Looking for Tips on How to Give a Newborn a Bath

I just laid my babies on a towel on the bed and washed them down with warm washcloths and VERY mild organic baby soap until they were big enough to get in the little baby bath with me. I'd put warm water in the baby bath and scoot it toward the back of the shower so the water didnt get in their eyes and I would shower. Worked out nicely!

My son hated baths at first too until my sister came to visit. She offered to help me and took my son into the kitchen to give him a bath in his tub with a sling. I was expecting to hear him screaming but it was perfectly silent. When I walked in to see if she had started yet, there he was laying there happy as could be with a warm washcloth covering over his body while she washed him. After that it was never a problem giving him a bath again. Good luck!

My daughter screamed for her bath for three months. I finally wrapper her in a towel like a swaddling, and exposing one part at a time. I put her on the sink counter and washer her slowly while I talked to her and looked her in the eye. This lasted three months. I know the neighbors thought I wash killing her. I didn't wash her every day. Finally she stopped screeming.

She has been sensitive her whole life, and had many years of the terrible twos. I wish you better times and better luck.

I always gave my newborns a bath in the kitchen sink. Set a large towel in the bottom so they don't slide around. You only need to put a little warm water in the bottom of the sink. Other tips, always do the hair last, this will help keep her from getting cold. Also, I always took an extra washcloth and got it damp in the warm water and then laid it over their little chest to help keep them warm. Babies don't get very dirty, so they don't need to be bathed often. Also, you don't really need to give them much of a scrub. Get the hair, fingers, toes, genitals, face (not in that order) and that should be sufficient. :)

Oh... and the other thing I always did. I sang them a bath song. It was just a silly sing songy set of phrases that I sang over and over but they always loved it! So even if you don't know a song to sing, make one up and just sing and smile at her. Babies totally pick up on your emotions and if you are nervous or upset she'll know...

Congratulations!

Our second baby was a preemie, so it was imperative that we kept her warm during bath times. What they taught us in the NICU was put put towels in the tub (big tub or the baby tub) with the warm water and then cover her body with another little towel or wash cloth. I use our bath towels and make one end raised a little bit to keep her head out of the water They had us start at the head and work our way to the toes. After we washed and rinsed her hair, we then put a warm wash cloth on it and then onward, always making sure her body was covered and warm. Then they always had us wrap her in two towels. Do everything quickly and make sure your room is warm. The other thing they told me, which I never did with the first child, was to wipe each eye with a separate washcloth so not to spread any germs, etc., to the other eye. One last thing, I always make the water a bit warmer than those little duck temperature guages and do the elbow test to make sure it's not too hot.

I'm sure you're doing fine. Not all kids like baths and will fuss no matter what you do and will go through phase of liking it and not liking it.

Hello, well know that you are not the only one to have issues. The one thing that seemed to help for me was i would warm up the bathroom and take a shower with my daughter i know this sounds awkward but if you get the water temp right you can hold her in the stream keeping her warmer. THis is something i would usually do when dad was home that way when i was done washing her dad could come with a warm towel and take her and get her dressed and i would finish showering. Also when they are very little they dont get real dirty so it is not something that would have to be done every time you shower. The other possibility is if you are afraid of dropping her is to take a bath if you clean her first then you are not getting any of your products on her skin. I know it probably isnt something you read about but i found it works when they just squirm too much or are not happy with the baby bath tub.

Congratulations on your daughter! You could always still give her a spongebath on the counter keeping her wrapped in her towel and only uncovering the areas you are washing and then covering them back up so she stays warm. Or you could place a towel under her in the water so she has a soft backboard to lay on and it can absorb the warm water and keep her warmer then being up in the air, I used a foam bath board with my kids and they loved it. She can be in the water just make sure it can't come over her mouth but they turn into little kickers when they are floating and it is so cute and messy, I do not recommend wearing nice clothes because you will get splashed. Also make sure the bathroom is warm, you could run the water and close the door before bath time and make it like a sauna (you would be wasting that water) or you could place a small heater in there while giving her a bath to keep it warmer and keep the door closed to keep in the heat. We always kept our house warmer for the kids when they were smail just so they wouldn't get cold. Good luck on congrats again.

You could try taking a bath with her! I did this with both of my children and it is really a cool experience. I would start by making sure everything is ready for AFTER the bath beforehand to be sure that the cold isn't a factor. I would suggest using either a "bouncy" chair or her carseat filled with towels so that when you are ready to get out you can put her into a warm, safe snuggly place so that you can get out and get yourself dry and quickly clothed. Also, have all the baby essentials very close at hand, you don't want to have to reach very far.

When in the bath, look her in the eyes and talk to her calmly and sweetly so that she knows that everything is okay and she is safe. Hold her to you and as she gets more comfortable and calm, you can put her in your lap facing you, with one hand supporting her head.

Remember, she is experiencing so much newness, sometimes it takes some reassurance and consistency for her to know that everything is okay.

Enjoy every moment even the frustrating ones, because one day you will look back and treasure the delight of her being a newborn!

I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old and we've never had one of those baby baths. We always just made up a grown-up bath and I got in with the baby, holding her or him. We made sure the bath wasn't more than about 100 degrees (we measured with a regular digital thermometer) and it worked just fine.

