Bringing a newborn home is so exciting, but it can be a little bit of a steep learning curve too-feeding, changing, bathing, dressing!  So, to lighten the load a little, here’s our lovely Parent Panel mum Amy with some tips on giving your baby their first bath. Warning! This post will make you broody. (And by the way, since we’re sharing birth stories this week, why don’t you have a look at Amy’s story of how her 5th child came into the world?)

I remember giving my children their first bath. It’s such a special time and also quite nerve wracking too.

Here you have this tiny curled up gorgeous baby and you have to strip it naked and bath it?!

I’ve got a few tips to share with you to help make the first bath go as smoothly as possible:

• Lie baby on a towel that has been gently warmed on the radiator, new babies lose their heat quickly so lying them on a snuggly towel will help keep them toasty.
• Leave the nappy on until the last minute to save any golden arches or pooey accidents.
•  Check the bath water with your elbow to make sure it is not too hot or cold.
• Have all the shampoo and sponges ready at arm’s reach before you dunk your baby.
• Lay out the fresh change of clothes and a clean nappy ready to slip on baby after he/she is all dry.
• You can invest in a baby bath support if you feel nervous, I used a plastic one with a towel on it for all my children. It allows hand free washing and you don’t have to worry about accidentally dropping baby or slipping.
• If you don’t fancy a bath support hold baby in your left arm and place baby’s head in the crook, hold baby’s left arm with your hand so you are supporting the head and the back. This gives you a good hold of baby when he/she is wet and you can use your right arm to wet baby and wash.
• I find to make hair washing easier I do it after I have washed baby’s body, I get baby out of the bath and swaddle him/her in a bath towel. I then tuck baby under my arm like a rugby ball and support baby’s head in my hand, I can then gently wash their hair with my right hand and baby is secure in my left arm and cuddled next to my body
•  Finally put baby on a changing mat on top of a towel, pop some lovely lotion on and dress in some clean clothes 

Nothing smells as wonderful as a freshly bathed baby! Enjoy your bath time and enjoy your baby.

Share with us your special memories from those first days with your newborn. If you’re expecting a baby, what are you looking forward to most? We love hearing from you and we’ll send a silicone teether to one person who leaves a comment below.

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