Alright gentlemen, when you bring a new baby home, you will have to give them baths. Some parents bathe their newborns every night, others will do it every other night, or a couple of times per week. Whatever the case, they probably won’t be able to go under the heavy shower and rinse off. You will have to bathe them in some sort of tub. This is definitely a great bonding moment for both the mom and dad, so take advantage if you can.

The healthcare workers will go over this with you, but you won’t be able to submerge the baby in water for a while; generally, when the umbilical cord falls off and when circumcision site heals for boys. Also, your baby will get a sponge bath in the hospital when they are 24 hours old, and you are welcome to watch how it’s done. It’s true that any clean bucket will do, but let’s make our babies somewhat comfortable. There are many great baby tubs on the market. We have personally used the 4moms brand, which has a temperature gauge to make sure the water is not too hot or cold. The baby will appreciate that. Also, it has a plug that will release the water from the bottom when opened, allowing the old bath water to go out and fresh water to fill up when closed again.

The tub also has an infant insert for when they are newborn. This can be taken out once the baby reaches a certain size. I would recommend having two people help with bathing until your infant is at least able to hold their head up on their own. If you lose focus for a second, your baby’s head will go under water, which is highly dangerous. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, bath time is a great bonding experience, so participate in this activity for as long as you can. Have fun guys!