Learning to care for your baby and yourself is the challenge of the first few weeks.

Bathing

Except for the diaper area, which needs to be cleaned regularly, your baby needs a bath only every few days.

If you use soap, use one that does not have any dyes or perfumes, and rinse your baby’s skin well afterwards. Start with your baby's face, followed by the hair and then the body. Here are some things that are useful to have on hand when you are preparing to bathe your baby. Keep these items close by, so you won’t have to leave your baby alone while you get them.

• mild soap
• washcloths
• diaper supplies
• two large soft towels
• cotton balls and betadine for cord cleaning
• change of clothing and a diaper
• pad to lay the baby on after the bath

You need about three inches (eight centimetres) of water to bathe your baby. Make the water warm, not hot. You can test the water on the inside of your wrist, just as you might test a bottle. Never add hot water while your baby is in the tub or leave your baby alone.

If you are worried about your baby slipping out of your hands in the tub, wrap a face cloth around the baby's upper back and shoulders, to provide more traction. Hold your child firmly while she or he is in the tub, and remember to support your baby's head.

To start the bath, gently wipe your baby's face with a clean, wet washcloth without soap. There is no need to do anything to the eyes, ears or nose unless there is a discharge. If you need to wipe the eyes, use a clean part of the washcloth and wipe from the inner corner outwards. To clean the ears, gently wipe the outer part of the ear only. To clean the nose, wipe with a wet washcloth. Do not use cotton tipped applicators to clean the baby's ears, eyes or nose.

Wet the baby's body and spread soap from shoulders to toes, then rinse off with a damp washcloth. Wash the genitals last. For baby girls, wash the genitals from front to back, then clean the anal area from front to back. For baby boys, clean and dry the penis and scrotum, then clean and dry the anal area. If your baby boy is uncircumcized, do not push back the foreskin to wash. By the time he is two to four years old, the foreskin will retract normally. At this point, you should teach him to wash under the foreskin.

Take the baby out of the tub and pat her/him dry. It is not necessary to use powder. In fact, powder can irritate your baby's skin and lungs.

Shampooing

Once or twice a week, shampoo your baby's hair. Hold your baby in a towel in the 'football' position (holding the baby at your side, supporting her head with your hand), with the baby's head over the basin. Use your free hand to wet the baby's hair, then lather it with a small amount of mild soap or shampoo. Rinse thoroughly and rub dry.

Waxy scales found on the scalp are called cradle cap. This condition is common and not harmful in any way, although you may find it unsightly. When shampooing an infant with cradle cap, you can start by rubbing a small amount of non-perfumed oil into the scalp to loosen the scales. Comb or rub gently to loosen the scales, then shampoo, as described above.

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