I can remember bathing my little lad for the first time as if it was yesterday. It was a magical experience and I think it was the first time it really hit home that I was a Father.

Giving your newborn their first bath isn’t hard but I completely understand that it can be anxiety filled. To ease some of the worry and to just enjoy bathing your baby, it helps to be prepared with the right gentle baby ingredients and proper newborn bathing techniques.

Sponge Bathe First

Babies only need sponge baths for the first week or so, which may be good news to hear. To clean your new infant, gather two towels, a nappy (or diaper), change of clothes, a washcloth, natural baby soap and a couple of bowls of warm water.

Undress your baby and wrap them in a towel (you may want to place a nappy over or under their private parts!). I can highly recommend these personalised baby towels from Arty apple! Pour a few drops of natural baby soap into one bowl of warm water and swish around. Dip your washcloth into the soapy water and wipe down your baby’s face. Dip it again in the clean bowl of water and then use this to rinse their face.

Proceed with the same method on baby’s hands next, followed by all other parts of the body from the neck to the toes, leaving the bum and private parts until last. There’s no need to shampoo a baby’s hair for the first week.

After the Umbilical Cord Falls Off

After about a week, give your newborn a tub bath every few days. A kitchen sink with a baby bath cradle or a baby tub wit slanted rest area are perfect. Use the same process as the sponge bath, but place warm water in the sink or tub and then have a pitcher of warm water for rinsing.

Fill water in the tub to about four inches and temperature test it on the back of your hand. Wash baby from top to bottom, cleansing the hair with a newborn shampoo that can also be used as your soap to keep things simple. When done, rinse your little one with the warm water in your pitcher.

Never leave your baby alone in any depth of water for any reason! You’ll have to keep one hand on your baby the entire time, so make sure you’re prepared with your soapy water and essentials first. It’s a good idea to wipe your baby’s bum with a wipe before starting.

Baby Mantra’s Calming Lotion calming lotion is perfect for slathering on baby when you’re through. It’s organic and formulated to keep skin smooth naturally.

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post with Baby Mantra.