Oh! And I forgot to say congratulations!

i take my daughter into the tub with me, she's 14 months now and i've bathing with her since she was a newborn.
when she was tiny, i would just lay her on top of my legs and wash her that way, now that she's standing, i just wash her standing up. she decides when she wants to sit in the water and play with her tub toys and splash around.
it seems to be the easiest and safest way for us.
you can wear a bathing suit if you feel awkward about the nudity factor.

good luck and enjoy your sweet little babe!

They have these great rubber duckys with a temp. strip on the bottom so you can tell if it's too hot. (Target or walmart)

Also why don't you jump in the tub with her and have your hubby near by to grab him out at the end. That way she will feel secure and you can help keep her warm.

You can always do a sponge bath in a warm room w/ warm water, I'd lay off the baby wipes they leave a thin layer of film on their skin.

Another thing is to give her a bath in the kitchen sink- Lay a towel on the bottom. get all supplies ready and you can use the sprayer to rinse her and keep warm

Lots of respected pedi. docs say they really only need a bath once a week at this age. Their little skin gets dried out. If you need to just sponge bath the areas she spits up on.

Hope some help
Lynelle

I gave Duncan sponge baths until he was able to sit up supported. I filled 2 bowls, one with soappy water and one with rinse water. I worked as fast as I could. Once he could sit up somewhat supported (8wks?) then we moved to the infant tub with ramp/sling. By 6mo he was sitting on his own and in the infant tub w.o. assistance. We are also fans of the family shower. One of us gets in first does our thing, then the other strips down the baby and hands him in. One holds while the other washes. Once baby is clean whoever was in first gets out to dry off baby while the other does their personal shower stuff. Sometimes we run out of hot water, but on the whole it works really well for us. Everyone stays warm and gets clean. Good Luck.

Every baby is different. I had one that hated baths, the other two not so much...you never know - it's a personality thing!

Anyways, there's no reason to give her a full bath right now as she is so small. With my last son, he probably didn't get one for the first month! He stayed clean with sponge baths or washcloth baths, where I would wrap him up in a towel, and only remove the part being bathed (and of course in a warm room).

I also remember doing as Amy stated below, giving my baby a bath IN the hooded towel. Yes, that's right...the entire towel got wet...soaked! I put him in the towel and then lowered him into the warm water of the tub. This worked a little better than no towel, but the water just seemed to upest my one who didn't like baths.

As a first-time mom, you will have lots of instances where you want to do things perfectly. Most kids get can by with a lot less of the "perfect". I have three and all are healthy, happy, and fine...but by baby #3 I had adjusted my standards to be less uptight about things. And you know what...he'll never know the difference! He's loved, that's what matters most.

*sigh* - as a matter of fact, he's just out of the bath two hours ago and totally messy/dirty again. What can you do?

What you can do is put a hand towel down and fill tub just to get the towel wet. Lay her on the towel and give her a bath that way. It works. My daughter did it all the time that way.

First relax. nothing is going to happen if you don't give her a bath for a week... or more. At this age, keep their neck and their bum clean. Baths are over-rated. <grin>
When you do give her a bath, try laying a wet warm washcloth on her chest/tummy. Make sure she is well rested and her tummy is full as well.
What i like to do is get in the bathtub with my newborns. I think it is much easier than bending over a sink or tub and then you can keep her close to you.
When i get out i wrap her in a big towel and lay her on the floor while i quickly dry off my lower half and throw on a robe.

Proceed with her bath regards of her cries. You know the water isn't too hot, you've checked it. The room isn't too cold, you've warmed it up. The water is a new feeling, out of the ordinary. If you stop doing something everytime your daughter cries you'll never get anything done, nor will you be able to introduce anything new to her environment. I'm not familiar with a baby bath tube with a sling. The last tub I had was molded with an incline that I laid my baby one and I washed them with one hand while I held them with the other. You need to wash her hair/head and you can accomplish this with a sudsy wash cloth, then rinse with with the same rinsed out wash cloth. Have a baby hooded bath towel, put her head in the corner hood, wrap her up in the towel and try her well. A light massage with baby lotion warmed in your hands, diaper, tee shirt and pj's/clothes. Crying is her only verbal communication at this time. The bath is new. Take a deep breath, breathe. Call your Mom or an experienced girl friend over to help you get thru a couple of bath times. But don't hesitate to bathe her.

Hi S.,

Had the same issue with my son. What I did was to lay 2 towels on the kitchen counter and lay him on it. had a soft, warm blanket that I would put on top of him. Had warm water and the baby soap. I would lift the bottom half of the blanket and wash from the waist down. Then I would tuck the blanket back around the bottom half and then lower the top half of the blanket and clean his top half. Then I would tuck that back up and wash his hair/head. This is how we got through the first 3 months until I felt comfortable enough to use the baby bath. Good luck!

