Bathing your baby: tips for a calm bath

If you have just become a mother or father, you may picture a happy baby in the bath. Sometimes, though, the first bath turns out to be a bit of a challenge, for your child and for you. We have put together some helpful tips to make bath time calmer for your newborn and for you.

Towel, washcloth and soap

First, have everything you need ready: a mild soap, a washcloth, a hooded towel, a cup for rinsing and fresh clothes for your baby. Never leave your baby unattended in the bath. That is why everything should be within reach before you start. If you can, put the hooded towel on a radiator so it is nice and warm after the bath.

Temperature

Fill the bath a few centimetres deep with lukewarm water and check with the inside of your elbow that it is not too hot. Make sure the room is warm too before you undress your baby. Place your baby in the bath and support their back and head with one hand, unless you have a bath with a small seat.

Make your baby comfortable

If your child does not enjoy bathing, talk to them calmly and show them that you are there the whole time. Your closeness gives them the security and calm they need for a relaxed bath. A good tip: lay damp washcloths over your baby while you gently pour water over their body. This helps them feel held, because being completely naked is a new feeling for a newborn.

From head to toe

Start with the face. Moisten the washcloth and wash your child’s face, especially around the mouth and under the chin, where milk can collect, as well as in and behind the ears. Then work your way down: under the arms, the legs, the rest of the body and the feet. Use a mild soap if needed.

Wrap up warm

Lay the hooded towel out flat, place your baby on it and wrap them up. Once your baby is dry, put on a fresh nappy and clean clothes, or pyjamas in the evening. If your baby needs a little more calm after the bath, wrap them in a soft blanket and enjoy the time with your freshly bathed baby.

Here you will find our products for babies, for the bathroom and the nursery.

Our soft, light hooded baby towel keeps your little one warm from bath to bed. Every order comes with a matching baby washcloth in the same colour. You can also find it directly under Hooded Baby Towel.

Our baby blanket in cotton and cashmere, knitted in Portugal, makes a lovely gift for a new baby. For the first nights in their own bed, we also have our junior bedding. Which size suits which age is explained in Children's duvets and pillows.

Our baby textiles are OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified. Wash the baby blanket by hand or at a maximum of 30 °C on a wool cycle.