For newborns, bathing can sometimes be a stressful experience. Imagine being a newborn, and you suddenly get separated from your mother, then you’re taken to a room where you’re doused with water. It’s not a particularly good experience for the baby.
So, how can you ensure that your newborn gets clean without undergoing so much stress? That’s where swaddle baths come in!
What’s a swaddle bath?
Swaddle baths are a more relaxing, calmer, and gentler way of bathing newborns.
Created as an alternative to the regular way of bathing newborns, swaddle baths have been found to take less time, keep babies calm and relaxed, and also keeps babies warm while they’re being bathed.
Now you might be thinking, is it okay to bathe the newborn while the stump of their umbilical cord is still attached? Studies have actually found that getting their umbilical cord wet doesn’t increase the chance of infection. The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to bathe your newborn every day; bathing them every 2-3 days would be enough. More than that, and you risk drying out your newborn’s sensitive skin.
How are swaddle baths done?
Swaddle baths are done by gently wrapping the newborn in a swaddle and then slowly immersing them in warm water.
Once they’re immersed in water, you can slowly massage your newborn to keep them relaxed, and to keep them squeaky clean!
It’s also a good way for parents to bond with their child and helps newborns and is generally a more enjoyable experience for newborns.
Sources: medscape.com, babble.com
READ: 7 Tips for bathing your baby
