This post is sponsored by Button Safe, but as always, all opinions are our own.
When you click that car seat into your car with your newborn buckled safely inside and drive away from the hospital towards home, you’ve started the adventure of a lifetime. There are many new (and sometimes scary) experiences that you and your baby will have in the days to follow, one of those things being their first bath!
As a mama who has been there and done that, I am here to help you out with tips for getting through that first bath. Including one of the coolest baby items to hit the market recently, the first ever umbilical stump cover, Button Safe. Read on for everything you need to know!
5 Tips for Giving Your Newborn a Bath (& everything you need to know about the coolest new baby gadget, Button Safe!)
1. Stick to Sponge Baths
Your baby should not be fully submerged in a bath until their umbilical cord stump has fallen off. This will help to avoid infections. Instead, you will want to give them a sponge bath 1-2 times a week.
You won’t necessarily need a bath tub for this. I would actually recommend laying your baby on a flat surface on top of a towel. Then you will just wipe them down with a sponge or washcloth.
2. Use a Button Safe Umbilical Stump Cover
Button Safe is a game changer for newborn baths. It is the first ever umbilical stump cover and it will keep your baby’s umbilical cord dry while you give them a sponge bath. The Button Safe is made of food grade silicone and medical grade, skin safe adhesive.
The umbilical cord stump site is prone to bacteria and infection, which is something that always really scared me as a new mom. Even when giving your baby a sponge bath and being really careful, it’s pretty much impossible to keep the site dry. When the site gets wet, the umbilical cord can stay attached longer. Unfortunately, the longer it is attached the higher the chance of infection is. With the Button Safe, you will have peace of mind that you’re keeping the site dry so you can instead focus on getting your baby clean!
Here’s how you use it:
- Peel back the protective liner to expose the adhesive base
- Place the Button Safe over the site of the umbilical cord and gently press down the adhesive base to create a watertight seal.
- Bath your baby!
- When you are finished bathing your baby, gently peel the tab to release.
- Recycle or toss the Button Safe.
Watch the video for a better idea of how it works!
3. Keep Your Supplies within Arm’s Reach
Before bath time, gather up everything you need and put it within arm’s reach of you. You won’t be able to leave your baby to grab anything once you get started.
Here’s a list of supplies:
- 2 towels (one for under your baby and one to dry your baby off afterwards)
- 1 Washcloth
- 1 Sponge
- Button Safe
- Clean Diaper and Wipes
- Outfit for after the bath
4. Cover Your Baby with a Warm Washcloth
My little hack is to cover the baby’s tummy with a lukewarm washcloth to keep them from getting cold. This always kept my babies happy! As long as you have the Button Safe, you don’t need to worry about the washcloth accidentally getting their umbilical cord wet.
5. Keep it Simple
Make bathtime a sweet bonding experience for you and your baby by keeping it simple and stress-free. As you probably noted from our list of supplies above, your newborn really does not need soaps or lotions (unless otherwise advised by your doctor). You can simply bath them with water.
Your baby’s first milestones will feel a little scary, but they are also so exciting! With these tips, you should be well prepared for their first bath. Just don’t forget to use Button Safe to keep the umbilical cord dry so that this can be a stress-free experience!
Pin for Later– 5 Tried and True Tips for Bathing a Newborn