Hi S.,
I just realized, I did the same as Raissa and that worked well. This is what I wrote before:
It's just something they have to get used to. It's probably not the temperature as much as it is the fear of being immersed in water (strange as that sounds for someone who just got out of being immersed in water). Reading your post made me remember how my babies hated baths during their first few weeks, but pretty soon they learned to love them and now I can't get them out! Try to relax yourself, use a really nice soft washcloth and just make it short, and nurse/cuddle her afterwards so she feels comforted. It's freaky when you have your first child and everything is new.
Try to trust your instincts. I'm sure you're doing fine.
J.

Ou daughter was premie and had a difficult time holding her temperature at times. We learned in the hospital to give her a swaddle bath. Use a receiving blanket and loosely swaddle the baby in it naked. Use the warm water in a baby bath and slowly let the baby get used to the water. The blanket keeps the baby warm and you and open it up on one side at a time and replace the blanket when done washing. When you pour warm water over the baby the towel retains heat. A little difficult to explain, but basically you use the blanket the entire bath and it helps to insulate until you have a warm towel to dry. Hope this helps. J. mom of 3

Don't stress about it yet, many babies don't like being cold. And my daughter didn't get wet/into the water till later. Do all you can to keep her warm as you wash. If it means a sponge bath, washing one side while the other is covered with a towel at least she is getting clean.
Besides the dirtiest part of them gets wiped/washed almost every diaper change so is the rest of them really that dirty.

Hello,

My daughter was a preemie, so had her first official baths in the hospital, under supervision of skilled nurses, heat lamps, warm towels, and a nervous mom. She cried the entire time, for all of the baths in the hospital and continued to cry at home when bathed as well. I have photos to prove it. I was doing everything right - as instructed by the nurses. She just need time to grow up - and she did and now she LOVES her baths and we can't get her out of them. Let her grow up. I would NOT increase the heat of your water, babies have very sensitive skin and you could cause a burn.

Positively,
M.

SAHM to a lovely 5 year old girl, married to a lovely husband for almost 16 years

Hi,

We had a hard time with bathing my daughter when she was a newborn too and we finally just started going into the bath and holding her. It was much easier and so much fun for both mom and baby (or dad and baby). This way we could also keep her warm against our body and get her cleaner and put her in the water more. It was so much easier than dealing with a baby tub. It is much easier though if there are two people to do this but I did it many times by myself. I would just wrap her up in a nice warm towel,blanket and put her in the bouncy seat next to the tub until I got out and got into my robe or dried off.

Good luck!

D.

Just take a bath with her!! My son loved it! It helped to get him over and anxiety and made the transition much easier to bathing with just him alone.. He's gone through stages of liking the bath and not liking the bath... Sometimes its all in the time that you give it to them also! i.e. my son is now 19 months old and likes his baths at night ritually,.. A morning bath messes up cartoon and lounge time before off to "school". When he was younger I also got those sticky tub animals (frogs & duckies) that are suppose to keep the tub from being slippery, and I put them all over the tub/shower walls.. Made it more fun and cheery for him, he really seamed to like it. But seriously,.. just get in there with her!! You'll keep her nice and warm, if she gets upset you can nurse her.. My son loved taking a bath with daddy too. This experience will make her LOVE bath time with you & your husband!

Hey S.! How fun to have a little girl. It will get better, I promise. I agree with the idea of taking a bath with her...my daughter was so fussy but liked being in the water with me. I would put a towel across my thighs, knees bent, and lay her back on them so her head was up by my knees and her little body was in the water. Then I covered her with a washcloth, which is a common suggestion here, I see. And yes, she might not like baths...my friend has a 14 month old who STILL cries whenever he's in the water.

i think most newborns do not like it. Is is weird and they do not feel secure and safe as when they are swaddled. I would just go as quick as possible, do not stress or fret and use your calm fun voice and talk to her. I always told me sons what I was doing, like lets wash michaels feet and now his leg... the warm cloth over the tummy helps too. She will get used to it in time and want to splash and stuff soon enough. lots of praise too when you get her out and "see that wasn't so bad" comments too.

i have always bathed with my children until they were old enough to sit up in the tub so i hold them and they have that security of mom... just make the water warm but not too warm and they will tell you if it is too hot... but since you are cautious of not wanting to hurt baby it will be just perfect temp.. I also hold them and shower with them... all my kids liked that and the bath...so try that...

try sponge bath warmer water

I see several ppl have said this and I totally agree...you havne't mentioned whether you have tried getting in the tub with her. I took baths with both of mine - laid them against my chest and laid low in the water so that the bottom part of them was emersed and laid a warm washcloth over the top. I took baths when hubby could be in there to wash and take baby to get dry and dressed. You might also try showers, especially if you shower with hubby. One of you washes and the other holds her then you switch. Make sure the water doesn't hit her in the face, but having the two of you there and the warmth of the water and the resulting heat could keep her happy. It is a wonderful experience too!

It will get better, and crying isn't a bad thing so don't let it frighten you into thinking you are hurting her. Also, unfortunately, there are many times when you will upset her - such is being a parent. You may have to just push past her being fussy to get her bathed - she needs to be cleaned and if you can't find a way to do it without her getting upset you may just have to push through it. As she gets older introduce toys and fun, fuzzy scrub mittens. Bath time will become fun eventually I promise. I can't get my two back out of the bath now!

