponge bathe your newborn – Delay tub baths until his umbilical cord detaches. Soaking or excess moisture can promote bacteria growth. Instead, sponge bathe your baby.
Bath water temperature – The bath water should be 37 degrees Celsius. To be certain, use a bath thermometer. Eventually you’ll learn to gauge the water temperature with a quick test on the inside of your wrist to ensure it’s not too hot.
Cradle Cap – Babies often develop cradle cap. It’s a harmless condition and will eventually go away on its own. If it bothers you, using a natural oil followed by a gentle cleanse of your baby’s scalp helps to remove the scales.
Be prepared – A wet, slippery, wiggly infant is hard to hold onto. To keep your baby safe, lay out all essential bath items within reach ahead of time.
Use baby wash – It’s a misconception that you don’t need a cleanser while bathing your baby. There are many oil based irritants that can end up on your baby’s skin. Water alone may not remove them and using a washcloth with no cleanser can be harsh on the skin. Cetaphil Baby Ultra Moisturizing Wash contains 1/3 baby lotion and lets you cleanse delicate skin gently.
Keep baby warm – Place washcloths on your baby’s chest and arms as you pour water over her body. This provides a little more insulation and warmth during bath time.
Bathe every few days –It’s a popular misconception that babies need a bath every day. Bathing too frequently may dry the skin. Every few days is ideal. In between baths, cleanse with a sponge to keep baby fresh. After bathing, use Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion to help moisturize and protect the skin.
Proper form – There is a technique to move your baby in and out of the tub. One may be tempted to cradle the baby. It’s better to support her head and bottom with your hands rather than using a cradling position.
Bonding with Dad – Dads today are more involved with their children than ever. Bath time gives Dad a great opportunity to share in the bonding experience with baby.
Searching For Canada's Cetaphil Baby
With their new Cetaphil Baby line, Cetaphil is now on the hunt for the #CetaphilBaby. For the month of June, you can enter for weekly prizes (consisting of Cetaphil product, a stuffed elephant rattle and an amazon.ca giftcard), and also for the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize includes a professional photo shoot, an assortment of baby products, an assortment of Cetaphil products, and the new #CetaphilBaby will be featured in online ads. Entering is simple, read the official rules and regulations and then submit your favourite baby bathtime photos on Instagram using the hasthag #CetaphilBabyBathTime.
Now a bonus for Tales of Mommyhood readers - Cetaphil has offered up a Cetaphil prize pack including all 4 of the products in the new baby line!
To enter to win the Cetaphil Prize Pack up for grabs on Tales of Mommyhood, leave a comment on this blog post telling me either: how you felt the first time you bathed your child, or a funny bath time moment. Once you have commented, complete the giveaway tools form below. This is open to Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) and will run until 11:59pm EST June 27th, 2016. Good luck!
Favourite bath time moment was bathing my nephew and hearing him giggle for the first time getting me wet. This will be great for a new niece who is making her debut in the fall :) (Judy Cowan)
ReplyDeleteI so very nervous bathing my baby the first time.....
ReplyDeleteThe first time bathing baby was a little nerve racking
ReplyDeleteI was scared to death the first time but 3 babies later easy and not scraed at all!!
ReplyDeleteThe first time bathing my baby I was very nervous.
ReplyDeleteI was scared the first time bathing my babies. They loved their bath time though and we all got used to it.
ReplyDeleteLove giving my baby a bath, he really enjoys playing with the yellow ducky and splashing about!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite bathtime moment was playing with my floating musical boat.
ReplyDeleteI was so nervous for my sons first bath! I loved when he was able to start splashing around and playing
ReplyDeleteI WAS SO SCARED THE FIRT BATH TME MY SON WAS A FISH AND WOULD NOT STAY STILL LOVE HIS BATH
ReplyDeleteThe first bathing my baby i was so scared he was so small
ReplyDeleteMy favourite bathtime moment was the first time JJ liked the bath. He went from crying to splashing and laughing.
ReplyDeleteI was terribly nervous giving my first baby a bath! My hands were shaking lol
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time i bathe my niece. When i had her dressed I couldn't help but proclaim " I did it!"
ReplyDeleteI was stressed about our first bath. It was a whole production that took about half an hour of prep for a three minute bath!
