Baby's First Bath: Tips to Make It Safe, Calm, and Stress-Free
- The Jacksonville Baby Company
- Oct 17, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 1
Baby's first bath is one of those milestones parents often look forward to and worry about at the same time. Tiny babies can feel surprisingly slippery, and it's completely normal to wonder if you're doing everything correctly or worry about safety.
The good news? Your baby's first bath doesn't have to be perfect. It just needs to be safe, calm, and unhurried.
As postpartum doulas and newborn care specialists, we've helped countless families confidently navigate this milestone. Here are some of the practical tips we share with parents for baby's first bath.
Before we jump in, remember this: Google can teach you the steps, but it can't reassure you when your baby suddenly cries, help you recognize when they're overstimulated, or show you little adjustments that make bath time easier for your baby. That's exactly the kind of hands-on guidance The Jacksonville Baby Company provides during postpartum support. You can read more in Practical Things We Teach New Parents That Google Can't Teach.
Before You Begin: If Your Baby Still Has Their Umbilical Cord Stump
If your baby's umbilical cord stump is still attached, hold off on a traditional tub bath for now.
Instead, give your newborn a gentle sponge bath using a warm, damp washcloth to clean their face, neck, diaper area, and skin folds while keeping the cord stump as dry as possible.
At The Jacksonville Baby Company, we lovingly refer to it as a "bird bath".
Once the stump has naturally fallen off and the area has healed, come back to this guide for tips on your baby's first tub bath.
Tip #1: Follow the 3 T's of Bath Time
When teaching and demonstrating to parents, we always cover safety first!
Remember and follow the 3 T's of bath time.
What are the 3 T's, you ask?
The First T- Temperature: A newborn can chill easily. You want the room you're bathing your baby in to be free from drafts and not too cold. You don't need to turn on the heat in Florida unless it's true winter, but you can turn off any fan you may have running in the room.
Likewise, make sure the water temperature isn't too hot or too cold. Baby bear likes it "just right". To prevent scalding, before your baby is born adjust the thermostat on your water heater to below 120 F (49 C).
Always test the water temperature with your hand or thermometer if needed before bathing your baby. Aim to have the bath water around 100 F (38 C).
The Second T- Touch: Keep one hand on your baby at all times. Babies slip and slump easily in the water. It only takes a moment for an accident to happen. If you can't reach "it" while keeping a hand on your baby, you don't really need it.
The Third T- Time: Baby's first bath shouldn't take long; in fact, all baths should be kept to under 10 minutes. Newborns have very short sleep/wake cycles. So, although your baby may seem very content, at a moment's notice, your baby can be sleepy again, and things can escalate quickly.
Watch Your Baby, Not the Clock
Every baby responds differently to bath time.
Some relax immediately. Others become overstimulated within minutes.
One of the things we teach parents isn't simply how to give a bath, it's how to recognize their baby's cues.
If your newborn starts showing signs of becoming overwhelmed, it's perfectly okay to end the bath early. There will be another bath time another day.
Tip #2: Gather Your Supplies First
You want everything you'll need for the bath, from start to finish, within arm's reach.
Remembering "touch" from the 3 T's, keep one hand on your baby at all times, always!
You'll want all the rest of the supplies you'll need right where you'll bathe the baby.
For Bath Time:
tub, bather, or bloom sink insert
a cup to pour the water on the baby
baby wash/soap of choice
warm water (100 F (38 C)
2 washcloths
towel
blanket (from hospital or similar style) for swaddle bath
Any grooming, lotion, or nail trimming can wait until after your baby is warm, dry, and comfortable.
For Grooming & Dressing:
diaper
clothing
socks
cotton ball for drying ears
lotion
brush
nail clippers
Tip #3: Take a Deep Breath & Keep Calm
Many newborns protest being undressed, not because something is wrong, but because they suddenly feel cool and exposed.
If you find that your baby starts to cry keep calm!
Don't panic!
If your baby takes a pacifier, like the Philips Avent Soothie, you can use that to soothe them.
Most of the time, baby's first bath involves some tears.
You can stop where you are, wrap it up, move on to our bonus tip, and call it a success.
OR
Another option is to push through, finish the bath, move onto the bonus tip, and call it a success!
Either way, stay calm and stay safe!
Your baby is borrowing your nervous system.
So, when you're feeling sad, down, or panicked, they feel it too.
This is all brand new to your baby and is new to you too, it gets easier I promise!
We're wrapping up tips for baby's first bath with a bonus tip!
Bonus Tip: End Bath Time with Skin-to-Skin Bonding
Babies love being skin-to-skin with their parents!
They love everything about it!
The warmth, the closeness, and the hormones it helps mom release.
They love your smell and the gentle togetherness it brings.
They love the universal sound of your heartbeat as they lie against your chest.
They love the humming and familiarity of your voice.
Skin-to-skin helps regulate your newborn's temperature, heart rate, and breathing while providing comfort after a new experience.
If your baby cried during bath time, this is a sure way to make it up to him (and you).
Fresh babies are the best!
This bonus tip is just as much for you as it is for them.
These moments are the "stop and smell the roses" of life.
Take them every chance you get!
If you're new to skin-to-skin care or would like to learn why it's so beneficial, read our complete guide to skin-to-skin with your newborn.
We hope you find these tips for baby's first bath as helpful as the families we work with.
Baby's first bath is about more than getting clean. It's about building confidence.
Our team at The Jacksonville Baby Company doesn't just show parents how to bathe their baby, we stand beside them, answer questions in real time, provide hands-on assistance, and help them understand their unique baby as they gain confidence.
If you'd like expert, hands-on support during the newborn stage, we'd love to help.
Related Reading: If you enjoyed these bath tips, you may also like Practical Things We Teach New Parents That Google Can't Teach, where we share more of the real-life guidance our newborn care specialists provide during those first weeks at home.
Authored by Elizabeth Luke
Elizabeth (Liz) Luke is the Founder & CEO of The Jacksonville Baby Company, Northeast Florida’s premier agency for luxury overnight newborn care and postpartum support. With more than two and a half decades of one-on-one infant care experience, over ten years of professional newborn care and fourth-trimester expertise, and a concierge-level approach trusted by families across the First Coast, Liz and her team at The JBC help parents rest deeply, recover fully, and step confidently into parenthood. Contact us today to book support!
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