You don’t need to use anything other than warm water. Save the bubble bath and soap until they’re older (check individual products to see the recommended age for use) and if you’re at all nervous about giving your baby a bath in the first few days when they’re really tiny, you can always top and tail them (wash their face, head, hands, and bottom only).

How to top and tail your baby

All of our parents waited until the umbilical stump dropped off – but after that, the frequency of how much they washed their baby varied…

‘We washed our twins every couple of days’

“Didn’t bathe my twins at all until they were a week old. Then every couple of days after that – buy a flannel for the neck creases….they were very messy milk drinkers! ” Laura O 

“Twice a week”

Sam D recalls doing it a bit less often: “From what I remember we gave her a bath twice a week and did the cotton wool and water wash the rest of the time.”

‘We washed her every day’

“We did it everyday from about 10 days old after her umbilical cord fell off ,” says Bec D.

‘I waited until I was confident enough to bath her’

If you’re a little nervous to wash your baby, you’re not alone. For lots of parents, the thought of putting your tiny newborn baby in a bath, when they’re potentially slippery, can be a bit daunting. But there are work arounds to ensure you keep them clean until you’re ready.

For example, Sam D says: “I used cotton wool balls and cooled boiled water until I felt confident enough holding her in the bath, although it was my other half who usually did the bathing – I was that nervous when she was so little!

“From what I remember we gave her a bath twice a week and did the cotton wool and water wash the rest of the time.”

What do you think?

How often did you bath your baby? How long did it take for you to feel confident giving them a bath?