What to Use for a Sponge Bath

Mustela! It has a great product line. I bought a pre-packaged set of bath supplies that I am still using 9 months later. She did not take her first real bath until she was maybe two months because we used the liquid rub in soap. We then started to once a week and to everyday. It is a higher product line, but I have no complaints.

Dear Trina,

A bath a day is best. I gives you and the baby some very special time together, and it soothes and relaxes the baby too, just like it does you.

It also gives her a special experience in her young and innocent world. Do it. It is good.

Sincerely, C. N.

You might want to check out www.babycenter.com It has lot of good information. Some say an everyday bath on a young infant is not necessary as it can dry the skin out. But like the other respondent said, it's a bonding time, and a time to make it a regular routine especially later as they get older. My daughter had sensitive skin as a baby, and so rinsing off any "soap" product was imperative... and per the Pediatrician's recommendation, we used Cetaphil to clean her. If you just want the "smell" on your baby to linger so she smells nice... well, you need to be careful of perfumes etc., as it may irritate the skin. There's lot of baby wash products out there.. .and baby "lotions" that have a scent in it. Personally, I have never used the baby lotions, as I didn't want it to clog the pores or irritate the skin, just in case. Your daughter is only 4 months... and was premature. Maybe ask your Pediatrician about "safe" products to use on her. There are tons of products out there, and more "natural" organic types too. Research online, and see what is recommended.
Good luck.
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

I know you've already gotten a lot of responses, but I have to second the cetaphil thing, and it can be used for sponge baths (not washed off). However, I also agree that babies don't need to be bathed every day- when my lo was that age I only bathed her 2-3 times a week unless she actually got messy. And like one of the previous posters, she also have extremely sensitive skin. And then by chance I happened to take a mommy and me class that then led to an infant massage class, and from a combination of the two I learned that most personal care products (including baby products) are possibly not safe, and between that and the sensitive skin it pointed me in the direction of natural products, namely the burts baby bees wash. And I don't ever use any baby lotion on her, because it's the worst- I use food grade cold pressed grapseed oil. Ever since I started she has been baby smooth (figuratively and literally). My point being, those "good smelling" baby products are no good. For more on specific products go to www.ewc.org and look for the skin deep database. You can type in a product and it lists it's hazard level, the hazardous ingredients, and why they are hazardous.

I would echo everyone who said to be careful of overbathing and drying her skin out. It's easy to do and I read some study that said most moms didn't realize when their baby's skin was drier than it should be. We use California Baby products - Target just started carrying them or you can find them at Whole Foods or online (I think they have a website you can buy from). They have an unscented lotion that we use, but also one that's lightly (and naturally) scented. Personally, I love the natural baby smell of my little 2.5 month old - partly because I know it won't last long :)

I don't know of any baby product that takes the place of a full bath, but maybe...
Maybe this is going beyond what you asked, and if so, I hope you'll forgive me: Unless there's a medical/dermalogical reason for not giving her a bath every day, I think the benefit in keeping the daily routine is a big one. You might find that she does better, overall, if she's able to begin to predict her day's events. That's one major way that babies build security and trust. I'm sure you know that the warm water is a great way to get her to relax before bedtime. I would really try to keep it the same every day, if possible.

J. Smithson
Loving Hands Learn 'n' Play
http://www.lhlearnandplay.com

hi Trina,
Be careful of the products that you use. Anything that you put on your babies skin could be absorbed, so I would advise that you use products on her and in your home that are not toxic (like most things on the market are these days- I have found a place where i can get most of my needs that are TOXIC FREE!! YEAH!!)

If you cut and paste this link it works, check it out. It was JUST in the news, and it's really scary that we, the consumers, are suffering.

Hair Product Danger
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?...

CBS News Online

It discusses TOXIC ingredients. They ARE even in baby shampoo's. Quarternium-15 is a DANGEROUS, cheap, toxic filler and is in products to preserve shelf life.
If you want to learn about a responsible manufacturer that is free of those harsh, toxic, carcinogens, i'd be happy to tell you about where i shop to keep my family safe!
:)
S.
____@____.com

I've been giving my baby mini-baths in the bathroom sink with Cetaphil cleanser(put it in something with a pump top)... it's quick and fun because there's a constant stream of water and the mirror to look at. When we're done a washcloth is all the toweling we need. Most mornings we just do the bottom half and it's literally a 2min job. When we're out an about and a diaper change requires a little freshening I use cetaphil on a cotton square or round with no rinsing required (keep a snack-sized ziploc with the cetaphil already squirted onto the cotton). If your little one can sit up you use one arm to hold her back against your tummy while you lather up her bottom and trunk with the other hand. We don't even fill up the sink... just let her bottom be the plug and splash off :)

To be honest, I'd say your little one really doesn't need a bath every other day & then a sponging in between. It could start to dry out her skin. She's not really active enough to require that much cleaning. I used Mustela products w/both my boys. I found that most baby products smelled very sweet. The Mustela products smell fresh & clean but not too sweet. At first, I could only find them at Nordstroms but later was able to find them at Babies R Us & smaller independent baby stores. They're a bit on the pricey side but they last a long time cuz you don't need to use very much of the product. They make an incredible shampoo for cradle cap & that lasted me close to a year. Hope this helps.