S.,
Congratulations New Mommy!
We never had good luck with bathing our daughter in the baby bath tubs. We actually used the kitchen sink with the sprayer most of the time. We lined the sink and edges with a soft towel and sat her in it. She really liked the spray. When she got too big for the sink, we just took showers with her. (Still do). Its funny, she hears the water in the shower turn on and she starts stripping down.. giggling "sower":)

first of all, babies don't even need baths really! i think the main reason to have a bath is for the enjoyment of the warm water. there is no reason to make a baby miserable trying to bathe her. i think it's really important for babies to enjoy the time they spend in the water, so they can grow up loving and being comfortable in water (i teach baby swim classes and by far the most important thing is that they have a good time). i agree with many of the others that taking a bath with her is the best way to do it, she will love being close to you. ideally your husband or someone else will be available to help if needed, especially at first (like maybe help support you in getting in while you're holding her, or maybe hand her to you after you get in the tub and/or help you both out or take her out when she is ready and wrap her in a nice warm towel) (or you could hand her to your husband who will take a bath with her, or all 3 of you get in the tub together if it's big enough!). the room should be warm of course, but the water should be probably not as hot as you might be used to. and also, there is no reason to use soap or shampoo or anything at this age, just enjoy each other and the water!

My daughter is now 2 year old, but when she was a newborn until about 4 or 5 months she hated baths and I tried everything. Finally, I started just getting in the tub with her. I would make the water lukewarm, but warm enough that she wouldn't be too hot and I wouldn't freeze. My husband would hand her to me and I would bathe her. She felt secure in my arms and seemed to be a lot happier this way. Since newborns and young babies don't need to bathe that often it worked out just fine for us. I would bathe her every 3 days or so. Sometimes if she didn't need a full bath I would just give her a sponge bath very quickly. Hope this helps! When she started able to sit up I could put her in a bath seat in the tub and the water didn't bother her. She loves her baths now.

Why it has to be in the bathroom? You can just hit up her room and give her a bath there. Make sure the room is really warm and the water is warm enough. It looks like she likes to be warm. Don't forget to warm her towel too.

My mother taught me how to do the bath, it is more like a sponge bath because they are so little. First take a towel or a soft mat, you can even do it on the changing table. Get one of the hooded towels and stripe the baby down, you can leave the diaper on till you need to clean that area. Get a bowl of warm water and add baby wash. Use a baby wash cloth, and do each section on the baby by uncovering it one arm at a time, cleaning, and then drying and recovering with the baby towel, then do the legs and then the belly, then the back, and dont't forget the head and under the diaper. That way the baby stays pretty warm and gets pretty clean. When the my baby got bigger, we would hold him and wash him in the kitchen sick, put a towel in the bottom of the sick first to minimize slipping, wet babies are slick. Then your not bending over and the baby has nowhere to go.

Try "sponge baths" when you are imbetween real baths until you get more comfortable. It would be much better to use a soft sponge or washcloth than baby wipes (you don't want any residue left that would cause a rash). A friend who has been through this who is willing to help a few times would be wonderful if you have anyone that fits that description available. A call to your pediatrician is also in order as this is totally the type of question/support the nursing staff and assistants are qualified to help with. You will get better at this, I remember feeling unsure about bathing my daughter in the beginning too and now she is 13!

Bath her in your Kitchen sink until she is big enough to fit in her new born bath. That what we did. It is easier to because you are standing up, she can see you and you can do it quickly.
It gets better!

Try putting her in the bath with you. I tried the newborn tubs, etc, but it is so much easier to just get in the tub with them. Then you can hold her in your lap and in the water, and they are so much more comfortable - also not as slippery.

I think the sink is a good idea and fill it full enough to just cover her body, put a towel in the bottom and after you get her undresses wrap her in a hooded baby towel (nice and tight) and slowly put her in the water. Let her lay there wrapped up for a minute and then slowly unwrap her as you wash her. I think the towel makes them feel secure. I did this with all 5 of my kids and it really helped.

S.,

Congrats on the new baby!

For both of my kids we used one of those convertible infant/toddler tubs. This is the one we have, but without the accessories, just the tub and the sling: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2580938

My daughter liked it more than my son. We put the sling straight into the bottom of the tub and laid both kids directly onto the sling. What helped is to leave them in their diaper and maybe their onsie until the last second, then take them off and put them right into the water. I think all young kids hate being cold and will protest.

Another thing we did more with my son than my daughter was to get into the tub with them and we both take a bath. My son liked this better that the toddler/infant tub.

Best of luck!
Melissa

Try to keep her wrapped up and only uncover the part that you are washing. Do her legs first, then cover them with a towel or a wet, warm washcloth, then uncover her tummy (which can be wrapped in a towel or a warm washcloth while you are doing her legs), wash, rinse...then work up to her head. Keep a hat on while you are bathing the rest, uncover, wash and wrap her quickly...she should outgrow this soon! You can also try to use a sponge bath method for a little longer, just lay her on a towel, wash with your hands, and then rinse with a warm washcloth.

Try taking baby in the shower with you. Have your husband ready with the towel at the end. It's quick, painless and baby will eventually get used to being in water. Hygeine is the important part here. - T.

