Bathing

If your baby has uncurled his body and begun to kick, he is probably ready to enjoy being bathed. Instead of lying tensely in the water, on the edge of panicked crying, he feels the water floating his body and it makes him feel light and free and powerful. Because the water supports some of his weight, he can do his best and hardest kicking with its help. You will need a waterproof apron!

Although you can manage without one, a baby bath – on its own stand or put on a firm table or in the big bath – makes bathing much easier. A small portable bath means that you can choose both a warm room and a height that doesn’t give you backache. If you have no small bath, a fixed basin or sink will do but watch out for fixed taps. It is easy to bang the baby on them or scald him with a drip from the hot one.

By around three months, a bath may be one of your baby’s favorite games. If so, do allow plenty of time and let him revel. Bathing before his evening feedings is often better than in the morning. A long glorious splash leaves him beautifully exercised and relaxed, ready for supper and bed.

• Collect everything you need. Undress the baby on a towel on your lap. If he is soiled, get the worst off with the diaper, then wrap him in the towel while you test the water, 85 to 90 degrees F (29 to 30 degrees C), or warm to your elbow is right.
• Rinse his hair and wash his face while he lies on your lap still snugly wrapped. . . .
• Unwrap and hold him with the fingers and wrist of the left hand supporting his head, the right hand supporting his bottom and thighs.
• Lower him into the water and hold him while he gets used to it. When he has relaxed you can withdraw your right hand.
• With his head supported on your left wrist and your fingers grasping his left upper arm, your right hand is free to wash and play.
• To lift him out, keep the same grip with your left hand and put your right under his bottom, grasping his left thigh. He’s slippery.
• Wrap him in the towel, pulling it up around his head. Pat him dry, and check that his creases are dry before you re-dress him.

Going in the Big Bath

Somewhere between three and six months, babies and their thrashing limbs will get too big for any form of small bath and you will have to transfer to the adult one. Be tactful about it. Your baby may find the vast expanse of water and the towering walls frightening at first. If the baby does seem worried, try putting the usual small bath inside the big but empty one for a few days so that the baby can get used to the look of it.

Holding your baby securely is more of a problem at floor level. Don’t try to bend down to it; kneel on the floor with everything you need beside you. A rubber mat or old bath towel in the bottom of the bath will stop the baby slipping away from you and make him feel more secure too. Keep the water shallow. If it is deep he will float and if it is more than 4 – 5in (10 – 13cm) deep it will cover his face if he should slip from your grasp. Be sure that the hot tap is properly turned off before you put him in.

Remember that the bath is wide. Unless you grasp the baby’s shoulder with your fingers as well as supporting the head on your wrist, he could roll over and get his face in the water.

Doubtful Babies

If your baby is doubtful about bathing – not really afraid but not quite happy either – there are a number of things you can do which will probably help him to relax and enjoy it. If you have taken trouble over all the following points and the baby still seems unhappy, you should treat him as frightened baby (see below).

DO

Get the room really warm so that she does not get tense and shivery as you undress her. A temperature as high as 75 degrees F (24 degrees C) is ideal if you can manage it.

Make the water pleasantly warm to your wrist or elbow (don’t test it with your hand which is probably accustomed to really hot washing-up water). Run the cold water in first and then warm it from the hot tap.

Put her in the water as soon as you have undressed her. Soap her by using your free hand, wearing a soap mitt if you find this helpful.

Let her splash herself – and you.

Avoid getting soap in her eyes. If you do, sponge it out with a damp facecloth.

Give firm support with your hand to her neck and the back of her head, as shown above.

Make sure that you lift her straight out of the water and into a really large, soft, warm towel. Pat her dry through it and give her time to adapt to being out of the water before you open the wrapping towel to check that her skin folds are dry.

DON’T

Bathe her in a room which is actually cool. If the temperature must be below 65 degrees F (18 degrees C), abandon the bath for today.

Use water that feels cooler than your wrist or elbow – it will feel chilly to her skin – or risk putting her into water which is too hot – it will give her a shock.

Soap her on your lap first and only put her in the water to rinse. She will feel uncomfortably chilly while being soaped and worryingly slippery while being lifted into the water.

Splash her.

Try to get soap out of her eyes by splashing water in them.

Hold her under her shoulder blades. She will feel as if her head might go back and under the water.

Let her feel cold even for a second while you reach for a towel or try to wrap her in one that is damp or too small. Rub her dry, or leave her naked while you dry her skin folds.

Frightened Babies

Some babies take a long time to learn that a bath can be fun. Babies who still dislike being undressed and put to kick on a big surface probably will not enjoy being bathed either. Stick to topping and tailing them while they grow up a bit.

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Even a baby who enjoys free kicking may dislike being bathed. No baby will get over a fear by being frightened. Don’t bathe a frightened baby. Don’t even sit beside the bath to wash him. Wrap in a big towel on a bed or changing mat and wash the baby bit by bit instead. This gets the baby just as clean and accustomed to feeling wet all over.

If you resist the temptation to try a bath for at least a month, even the most frightened baby will have grown up enough to forget the fear. Then, with infinite care and tact, you can try again. You may well find that you now have a water baby.