Baby bath time

Baths are important for a baby’s hygiene, but can also be synonymous with relaxation and bonding with their parents. 

How often to bathe your baby? 

Your child doesn’t need to be bathed as often as you do at the start of their life. As a newborn, 2 or 3 times per week is enough as long as you clean their bottom and genitals and wash their hands and face several times a day. Unless they have been sick or got dirty.

As your baby grows, daily baths will become part of your daily routine, both for cleaning off dirt and to benefit from its soothing properties.

Bathtime doesn’t last long: around 5 to 10 minutes for babies over 10 months, and around 5 minutes maximum for babies under 10 months old.

When to bathe your baby?

The timing will depend on your schedule, but an evening bath, before they eat to avoid them being sick, is recommended to help your baby relax and soothe them before they go to bed.

How to prepare for bathtime?

It’s recommended that you prepare everything you need for baby’s bath in advance. Once your baby is ready, you should devote yourself solely to them. Accidents happen very quickly, what about your phone or someone knocking on your door?

Room temperature should be between 22 and 25°C and water temperature at 37°C, check using a thermometer to avoid any risk of burning. With regards to water level, 10 cm is sufficient.

What will you need?

• a large towel
• a flannel or sponge (optional)
• soap or body wash for babies
• baby shampoo
• a comb or hairbrush
• nail clippers if needed
• liniment or moisturising cream
• a nappy
• a change of clothes or pyjamas

How to bathe your baby?

You can bathe them with their skin directly in contact with the water or by swaddling them in a swaddle. Sweety Fox baby swaddles are designed to allow this kind of bath.

The “classic” bath

Put your baby gently in the water, taking care to hold them if they can’t yet sit up by themselves. To wash them you have the choice between doing it out of the bath or directly in the water. Remember to always wash from the cleanest to the dirtiest body part, washing their bottom last. You can rinse your baby with bath water with your hand or using a receptacle (cup, sponge…).

The swaddle bath

This technique is used in particular for premature babies but it can also be used for all babies. It allows the child to feel like they're in a safe cocoon which reminds them of their mother’s womb.

As you undress your baby, cover them with the swaddle. Put your baby gently in the water, you can rock your baby gently to relax them, then slowly lower the swaddle into the water. At the end of the bath, rinse your baby and put them in their towel.

Once out of the bath, wrap your baby in a dry towel and dry them without rubbing, going in the same order as you washed them: from head to toe, paying particular attention to places where moisture gathers and risks causing irritation (folds of their bottom, leg folds, armpits…).

Bath time as your baby grows

As your child grows you can add toys to their bath to transform bath time into playtime by stimulating them.