How often should you bathe a baby

It used to be recommended to bathe babies every day, but today this is being phased out, mainly because of increasing eczema and allergic reactions to various products. Newborn skin in particular is very sensitive and delicate, and more frequent bathing can actually be harmful. So how often should you bathe them, at what time of day, and why should you fill the whole tub?

Bathing every day

For newborns, daily bathing can be very demanding, because they get tired quickly in the water and it takes quite a long time before they are then back in the crib or bed. You can therefore expect that even if they enjoy being in the water, after a while they may start crying from exhaustion. In infants and toddlers, you may notice that an evening bath makes them nicely tired and they fall asleep more easily afterward.

If you decide to bathe your child every day, it is better to avoid using any soaps, oils, or foam (they dry out the skin unnecessarily, and then you have to apply cream afterward) and bathe in clean water with a spoonful of sea salt. If the baby (this also applies to toddlers) has heat rash or diaper rash, you can add a cup of agrimony decoction to the water. 

In the summer months, when we generally sweat more, you can bathe the baby daily if you like, preferably during the day to refresh them; a 5-minute bath is enough. In the winter months, daily bathing is definitely not necessary. 

Less frequent bathing

In general, it is recommended to bathe 2-3 times a week, and for children with allergic reactions or eczema, once a week. Another option is to wash the bottom every evening and, if necessary, around the neck (if the child spits up) and in the folds (where heat rash most often develops), with a full-body bath every other day. 

Bathing in the evening or during the day

In some families, children are commonly bathed during the day, either because they are used to it or because water tends to wake children up, which is not desirable in the evening. In other families, bath time is in the evening and is part of the bedtime ritual - dinner, brushing teeth, bath, story, and then sleep. Neither is wrong; it depends on what works better for your family and especially for your child. 

Water temperature and amount

The ideal temperature for small babies is their body temperature, that is 37°C. If you plan to go to infant swimming with your baby, it is recommended to gradually lower the temperature by about 5°C so the baby is not surprised by cooler water afterward. 

The amount of water in the bathtub, baby tub, or bucket should be enough for the baby to be completely submerged in the water. If the umbilical stump is still attached, use less water until the belly button heals, and once it falls off, you can submerge the baby up to the neck so they feel as if they were in your belly, where they were completely surrounded by water. Babies often cry in the water precisely because there is too little water.

Baby tub bathing

If you have a bathtub at home, you can combine pleasant with useful. Baby tub bathing helps children strengthen the necessary muscles in the body, remove any blockages, and get acquainted with water in a playful way until they learn to submerge even their whole head on signal. You can do baby tub bathing 2-3 times a week, and then you no longer need to bathe the baby. 

Whether you bathe your baby every day or only once a week is entirely up to you, and no one can interfere. What matters is that it works for both of you, because then everyone will be happy.