How often should I bath my newborn? - How often should newborns be bathed?

How often should I bath my baby? Should I bath my newborn every day? How many baths should my newborn have a week? Why should I limit bathing my newborn?

Newborns do not need to be bathed every day. Sue to them being limited in movement (they don't play outside or crawl around in dirty places) they aren't dirty enough to warrant daily baths. Bathing your newborn on a daily basis often results in rashes and dry skin due to the fact that daily bathing removes the skins natural; oils which protect the baby from this. Use of the wrong or excessive baby skin products may also damage the babies skin.

Until your newborns umbilical cord stump has fallen off, it's a good idea to wash your  newborn with a soft sponge or cloth instead of putting him or her directly in a bath tub. When the cord has fallen off and healed properly you could then immerse him or her fully in water - by giving him or her a bath.

It's advised that for the first few months of your babies life you should bath him or her only once or twice a week allowing your babies natural oils to do what they're meant for. If you feel that your baby needs a little freshening up - maybe from spit ups or drooling it's okay to wipe affected area with a clean cloth, sponge or cotton ball. Whenever you do bath your baby or freshen him or her up, be sure to use a good moisturizer after.