I agree with not washing your baby everyday when they are this age. What you do not want to do is use products that have petroleum in them. Think of petroleum as wrapping your body in saran wrap - nothing is getting in but more importantly nothing is getting out (toxins).

You also want to use a cleansing product (body wash, shampoos, bubble baths) that does not have any sodium laurel sulfates in it or dyes. I have used Sensaria Natural Bodycare for six and half years now with great results and it is cost effective better than the burts bees or California Baby. You can see more about it from my website at www.sensaria.com/J.

I've had friends with kids with Eczema. They used Cetaphil products. I think there's a lotion soap that you sort of apply then wipe off with a dry towel.

my son was getting super dry skin after he got out of the bath, then i realized i would just take him right out of the tub and into a towel. now i have my husband help me rinse him off with clean water i set aside before hand to make sure all the soap, and soapy water, is off. Now he never has dry skin.
i also don't give my son a bath every night, but i do wash his hair, face, hands and neck every night. it gets him drowsy so he can fall asleep on his own. and that keeps him smelling fresh and not like sour milk.

If you want her to smell sweet, I'd use lotion, not soap. No need to dry out your baby's skin. I washed my babies once a week until they crawled. (I had twins, why do all that extra work!) I made sure the bottoms were clean, and the face and hands got wiped down several times a day. (one time with soap at night) Then bath time was only once a week.

My favorite lotion was Playtex...hmmm, it had a purple label/cap. It was calming milk lotion or something like that. It's very subtle and perfect for babies (in the baby section at Target and Wal Mart) I rubbed that on their neck so they smelled great when I held them! And moisturized to boot! I also liked to use it for infant masage a few times a week.

I think if you just put some baby lotion on her, she will smell as sweet as you want, just like a baby. That is what most people pick up on. That way, her skin will stay hydrated and you won't be drying it out by bathing too much, or leaving something on her delicate skin. Kids shouldn't use that antibacterial gel that drys instantly, especially babies. They put their hands in their mouth too much and there have been reports of children actually getting goofy and basically "drunk" off licking that lotion. That's why it's not in the elementary schools anymore, at least not where I live. In the winter, when we all start putting our heaters on, the baby's skin will get even dryer. It's even more important to only bathe them when necessary (about every other day, like you're doing) and to use baby lotion. My son has sensitive skin, so I can't use the Johnson & Johnson products. When we go camping, traveling or he stays at Grandma's, I take along those Huggies bath wipes. You do have to rinse with water, but it makes it very easy to clean the baby with less mess and products to bring. They are little clothes with baby soap on them. They smell really good too. Another thing you could do, is just use a very small amount of baby powder. Put some on your hands away from the baby, then rub it in. You shouldn't shake the powder on the baby's body because of all the "dust" it makes, it's not good for them to breathe it in.

I know that cetaphil can be used even without water. It is extremely gentle, our pedi recommended it for my daughters excema when she was younger. I wouldn't say it smells sweet though!

Hi Trina, your daughter doesnt need a bath everyday, thats too much, you are drying her out. There are lots of products on the market, to to many and nowadays its so hard to distiguish the difference. Everyone always trying to get you to use thier products. This is what i have learned, yes Johnson & Johnson is not to good, to many chemicals. Then there is Arbonne, which is a bit pricey, then of course there is the company Meleluca, and they are very expensive. I just feel its already hard enough being a mother, now we have all this stress on us, what to feed our kids, what to bath our kids with and so on. Everyone trying to sell us something cause we are a mother. I guess what im trying to say is this, dont run out and buy all those expensive products cause someone told you to. I believe Burts Bee's is pretty good and so is Avenno, thier not as pricy as all those other products but they dont have as much in them like J&J and others. Good Luck!
A.!

Why not bathe her everyday?

Babies don't normally need anything other than water for the first year to year and half. In fact, a lot of "baby" products while gentle on the eyes is harsher on baby's soft sensitive skin than using adult versions. I wouldn't use anything - especially fragrances on your baby because it could spark an allergy or a skin reaction. If you want her to smell a little sweeter, brush her teeth with baby toothpaste or feed her a little fruit. Congratulations on your baby and I'm glad she is thriving so well now!