ReplyDeleteI was nervous, gentle and made sure the bath was the right temperature.
ReplyDeleteFlorence C
Favourite moments are all the splashing and gggles
ReplyDeleteI really loved the first bath . My youngest was born at home and the first bath was cleaning him after birth only lightly , then getting to bath him .
ReplyDeleteI was nervous when first bathing
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I were soooo nervous the first couple of times bathing our daughter. We actually only gave her a bath once a week cause we were to scared too. Eventually it got easier and we got more experienced :) My favorite moment is when they giggle in the bath they enjoy it so much and now they don't want to come out of it
ReplyDeleteI was really scared bathing my first son, really nervous. But with the other 4 I was really comfortable bathing them on my own.
ReplyDeleteI was so scared the first time. I was nervous about dropping him and getting water in his eyes. Thankfully my husband was very supportive. I found it was easier to bath in the sink over the bathtub.
ReplyDeletelove it! bath time!
ReplyDeleteThe 1st time I bathed my baby I was terrified I was going to drop him! He was so slippery!
ReplyDeletethe first time bathing my baby I was very nervous, was afraid to hurt him or if the water was too warm
ReplyDeleteI was very scared the first time giving my daughter a bath, but as time went on I gained confidence.
ReplyDeleteOverwhelming love, mixed with trepidation, because they are so tiny!
ReplyDeletei was a little afraid with the first baby first bath but it went smooth and its awesome, love the bonding time
ReplyDeleteI was very nervous bathing my daughter for the first time, worried about the temperature, etc. It didn't take long to relax and when I did, it became a fun time for both of us.
ReplyDeleteI felt very nervous giving my baby her first bath. She enjoyed it so much that it made me relax and take my time!
ReplyDeleteI miss the days when they didn't make such a mess outside of the tub!
ReplyDeletejan
My favourite bathtime moment is the first time that my husband took our baby son into the shower with him. Baby loved it!
ReplyDeleteI felt very nervous.
ReplyDeleteDonna L.
naloe@hotmail dot com
i was actually quite comfortable, I had alot of experience bathing newborns /babies by then . neices, nephews, ect..Plus my husband was experience having 2 daughters from his first marriage.
ReplyDeleteI was extremely nervous
ReplyDeleteI remember the excitement and nervousness both times when it came to wash my newborn. My favourite memory is watching two kids play in the tub together when they were old to :)
ReplyDeleteI was very nervous bathing him for the first time! Didn't want to get water or soap in his eyes
ReplyDeleteOh gosh I was so nervous bathing her when she was a newborn! Thought she was going to squirm right under the water because she was so slippery, plus I didn't want her to be too hot or too cold.
ReplyDeleteI always feel nervous the first time I bathe my children but once we are home, I ease that stress and I get in the tub with them and relax and when we are done, Daddy grabs babe so I can get out and dry off.
ReplyDeleteFirst bath time I was a little nervous because she hated having her hair washed; I didn't want her to be upset for future baths too. She loves bath time now :)
ReplyDeleteFirst time I bathed my little one I was pretty nervous. She loves her baths just kicks and now baby talk.
ReplyDeleteFavourite moment seeing the kids get excited with the bath toys & splashing water.
ReplyDeleteI loved bathing my babies, they were always so happy to get in the bath.
ReplyDeleteI haven't bathed my own babes yet, but I my nieces always LOVE bath time. Getting to make giant bubbles for them to splash away with is fun and helping them sculpt crazy bubble beards and hair do's is fun too.
ReplyDeleteI was nervous the first time I bathed my son, but then I grew to love it.
ReplyDeletescared, so scared, it was winter and I was worried about losing my grip, the crying, the cold, very happy they are older now.
ReplyDeleteWas fun but a little nerve racking in that our boy was a little
ReplyDeleteslippery. But it went ok. Great swag giveaway. thanks.
Dayle B.
I felt comfortable bathing my baby, I had helped my sister with her children so I was familiar with it.
ReplyDeleteI have always been around lots of babies so it was not a scary experience for me to bath my babies. I found it a relaxing time and they all have loved their baths.
ReplyDeleteI guess un easy at first-but it got easier each time.
ReplyDeleteI remember it being scary, but my mother was there to give me confidence
ReplyDelete