How often do you bathe your newborn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right here on John's Hopkins website it says "Babies don’t need an elaborate skin care regimen and barely any products. Keep bathing to a minimum to avoid stripping the skin of its protective natural oils. A bath twice or three times a week is sufficient."

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/newborn_skin_101_pediatric_dermatologist_and_mom_offers_abcs_for_new_parents

Hmmm... who am I going to go with? A pediatric dermatologist at one of the top medical schools in the world, or an internet rando who likes to call other parents lazy?

This. Plus, newborns aren't even awake for that long after changing and feeding. I'd rather spend that awake time playing or reading.

Talking to a newborn in a bath of warm water is lovely!

If your newborn likes it...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right here on John's Hopkins website it says "Babies don’t need an elaborate skin care regimen and barely any products. Keep bathing to a minimum to avoid stripping the skin of its protective natural oils. A bath twice or three times a week is sufficient."

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/newborn_skin_101_pediatric_dermatologist_and_mom_offers_abcs_for_new_parents

Hmmm... who am I going to go with? A pediatric dermatologist at one of the top medical schools in the world, or an internet rando who likes to call other parents lazy?

I’m going with my experience. A nightly routine of bathing my baby and barrier lotion kept her free of eczema, cradle cap and diaper rash.

Having worked at Hopkins, a lot of their advice is greeted to lower income families just trying to get by.

But you do you.

Ok but it's also possible that your baby wouldn't have had any of these issues without bathing as well.

And I'm sorry but your contention is that Johns Hopkins tells poor people not to bathe their babies for what reason exactly? That's nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right here on John's Hopkins website it says "Babies don’t need an elaborate skin care regimen and barely any products. Keep bathing to a minimum to avoid stripping the skin of its protective natural oils. A bath twice or three times a week is sufficient."

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/newborn_skin_101_pediatric_dermatologist_and_mom_offers_abcs_for_new_parents

Hmmm... who am I going to go with? A pediatric dermatologist at one of the top medical schools in the world, or an internet rando who likes to call other parents lazy?

I’m going with my experience. A nightly routine of bathing my baby and barrier lotion kept her free of eczema, cradle cap and diaper rash.

Having worked at Hopkins, a lot of their advice is greeted to lower income families just trying to get by.

But you do you.

Ok but it's also possible that your baby wouldn't have had any of these issues without bathing as well.

And I'm sorry but your contention is that Johns Hopkins tells poor people not to bathe their babies for what reason exactly? That's nuts.

It's certainly a dogwhistle.

[Anonymous]

For the first month, once a week. No soap, just water and used my fingers to get into those baby fat creases lol.

After that, we gradually increased baths so that at 4 months she was getting bathed every other day. Once she started fiber feeding it was 1x-2x a day. Again no soap.

When/if her skin is dry, I would use coconut oil.

[Anonymous]

^finger feeding

[Anonymous]

I bathed my newborns every couple days until about two months and then every night after that. None have ever had eczema or any sort of diaper rash.

[Anonymous]

I feel like we bathed her once a week in the beginning? Call us lazy all you want. DD never had eczema or diaper rash as a newborn.

[Anonymous]

My mom was with us for the first three months after my baby was born. We followed everything she told us to do, which means it was pretty much traditional Indian infant-care based on Ayurveda. For the first week or so, only the diaper area was cleansed and the umbilical cord area was swabbed. The idea was that it takes one week to 10 days for the baby to completely recover from the labor of birth. After that, she was massaging the baby 3-4 times a day with olive oil (I think mom liked this part a lot LOL) and we were bathing her once a day at least because of all that oil.

My mom was very strict about a lot of things including what products to use on baby's skin. This meant that we used commercially available products minimally. There was no dry skin or eczema or any other problem. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Daily after the first 2 weeks or so. Just a quick dunk in some very slightly soapy water and then moisturizer all over. Same routine for my toddler (although he needs more than a dunk with all the mess he gets into) and it has been working great. No dry skin and no rashes. It’s part of our bedtime routine and I think it helps them relax and know that sleep is next. We use burts bees baby stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right here on John's Hopkins website it says "Babies don’t need an elaborate skin care regimen and barely any products. Keep bathing to a minimum to avoid stripping the skin of its protective natural oils. A bath twice or three times a week is sufficient."

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/newborn_skin_101_pediatric_dermatologist_and_mom_offers_abcs_for_new_parents

Hmmm... who am I going to go with? A pediatric dermatologist at one of the top medical schools in the world, or an internet rando who likes to call other parents lazy?

I’m going with my experience. A nightly routine of bathing my baby and barrier lotion kept her free of eczema, cradle cap and diaper rash.

Having worked at Hopkins, a lot of their advice is greeted to lower income families just trying to get by.

But you do you.

Ok but it's also possible that your baby wouldn't have had any of these issues without bathing as well.

And I'm sorry but your contention is that Johns Hopkins tells poor people not to bathe their babies for what reason exactly? That's nuts.

According one ped, because the soap they use (can afford) WILL strip the oils. Lower income families aren’t going to buy organic, natural or anything high end. They can’t afford it.