How often do you wash a baby?

[bclare]

Our little one is 11 days old today and we haven't yet given him a bath, just wiped up messes from diapers as needed. His hair is looking a bit greasy, probably from my lotion or lanolin or milk or something, and he has some acne. I am wondering how soon and how often you washed your baby, and how you did it in the beginning. When I clean his bottom, even if the cloth is warm, he is not impressed. I don't want to torture him if it isn't needed!

[cristeen]

My guy was about a week old for his first one, and he's gotten about one a month since.

[BlueWolf]

When my LO was about a month, I figured out that baths soothed her. So, I incorporated a daily bath into our bedtime routine at that point. She's now 9 months old and we do a bath every other day or every 3rd day.

[maptome]

When DD was that young, we would do sponge baths once or twice a week. A slightly soapy sponge, a clean water sponge, and towel dry, while lying on a folded up towel on the floor.

[JustSimplicity]

DS got a bath once a week for the first 3 weeks. I just got him naked and wrapped him in a towel. Then I would expose only part of him at a time and use baby soap and a warm washcloth to gently scrub him clean. The first month of his life he really hated diaper changes and being naked in general. Now (he's 9 weeks) baths are his favorite part of the day. We get in the tub every day because he loves to kick in the water but I only wash him with soap every 2-3 days so his skin doesn't dry out.

[Tattooed Hand]

DD loves the bath so we give her one every 2-3 days but have never used soap or any lotion but olive oil.

[texmati]

we bathe pretty often, one sometimes twice a day. whenever he smells basically.

When DS was that age, we figured out he hated sponge bath's but loved, loved, loved the tub. For months DH and I would fight over who got to give him a bath because it was the only time DS wasn't yelling at us.

[journeymom]

Dc#1 probably 5 times in the first 4 weeks. I was enthusiastic. Plus, at one point she got a rash in the crease of her neck from pooled breast milk.

Dc#2 we probably bathed him once (wiped him down with a wet wash cloth) a few days after he was born and then not again for several weeks.

[Abraisme]

I bathed my DD when she was 4-5 days old, mostly because she was starting to smell funky. All sorts of goo came off of her in that first bath, it was time (water only). Now at 8mo I bath her every 3-4 days. I wash her hands, face and bottom several times a day, but other than that she doesn't get very dirty. Also, I rarely use soap.

[kcparker]

When they are getting stinky or crusty. We spot wash, don't generally use soap, just water and a washcloth. The acne will clear up on its own, don't worry.

[hakeber]

At the hospital here they reccommended I bathe her twice a day...that is when I realized that twice a day was normal for this part of the world.

I felt that was too much since even I only bathe every other day.

I bathe her now every three days with baby soap and we refresh in a lukewarm shower every afternoon when it gets really hot...sometimes we just go to the pool for a swim.

[Jaesun's Dad]

The first few weeks only about once a week. At three months now we do it every three days or so. Since we've foregone the blue plastic tub and I take him in the big tub with me he seems to enjoy bath time which makes it more enjoyable for everyone (neighbors included) ... he'd scream bloody murder in the blue tub.

[emmalizz]

daily. we had a stinky baby

[Boot]

Only about twice a week but she loves it. We have one of those european round tubs (like a bucket). We don't use soap at all. In fact yesterday I washed her hair with baby shampoo for the first time ever as we are dealing with cradle cap. I use oil on her skin after a bath as I notice her skin gets dry. She is 8 weeks.

Her first bath was at about 2 weeks. Our midwives recommend not bathing until the cord stump is healed and then just bringing the babe in the tub with you. That is what we did for the first couple of baths but you really need two parents to do that effectively.

[zazenist]

We sponge bathed DD about once a week until she was about 2 months old. Then we started bathing her in the sink, probably about every ten days or so, with a few soapy wipedowns in between. Really, the only thing that gets dirty is her bottom and her neck rolls - ditto what the PP said ^ about breastmilk pooling on the neck... stinky! She's 6 months now, sitting alone, and only starting to actually enjoy being in the water, so I expect we'll start putting her in the tub and bathing a little more frequently now. Most small babies don't need baths that often, IMHO, but maybe our threshold is unusually high compared to the rest of society. DH and I don't shower every day either.

[Maela]

once or twice a week until they're crawling (especially if outside). then we would do almost daily baths at that point as part of a bedtime routine.

That's what we do anyway.

[To-Fu]

It wasn't long after my son was born that we started doing family baths. He really loved it! It was more like floating around than bathing, though. We didn't always use soap, but when we did it was really mild California Baby for sensitive skin.

It wasn't long before daily/nightly baths became part of our routine. They still are, and he's 27mo.

[DevaMajka]

Ds2, somewhere around once a week at that age- I bathed him whenever he got stinky. He's always been fine in water, though. He gets a couple baths a week now- he loves having baths!
Ds1 wasn't a huge bath fan, so he was bathed less. I gave him sponge baths as much as I could, to avoid some baths.

[luv-my-boys]

up until the stump fell off we pretty much do spot cleaning with warm water basin and towel. Once the stump dries up we bath pretty much every day because frankly we usually have stinky babies

plus we have kids who absolutely LOVE the water and even now a bath is daily because it seems to be really relaxing and soothing before bedtime with all my boys running around I need all the calming I can get

[ann_of_loxley]

I waited for the cord to fall off.
Then I did wash him everynight. He was very greasy and had a lot of baby acne and he also had a lot of reflux. I just avoided anything with perfume or other nasties in it so his skin wouldn't dry out.
I loved him all fresh and clean and soft and smelling nice! hehe
You don't 'need' to wash them everyday - but I liked it!... And sometimes he got a quick 'bird bath' during the day too cause of his reflux - thats nasty stuff! lol