My oldest son had this issue.
I did two things.
I wrapped him in a towel then put him in the bath and only unwrapped the area I was washing.
The other thing I did was to take him into the bath with me. I would hold him, and nurse him while I bathed him.
The towel worked the best.
Hope this helps.
B.

I wouldn't worry about baths at this stage. Just "top and tail" her (clean around her face, neck and head and then her bottom) with a warm, wet wash cloth -- a tiny bit of baby wash if you have to -- and that's it! As she gets older she will be more comfortable with actual baths.

Really -- baths at this age are not necessary, especially since she seems to be extra sensitive. Less stress for you, less stress for baby.

I check the water temp. in the tub using my wrist or elbow. Not very scientific I know. But if the water is too hot on your wrist or elbow then it is too hot for her. So try that for the temp. I also get a cloth diaper wet and put it in the bottom of the infant tub to soften it a bit. Even with the sling or the padding it can still be a little rough on their skin. That seems to help support my new one's body, keeping her from slipping around so much and making it a little cozier.

I'm a mother of 4 kids and know what you mean. The best thing I had was one of the 'old-fashioned' bathing mats made out of sponge material. I would set that inside the tub (either the regular tub or the plastic baby tub) and fill it up with warm water. The sponge mat would soak up a lot of the water but still support baby so baby was warm on the back and the front.
When they were REALLY little (like yours) the easiest way was to bathe them in the kitchen sink. I could fill it up farther so he/she could be warm but it was a small enough space for that size infant. Also, you could do the bath standing up which was easier than bending over a tub. It was easier with help to be honest but try the kitchen sink - it was a lifesaver for me. Just make sure you have your towel all ready to go. They get over the absolute hate of being cold - I promise.

We would put our daughter in those hooded towels, and place her in the tub with water. Hope that helps- good luck!

Target sells a yellow bath cushion ($10 maybe) looks like a little surfboard kinda : ). Anyway lay that down on the counter and put a towel underneath. Then lay the baby on top and cover them with a warm towel. Use a sponge to clean, covering those areas with the towel that you are not currently cleaning. Then rinse with a pitcher of warm water, the towels will catch the runoff. Keeping them covered with the towel is key. good luck.

Hi S.! Yep, I can completely empathise. I have a 9 month old who was a preemie with very little body fat when born so she too was not very happy with the whole bathing process. I gave up on the little newborn tub (until she was 3 months old) and instead used it to stage warm towels for after the bath. I resorted to giving her a bath in the bathroom sink. It's a comfortable height for mommy too. I cranked the heat in the bathroom, laid a folded bath towel in the bottom to keep her from slipping around and laid her head in the crook of my arm and bathed her with my free hand. After the bath I laid her in the warm towels that I had laid our ahead of time in the bathing tub. She loved that. Good luck.

Try taking her in the shower with you. Granted you won't be able to take a steaming hot shower but you can hold her and comfort her while getting her clean.

Have you tried running a lukewarm to warm bath and getting in the bath with her? Then you can hold her close and bath her gently on your knees. She may feel much safer and warmer that way!

First off, Congrats! try having someone hold her while you wash. my boyfriends mom helped me and it went pretty smooth. i didn't use the sling though. i found the same problem you did, her butt was the only part that was under water. hope i could be of some help. :]

My daughter has always showered with her daddy. My husband works construction and showers at night when he gets home. So he's alway given our daugther her shower. Not that she's 2 she often showers with me during the day. If she hear's the water running she's naked before you know it. She loves the water. It was really nice when she was little to get the 20 minutes of time to myself in the evening. Try it. I'm sure you will all love it.

Hi S.,

I always got nervous with the shower and my slipper baby, but I found bathing with her very easy. Put a bouncey seat or something next to the tub with a warm towel on it. Fill the tub. Get eveything ready - the soap, cup, and washcloth in very close reaching distance. Get undressed and then get your baby undressed. Her being against your skin will keep her warm. If you want an extra warm room, run the shower first to get the room nice and steamy and warm. When in the water you can either hold your baby at your chest, or even nurse, or put her on your legs. Wash her with one hand, while holding her with the other against your body. Use the washcloth to keep her warm or put warm water over her with the cup. My daughter used to cry when the cold soap was put on her, so I always put it first on my leg and then worked it into a lather, which warms it up and then put it on her. When you're finished, but her in the bouncy seat and wrap her up with the towel.

Good luck!

