Caring for a newborn baby is a lot of work! There are a variety of things to know and details to take care of.

Umbilical cord care

Your baby’s umbilical cord stump should be kept clean and dry. You usually do not need to use alcohol or any special cleaner. It will appear a little wet and will have a slight odor. The skin around it sometimes bleeds a little as a scab forms where the cord is against the skin. If the skin around it looks red and swollen, or it starts to drain, see your baby’s doctor right away. The cord stump usually falls off in 1-3 weeks. After it falls off, the remaining tissue will appear wet for several days and then skin will form over it. If wetness persists, see your doctor.

Bathing your baby

Bath time seems to be one of those special things most parents look forward to, and the first few baths often result in many photographs, some of which may reappear at rehearsal dinners and weddings. Baths are definitely fun for toddlers and may be enjoyed by infants, but for newborns, sometimes they don’t appreciate it quite as much. But it is still a fun, bonding activity for parents and their baby.

Your baby cannot take a regular bath until the umbilical cord stump falls off (1-3 weeks) and, if circumcised, the circumcision is healed (7-10 days). Until then, give a sponge bath as needed.

To prepare, be sure the room is warm, and get all your supplies together first, including towels. Water should be lukewarm.

Use a gentle baby soap; many can be used as both shampoo and soap. Fragrance free or mildly scented is best.

To give a sponge bath, assemble a basin of warm water and towels to lay your baby on, and a washcloth. Undress your baby but have a towel to wrap the baby’s body in and wrap it over the front of your baby. Use the washcloth and warm water to gently bathe your baby’s hair and scalp and then the face and ears. It won’t hurt to get water in your baby’s ears. You may then want to use a little baby soap on the washcloth and bathe the rest of your baby from top to bottom and rinse off with clean, warm water on a washcloth. Dry and dress your baby quickly.

For uncircumcised boys, just wash the outside of the penis. For circumcised boys, retract the foreskin and clean the head of the penis, then the rest of it.

For girls, gently wipe the labia from top to bottom, being sure to clean between all the skin folds. Be gentle. If any vernix is still present, don’t try to scrub it off. It will dry up and come off gradually. Don’t be surprised if you see thick white vaginal discharge or a little bloody discharge or vaginal bleeding. Just clean this off as you wipe from top to bottom.

After the cord falls off (and the circumcision heals, if applicable), your baby can be put into the water for a bath. The safest way to bathe your baby is either in the sink or in a baby tub. Be sure to get everything ready first and use warm water. You can sit your baby in the warm water, and like with sponge baths start at the top and work your way down. Be careful; wet, soapy babies can be slippery. Follow the instructions above for sponge baths.

Pat your baby dry, then quickly diaper and dress your baby, brush hair with baby brush, kiss your sweet, clean baby.

Cleaning the ears

You can clean the outside of the baby’s ears with a cotton swab; do not insert it into the canals. There may be some sticky vernix that hangs around for a while in the skin folds. This will eventually dry up and can be cleaned off with warm water.

How often to bathe your baby

Several times a week is usually all that is necessary. You can always wipe your baby’s face and neck with all those folds with a wipe or washcloth as needed, and can do the same for the diaper area. Other skin folds like armpits may need periodic wiping as well.

Bath safety

Don’t ever leave baby unattended in a bath, even or especially if in a bath ring in the tub. They can slip out of whatever you have them in and drown quickly. Don’t ever leave your baby up off the ground in a tub or anything else, even if there is no water; they can fall off easily. Be sure the water temperature is not too hot. It is helpful to set your hot water heater to no more than 120 degrees.

Circumcision care

If your baby has been circumcised, then you need to keep petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) on the penis for about a week until the skin heals enough that it will not stick to the diaper. You can also use gauze over it with the petroleum jelly for the first few days. It will be red and swollen, and will have a yellowish coating which is normal. Increased swelling or drainage can be a sign of infection; if this occurs, see your doctor. You do need to clean it gently with every diaper change.

