Welcome to your new baby: Bathing your baby, and Nappies

Bathing your baby

(Welcome to your new baby magazine pages 28 and 29.)

Bathing your baby is a great time for smiles and talking with your baby. Most babies enjoy their bath time. 

When to bath your baby

  • A good time to bath your baby is usually after feeding him, especially  if he’s unsettled. Most babies find having a bath very relaxing and have a good sleep afterwards.
  • You don’t need to bath your baby every day. You can use wet cotton balls or a washcloth to wash his face and bottom between baths.
  • You only need to wash his hair once or twice a week.

What to use

  • You can use a baby bath, sink or basin. 
  • Have everything ready – towels, washcloth, cotton wool, clean clothes and nappy.
  • Put cold water in first and then add hot, then more cold (this cools the tap).
  • Test the water before you put your baby in. The water should be body temperature – a little cooler than most adults like. 
  • Only fill the bath 5 cm deep.
  • You only need to use water, especially if your baby is going through a spotty stage. However, baby shampoo and baby bath lotions are OK.
    Do not use talcum power as babies can breathe in the powder, which can irritate baby’s lungs.

How to bath your baby

  • While your baby is very small, wash his face before you put him in the bath. Hold him securely, face-up, with his head and neck supported over the bath and his body under your arm. Use a washcloth or wet cotton wool.
  • This is also a good way to wash and rinse his hair if needed. 
  • Once he is older and easier to hold, it’s easier to do this in the bath.
  • Some babies don’t like being undressed for the bath. 
    • Try wrapping your baby in a towel or nappy, then let this float away once he’s in the water. 
    • Support him securely with your arm and hand, and gently move him in the water to get used to the feel of it.
Your baby may like to be turned onto his tummy and floated in the water with your hand under his chin for support and his head turned to one side.

Older babies enjoy going into the big bath and love wetting the bathroom (and you) with their splashes. 

You can also bath or shower with your baby, but this is best done with another pair of adult hands to help. 

Never leave your baby, or any child, unattended in the bath. Babies can drown in less than 5 cm of water. 

If you have to leave the bath area, wrap baby in a towel and take him with you.

Sometimes babies cry when they come out of the bath. 
  • Have a dry and warm towel close by to wrap your baby in and dry him gently. 
  • Try massaging him with some baby oil or sorbolene cream. 
  • Soon bath time will become one of the most enjoyable parts of the day

Nappies and their contents

(Welcome to your new baby magazine page 27.)
You will spend quite a lot of time changing nappies now you are a parent. Here are some things you might want to know.

Is my baby’s poo normal? 

Babies’ poos vary a lot in colour, consistency and frequency.
  • The poo will vary a lot with how your baby is fed. 
  • Breastfed babies have soft poo that looks a bit like seedy mustard, often yellow-orange or greenish. It may shoot out and look frothy at times. 
  • The poo smells quite sweet. 
  • In the first few weeks, breastfed babies poo a lot, often every feed time. After a couple of months, this may settle to once every few days or so. 
  • Formula-fed babies tend to have firmer, smellier poos and pass them less often when the baby is young. They vary a lot in colour and range from fairly liquid to paste-like.
Any change in formula or the addition of new foods will change the poos. This is quite normal. When an older baby eats solids, especially vegetables, these can come out the other end looking quite undigested. Again, this is normal and will gradually change. 

Is my baby constipated? 

Babies often appear to put a lot of effort into pooing. They can go red in the face, grunt or cry and strain with great concentration and then pass a normal soft poo. This is not constipation and as your baby gets older he will react less to body functions. 

Constipation is when the poo is so hard and dry that it is difficult to pass and your baby may become upset. If it looks like pebbles or you notice a streak of blood on the poo from a small tear in the anus, talk to your doctor or child health nurse. 

Fully breastfed babies don’t get constipated, but it can be common with babies on infant formula. 

  • Make sure you’re making the formula correctly. 
  • If your formula-fed baby is constipated, try giving him some cool, boiled tap water in between formula feeds. 
  • If your baby is only breastfed, he does not need any extra boiled water. 

Does my baby have diarrhoea? 

It may be diarrhoea if the poos become more runny (even watery) and frequent than normal for your baby. This may mean he has a gut infection, especially if he’s vomiting too. In this situation, see your doctor immediately or call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.  

How many wet nappies will there be? 

Young babies wee a lot – 10 or more times a day. 

They often wee when you take off their nappy or start to put a dry one on. Your baby has no control over when he poos or wees, so don’t take it personally if he wees on you during a nappy change!

  • Babies wee less often as they get older, but still at least 6 to 8 times a day. Plenty of wee is good because it shows that your baby is getting enough to drink.
  • Disposable nappies can absorb a lot of moisture without feeling wet, so check the weight of the nappy rather than how wet it feels. 
  • Check that the wee is a pale colour – in hot weather, or if your baby is not feeding well, the wee may be a darker yellow and smelly. An extra feed may help, but if you think your baby is unwell, see your doctor. 

How can I avoid nappy rash? 

Baby wee is clean and doesn’t usually smell unless it’s been in the nappy for a while. 

When this happens the wee turns to ammonia which can irritate the skin. This is why it is important to change the nappy regularly and wash your baby’s skin. 

  • Nappy rash is common and can happen no matter how often you change nappies. Almost all children who wear nappies get nappy rash at some stage. 
  • Clean your baby’s skin gently with water using a cloth or wet cotton wool. If you use baby wipes choose ones without alcohol to avoid stinging especially if there’s already a rash. After cleaning, put on lots of Vaseline, zinc cream or other nappy cream to keep wetness away from his skin.
  • Try to leave his nappy off for a while during playtime to allow air to his skin. 
Thrush can grow in the nappy area once a rash has developed. This will show as a very red area with spots around it. See your doctor if your baby develops a rash in his nappy area that doesn’t go away in a few days. Your doctor might prescribe a special cream which clears this type of rash quickly. 

When will my baby be ready to toilet train? 

Most children are not ready to control their poo and wee until they are 2 or even 3 years old. Sometimes boys are later than girls. 
Learning to use the toilet is a big step for toddlers. Some children just seem to train themselves when they are ready, but most need some help. 

Parents see toilet training as an important milestone for their children and worry about it. Don’t get upset with your child over toilet training because it can delay success. Find out more about toilet training.

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Last Updated: 18/06/2021