I always just gave my babies a bath in the kitchen sink, I would lay a towel in the bottom of the sink so they wouldnt touch the cold sink, and wouldnt slip around so much. Wear either a tank top or a short sleeve shirt and keep one arm wrapped around her the whole time. One of my kids had to (still does) have the water almost hot. If it isnt warm enough he would and still does, start shivering. I have had other kids that have to have the water just at luke warm.. way too cold for me!!
Something else I have done is instead of doing a bath, I have taken showers with my babies. Now they are very slippery, but I have found this to be a very enjoyable time. Even my hubby occationally liked it. It created a wonderful one on one time.
I would just hold them with their little head on my sholder and wash their back and head, and then hold then cradle style and wash the tummy and leggs, and I would towards the end of the shower, let them nurse.
You can always take a bath with them too. This way you can get in there, and then just hold your baby cradled in you lap or arms and let them just relax. I started doing this with my oldest when he was about a month or two old I think. I was desperate for a bath, and he needed one two, he HATED the "baby bath" He always got too cold. Something that I started doing that he loved (my other kids didnt, but he did) was I would hold him by his head/neck (so he wouldnt turn his head.) and hold his back, As he got more comforable I was able to just hold him by his head and shoulders and he would just float completely relaxed in the water.
I would keep either a baby seat or car seat in the bathroom with me so that when we got out, I could put his diaper on him and wrap in the towel and then put him in his seat and wrap a warm blanket around him until I was done getting dressed. Then I would take him blankie and all and lay him down and do all his lotion stuff, and getting him dressed, because he was usually already relaxed from both the warm bath and nursing while taking a bath, he would usually be pretty sleepy, but lotioning kinda woke him up a bit, and I would give him a little baby massage while I was lotioning him up.
Make it how you would consider relaxing and maybe she will find it relaxing too. Personally I wouldnt want to take a bath in a tiny tub with just my behind hanging in the water!
Another trick is to dip your fingers in the water and then drip some water onto her lips and let her drink the water, babies love that.

I remember that!! All 4 of my newborns hated being naked and hated being taken out of the bath into the cold air.

When I was a new mom I worried that I was doing something wrong because they were having a fit. Truth is, she's fine. She's just voicing her opinion and you shouldn't worry.

I do remember that the newborn tubs were often a little akward too so what I did was scrubbed the kitchen sink out really good, filled it with warm water than put a couple of washclothes over the stopper so it wouldn't poke their bottoms. It lets you hold baby while not having to stoop over so much and you can put the towel right on the counter. Another suggestion, if you have someone else at home who can help you, is to have a towel in the dryer to keep it warm, when she's done have them bring it to you so you can wrap her up in nice warm towel.
Don't worry too much about her fussing...she'll eventually get used to the routine and will start finding it a lot more fun and so will you!!

Hi there, My son too hated to take baths. I at the time was having sever back and leg pain due to a pinched nerve. So instead of giving him a bath, his daddy would wash him in the shower with him. That he loved. He didn't like the bath, and Loved the shower. To this day, I think he would rather take a shower than a bath. A bath only because he pretends, like all kids, to swim in the water:) So My suggestion would to try a shower with mommy or daddy. Best of luck to you and your new bundle of joy:)

We bathed my daughter in the bathroom sink when she was itty bitty. We would put two hand towels in the bottom so it was a bit padded and then fill it part way with warm soapy water. We'd make it as much play as purpose and it went okay. She was in the sink for less than 5 minutes usually. I can't say she loved it, but I think the more she had, the more she got used to it and found them pleasant. We give her a bath every morning as part of her routine and she does well with it now at 17 months.

As for equipment, we have a bath sling like this (http://www.summerinfant.com/categories_products_view.php?...) and still use it to bathe her. It works great!! You can probably find one used for less than $3. We took it apart and put the cloth part in the washing machine, and the frame in the dishwasher to sterile it all before we used it.

Try getting in the bath with her.
Sit with your knees up & lay her in your lap facing you.
You could also have a towel laying under her to make her feel secure & warm.

Remember - if you stay calm - she will sense it & be calm too!
She can sense your worry - especially when you hurry to wash her.

Play some soft music or sing to her.

Check the water temp with your wrist - if its too hot for you - it could be scalding to her.

S.,

Bath time was scary for me too! I was always so nervous about making them uncomfortable. I was lucky to have my sister help me...and when I say help I mean she gave all 3 of my kids their first bath:) after the first one my husband and I worked as a team, he held I washed quickly! At about a month all 3 kids just got tossed in the shower with Daddy,(then you have time to get clothes, diaper, lotion, towel, etc all ready) maybe you can try that, it worked great for us, maybe you could ask your husband if he might do it for awhile untill she gets bigger? Best of luck to ya. Congrats on the lil' lady!

K.

Hi S.,

First off, congrats on being a new mom, and welcome to mommyhood!

Don't feel bad about not giving your lovely daughter a bath all the time, theoritically she really only needs 1 a week at this early stage. Unless she makes a mess on herself, or you.

What I found the most helpful at that stage was the bath wipes my mom gave me. Huggies makes them and so do Pampers. You just get them a little wet and then wash her with them. Then use a towel to dry her off. No muss, No fuss! Plus she isn't crying or squirming as much.

I didn't really start using my girl's tub till she was 2 months old. She was 5 weeks early and so very tiny that she also didn't fit in the baby tub with the sling. So I used the wipes and they were a life saver!

Check it out and see if that works for you, remember that there is no wrong way to give a bath and hang in there, it will get a whole lot easier!

My daughter HATED bathes when she was that age.We just used baby wipes.Or if she really needed to have an actual bath then I would strip her down to her diaper, wrap her in a towel and using those johnson & johnson wash clothes that have soap already in them i would wash an arm, dry it off, do the other one and so on..all the while keeping her covered so she didn't get a chill and be too miserable.