After the baby is about 2 weeks old and the circumcision is completely healed, start pulling the skin back past the groove below the tip (head or glans) of the penis whenever you change his diaper.

Care of uncircumcised males

You do not need to pull back the skin of the penis in uncircumcised babies. It will naturally retract fully at about four years of age.

Care of newborn girls

Girls have a lot of skin folds in their vulva (external genitals around the vagina), and you need to be sure to separate them and wipe thoroughly with every diaper change. Wipe from front to back and to avoid spreading stool to the vulvar area. Newborn girls will often still have vernix (the white sticky coating on the skin) still in the vulva between the labia. Do not try to scrub this coating out; it will gradually dry up and come off when you wipe with diaper changes. Newborn girls may have a slight vaginal discharge, which may be tinged with blood. Both are completely normal.

Skin & nails care

You don’t need to do much for skin care. Lotion is usually not needed but you can use it if you like. It will not change the temporary skin peeling in newborns. Most babies have skin peeling; it is normal the first few weeks. If you use lotion, unscented would be best. Petroleum jelly is a good moisturizer.

Do not use baby powder.

The nails are soft at first and difficult to trim or file. Many parents are scared to trim the nails. You can carefully use infant clippers as needed. If you want to wait a few weeks and your baby is scratching herself with the nails, you can put socks over her hands until you trim the nails.

Trimming your baby’s nails

You can use infant nail clippers, which have longer handles and are smaller. You can also use infant nail scissors.
Most parents nick the skin at some point; don’t feel bad about it.
Don’t be scared to cut their nails.

Sunscreen

Generally, the recommendation for babies less than 6 months old is to keep them in the shade and therefore sunscreen is not necessary. This is really the best thing for babies. Not only does it protect their skin, it also protects their eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation, and it keeps them cooler and protects them from overheating. Babies don’t sweat the same way we do.

  • Children this age should be in the shade as much as possible to avoid exposing their delicate skin to the sun’s rays. They can be dressed in lightweight long pants and long-sleeve shirts. A hat should also be worn. They can be kept under umbrellas, tents, canopies, etc. to protect them from the sun (but be sure they remain cool and don’t get overheated).
  • Remember that sand and snow reflect the sun’s rays and can increase sun damage and sunburn.
  • Try to avoid the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM when the ultraviolet rays are the greatest.
  • Be sure to stay hydrated. Water can be dangerous to babies; feed breast milk or formula regularly and monitor your baby’s urine output.
  • Babies have more delicate skin and more skin surface to body mass ratio, so chemicals absorbed through the skin can have a greater effect. However, a little is probably safe.
  • A small amount may be applied to the face, scalp, and back of the hands if these areas cannot be protected. An SPF of at least 15 and preferably 30 is recommended. You should wash off any residue after coming inside. Don’t let your baby put sunscreen in his or her mouth.
  • Avoid combination sunscreens that contain insect repellent. Don’t use these in children.
  • Don’t use spray sunscreen on infants.

Taking your baby out

For the first few weeks, you want to limit your baby’s exposure to germs. I would advise not using a nursery or daycare until the baby is at least 6 weeks old. Avoid having toddlers hold or kiss on the baby too much. Adults and children should wash their hands before touching or holding the baby, and anyone who is sick should avoid handling the baby if possible. Otherwise, I think it is fine to take the baby out – to church, to a restaurant, for a walk, etc. Just getting the baby out in public is not itself a high risk for infection.

Temperature

You should basically keep the room comfortable for you, and dress the baby in season-appropriate clothing. Avoid keeping the room too warm; it is easy for babies to become overheated. Babies also lose heat easily, so don’t keep the room too cold or under-dress the baby.

Clothing

Usually, babies wear a diaper, a onesie undershirt, and an outfit over the onesie. The outfit should be appropriate for the season and the indoor temperature. Be sure clothing is non-flammable, soft, comfortable and non-binding. Any detergent is probably fine, though you may want to use a milder baby detergent. Try to avoid fabric softeners, especially liquid ones. They can irritate baby’s skin, and some can interfere with the flame resistant properties of baby clothes.