Posted by Now that your baby is here (or almost here), let’s talk about newborn hygiene. Aside from diaper changes, how do you keep a newborn clean?
When I became a new mom, I had a lot of questions about newborn hygiene including:
- When can I give my newborn a bath? And how often?
- Do I need to clean my newborn’s umbilical cord?
- Why does my newborn’s head smell like cheese?
- How do I avoid diaper rash?
- Do I need to clean my newborn’s gums?
And that wasn’t all!
I was searching the internet for all of these things to learn best practices for cleaning my infant. This made me think it’d be nice to have all the answers to the most common newborn hygiene questions in one post.
Before we start, pin this post if you like so you can come back and refer to it as needed.👇
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, this is just my experience as a mama. Please consult your child’s healthcare provider for medical advice as needed.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure here.
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When To Bathe Newborn Babies
Baby’s first bath is an event that many moms look forward to most.
But how long should you wait to give your newborn his first bath?
There’s a lot of different information out there ranging from 24-48 hours after birth to 1 to 2 weeks after birth.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waiting until the umbilical cord falls off. Personally, I think this is the best advice.
You want to avoid getting the umbilical cord wet to prevent a bacterial infection. So it just makes sense to me to only do sponge baths before it falls off.
If you do choose to give your newborn a bath sooner, it’s your choice! Again, just be careful with the cord.
Use a baby bath tub that has an infant insert for safety (something like this). You might be surprised at how slippery infants can be when wet!
Newborn skin is also very delicate and flaky, which is why it’s important to use a gentle baby soap as well.
There is no need to bathe your newborn often. Once a week is fine. (Unless you have some major blowouts 😬). Then as they grow out of the newborn stage, you can bathe every few days.
How To Care For Newborn Umbilical Cord
Speaking of the umbilical cord, this was the thing I felt was most foreign about taking care of my newborn’s hygiene. However, there really wasn’t much that I needed to do in terms of cleaning.
Previous generations were told to clean around the umbilical cord with alcohol, but this is no longer advised.
Now the most important thing to prevent bacterial infection is to keep the umbilical cord dry.
This helps it fall out naturally in about 7-21 days.
Keeping it below baby’s diaper and exposing it to air can speed this process along.
I was really worried about my son’s umbilical cord being infected after I felt like it was prematurely pulled out from the elastic bottom of his nightgown going up over it.
Thankfully, my doctor told me since it didn’t have a smelly discharge, there was no infection and it was healing just fine 😅
It’s always a good idea to question these things though with your newborn’s healthcare provider if you have any concern. I know I had lots of concerns as a new mom.
How To Avoid Diaper Rash
A lot of babies get a bit of diaper rash at some point.
The best thing you can do to avoid diaper rash is to change your baby often. Keeping your newborn dry is key.
If you’re not already in the thick of this, we’re talking 10-12 times a day. Newborns poop all day long, and you don’t want them to be sitting in their soils for too long.
In addition to frequent diaper changes, I have always used Boudreaux’s butt paste on my babies. You can use a little with each diaper change as a preventative measure or just any time baby’s skin appears red or inflamed.
How To Clean Newborn Ears
When it comes to your newborn’s ears, keep those Q-tips away! You do not need to clean inside your baby’s ear canals. Q-tips actually make things worse by pushing wax farther in.
All you need to clean your newborn’s ears is a soft baby wash cloth. Get it wet, ring out all the water and wipe the ear. Be sure there is no dripping water that could go into the ear canal.
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How To Clip Newborn Nails (Without Being Afraid!)
Newborn fingernails are extremely thin and brittle, but man can they get some sharp edges!
Plus, they grow super fast.
One of the things that surprised me about my newborn’s fingernails was that even though they had a lot of white tips, the nails hadn’t actually grown up off his skin.
Because of this oversight, I accidentally pinched the tip of his finger when I was using the baby nail clipper on him. Total new mom fail.
It was horrific… for both of us.
After that, I never used “baby clippers” again. I now use these baby nail scissors, which make it impossible to make a cut like that. And I’m still using them 5 years later on both my boys without incident. 😅
How To Get Rid Of Cradle Cap
Both of my boys had cradle cap shortly after birth, so if your newborn has a cheesy smelling head, don’t worry. It’s super common.
The best thing you can use to tackle cradle cap is this little comb which has rubber bristles on one side for breaking up the flakes and a fine tooth on the other side to comb it out.
I actually have a whole post dedicated to cradle cap, so if you’re currently dealing with it, read this for more detail 👇
Dental Newborn Hygiene
Most newborn babies don’t have any teeth (some do!). Either way, you can begin good oral hygiene habits around 3 months before their first tooth comes in.
Just wet a clean, soft wash cloth and wipe the gums or use an infant finger toothbrush (this is what I used).
This is important for clearing away bacteria from the gums.
Plus:
It gives your little one a chance to get used to good oral hygiene early on so it becomes habit.
Newborn Hygiene: Final Thoughts
Learning to take care of your newborn is an incredible joy.
And before you know it, you’ll be an expert at bathing your slippery little infant and clipping his nails too.
Lots of diaper changes, sponge baths and snuggles will keep your newborn both hygienic and happy.
While you’re taking care of your newborn’s hygiene, you’ll also be dealing with your own while you recover from labor. Read my next post to learn how to make a postpartum care kit so you can heal fast 👇
Save this post for later- pin it! 👇
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