We're now in a similar situation with butt wipes again at 2...so enjoy the times when she will love taking baths.lol

Make sure the water temp is only 90 degrees. My son hated bath time as well...I figured out by looking online, that I had temp too hot. Or you could try a big soft towel, and do a soothing sponge bath.
enjoy your new baby!!
Kari

Looks like you've gotten lots of "shower" advice....I want to expand on that. I was a single mom w/ my 1st so the only way I could shower was to take him with me. I would put the baby bath tub in the shower and fill it, then I would nurse my son in the shower,(the heat helps the milk flow and you don't have to worry about leaking all over yourself) then I would put him in his tub and let the water "rain" on him while I washed myself, then scrub him up and get out. To this day (he's 10 now) he has never liked a bath and his 2 y/o brother is following in his path! ;) Good luck!

my daughter also did not like baths. I just did it as fast and making sure to get her clean. It will get better!! My daughter is now 3 and we can not get her out of the tub

Hi S.,

I agree with all the other advice . She will get used to it and then before you know it she will be splashing away and you will have lots of photos. Take a bath with her. It is so soothing to both of you. The skin to skin contact is great. My newborns also loved taking showers with me, cuddled up close. I would wash them then yell to my husband to take the baby and put clothes on her as I finished showering. He had to be quick. Newborns hate cold air. A CAUTION they are slippery when wet. (-: Hope this helps

For the first few weeks most newborns will cry at bath time, but they get over it. As far as actually giving the bath, I used to take my shirt off and put one arm under my son in the tub so I could use that hand to hold his neck/head up, then I would use my free hand to wash the little guy. Not only do you have more control/support of the baby, but he is being held/cradled and can feel your arm/skin on him so it is more soothing.

best of luck.

It may sound crazy, but my oldest daughter wasn't fond of taking baths when she was very tiny, either. So, I'd take baths with her. She'd lay on my chest and didn't seem to mind the water at all. I could get her nice and clean and it served as a wonderful bonding time for us as well :) Good luck to you!

I always just took my daughter into a 5-10 minute warm shower with me. By the time you get out, the bathroom is warm, and she can be dried and dressed in the bathroom before being exposed to cooler air. I sang to her and held her and didn't use any soap. Plain water is just fine for that age.

Hi S.,

Looks like a couple people already mentioned it, but when my son was having one of his first baths and was screaming my mom suggested covering him with a warm adult sized washcloth. He immediatly calmed down. After that I always covered his tummy and chest with a washcloth and he always enjoyed his baths.

I found that putting a warm wet was cloth over my daughter helped with the cold, make sure to rewet it regularly! Other than that she will get used to it. My daughter also hated baths, but after about 6 weeks she got used to it and was fine, she is 4 now and LOVES bathtime. Good luck!

Congrats on your little one. I am sure she'll get used to the water soon. Try taking a bath with her. You can immerse her in deeper water as you hold on. I thought my son would be too slippery if I did this - but I was wrong. He absolutley loved it and I should have done it earlier with him. If the water is too cold for you - it's too cold for him. The water can be warmer than you think, but obvioulsy not too hot. Just like when you were pregnant. I hope this helps. If all fails, keep giving her sponge baths - just use lots of warm water - baby wipes might have too many ingredients. Babies don't even need soap yet - just lots of warm water. Enjoy - and she's sure to enjoy bathtime someday soon too!

Our daughter HATED baths so we started taking her in the shower with us. She could get slippery so one would be in the shower while the other was the spotter. However, I have seen mesh slings to hold the baby close to you while you bathe (http://www.nurturedfamily.com/detail.aspx?ID=101 ). She loved showers. I think the running warm water, sounds and steam helped calm her down (she also had bad colic, so anything to keep her calm helped. :-)

S., I have to second what Brandi said! My little guy hated baths. I just gave him a full sponge bath or a wipe bath every week for the first four months of his life. Around then he started to really like splashing in the bath, so we started to give him regular baths. Babies really don't get dirty except in the areas where we clean them many times a day (neck and bottom). I could never understand why we obsess with plopping them down in a tub of water, other than that that is what we are trained to think we need to do. (And I'm not anti-bathing. I can't stand to go a day without one myself.) Try Cetaphil if you want to use a mild cleaner on her skin that you can just slather on, then wipe off. You can get it at any grocery store. My Derm. recommended it for my sensitive skin. BTW, my little guy never ever had any rashes or skin problems and he's always had perfectly soft skin without using any moisturizers.

I had to add to my answer after reading more suggestions below: I showered with my babe occassionally too. My sister suggested it (she did the same with hers). I'll warn you, though, it is slippery. I saved showers for the times when I started feeling like a bad mom for never bathing him. Conditioning gets to you. ;)

Enjoy your new little babe!

This worked for me....We had a plastic baby bathtub that had an angled ramp built into it on one side so you could lay the baby on it and their head was out of the water. Get some cloth diapers (I know they have them at Babies R US) or if you do not want to purchase them, get 2 adult sized washclothes. Fill the bathtub with warm water (remember that baby skin is way more sensitive to heat than an adult's so even if it feels just warm to you to the baby it will feel warmer). Take one of the washclothes and get it wet. Lay it over the ramp part of the tub. Lay the baby with their butt in the water but their back and head up the ramp. Take the second washcloth and get it completely wet. Lay the wet washcloth over your babies chest and arms. This will help to keep the baby warm warm. Keep pouring handfuls of the warm water over the washcloth as you wash the baby so it stays warm. Good luck!

Congrats!

It is possible your baby may just not like baths. (Our second son HATED them as a baby.) We tried doing the towel/sponge bathing they taught us at the hospital. He screamed and cried through it all. It got to the point where he was only calm if either Daddy or I held him and bathed with him. He finally grew out of this when he was a bit older and able to hold his head up. But we found it easier to just bath with him and then hand him off to the waiting parent. Its also great for bonding!

I'm a mother of 6 (3 are step) and grandma to 6. I always bathed by babies in the kitchen sink the smaller "tub" was easier and at a level that was easier to work with. With my youngest daughter (now 18) My husband and I took turns taking her in the shower with one of us and the other would come with a towel to get her out. She loved the shower.

My little girl was the same until I got this trick from another mom, get a hand towel/ washcloth and put it over her body in the tub and have a pitcher of warm water that you keep pouring over the towel, it keeps them warm and hopefully your little girl will enjoy her baths time. good luck

S.:

You are not alone. Many new moms, including myself when I had my son at 3 weeks premature are afraid they are going to damage their child because the child does not like it and screams.

My advice to you is to put some warm water in a large tupperware bowl that your child can fit into and give her a bath in your sink where you are not bending over. This will help you support her. If you feel that she may slip and fall out of your hands, put a towel under her and drape it over the bowl of water to make a soft landing.

Most newborns do not like what we as adults have to do to take care of them. I have a 15 month old that no matter who changes her pants, she screams like we're murdering her and always has screamed like that. But remember, you have to keep the baby clean and that baby will not have a complex or die or hurt themselves crying. It is all new to her too.

I would also suggest baby massage after her bath. I know that she doesn't like to be cold, so lather the lotion on your hands first to warm it up and then be quick about that and dressing her. She will get used to this routine and baby massage is a great way to help your baby not be over-stimulated in the future. She will learn eventually to like to be rubbed with lotion.

Then snuggle her close to you and have a warm bottle, or if you are breast feeding, then have a boobie ready for her. This too will calm her down and let her know that she is well taken care of.

Children are more than resilient in matters like these, but if you have more questions, please contact me at ____@____.com. I will be more than happy to discuss what I've been through with my little ones and pass on my mommy-knowledge that I've learned.

Congratulations to you and your husband!!!!! Enjoy these days, because even though you are lacking sleep, these will be the days that you miss when they are gone.

PS-Please also don't forget to have date nights with your husband because you all still need each other for a happy raising of your child and to keep a good marriage.

Congrats again!!!!

Kim B.

Hi there,

I remember that being a hard time to make bathtime an enjoyable experience for everyone. I found it worked best just to get into the regular tub with my newborn. I ran less water than I normally would for myself (a few inches is all you need) I usually kept my shirt on so I wasn't too cold but you don't have to. Its a great way to bond skin to skin with your new little one. I did this with both my daughters and they loved it. Just hold their head out of the water and wash that last so as not to get too cold for them. When it was time to wash them I just cradled them in my legs and they were totally supported and I think that makes it easier for all. Feel free to experiment with different ideas. That way you can find what works best for both you and your baby. Good luck!

You've received a ton of responses but I still wanted to add my 2 cents. Please don't stress about the baths. First of all she doesn't need it and it's sooo bad for her skin. I don't know why more pediatricians don't tell parents not to bath their babies everyday but if you ask them they will tell you not to because of their skin. I have many friends that bathe their babies daily and everyone (not most of them, everyone) of the babies not longer have soft skin. My daughter is almost two and still has that amazing baby soft skin. My best advice for you is, clean the dirty areas only! Use a warm wash cloth and the tiniest bit of baby soap and "sponge bath" her. Seriously she doesn't need a bath she's not dirty. I really can't understand why people insist on a daily bath for these little ones! Also, she will most likely enjoy baths when she's a bit bigger and more in control. She's little and doesn't feel secure in the bath...yet. Enjoy your new sweet baby and don't stress about it, it's not worth it to have both of you upset. Hope this helps!!
-Brandi :)

Looks like you've got a lot of good tips here! We had the same issues with our daughter/tub, so we finally just gave baths once a week when we were both home. One of us would get in the big tub with her, holding her on our bellies or, after a few months, seating her between our legs. Then the other one would gently wash her. Sitting yourself and/or her on a towel lining the bottom of the tub helps for slipping. She seemed to like the closeness and didn't fuss anymore!

Hi S.~

First of all, CONGRATS on your new baby girl! I am a somewhat new mom too, my daughter is almost 11 months now (I cant believe it! lol) Just a few suggestions I have for you~first, definitely TEAMWORK!! We didnt have a sling, just a regular baby bath tub, and one of us would make sure she didnt fall over in it while the other one washed her, quickly! When she was about 2 months old, it got to be to much work. So we started putting a small space heater in the bathroom to warm it up first and then I would get in the bath and have her on my legs. It was way easier! And that is still how I bathe her! Try the space heater wherever you bathe her to warm up the room first. Good luck!