Baby | Newborn | Concerning Aging - Baby |

Baby's Hygiene

Baby's Clothing

Disposable Diapers: There has been a debate for years about using disposable diapers. Should we fill up our landfills with dirty disposable diapers or not? Well, I will let you answer that for yourself. I will say they are awfully convenient.
Cloth Diapers: Cloth diapers are potentially better for the environment as you can wash them out and reuse them. However, cloth diapers have other uses as well even if you decide not to use them on baby's bottom. They make great spit up wipes or a burping pad while you have baby on your shoulder to burp. You can even use them as a changing pad if you get somewhere and need a quick baby pit stop unexpectedly.

Bath time for Baby

Bath time is a great time to spend some quality time with your new baby. This is also a way the Dad can get involved. I can tell you Dad will gain confidence and end up doing things his way and that's ok. The baby is after all his baby too.

Ask your doctor about how many times per week they recommend you give your baby a bath. Our child ended up with a rash and dry skin because we were bathing our baby every day and sometimes multiple times per day. After we got the new parents speech from our doctor, he recommended bathing our baby no more than three times per week.

Baby Bath Tub

A simple one that fits in your bathroom sink will do nicely. Mostly this is for your convenience. However, a word of advice about giving your baby a bath, be sure to get everything you will need during the bath and immediately after the bath prepared and close at hand prior to actually bathing your baby. Do NOT EVER leave your baby in the tub while you go get something you forgot! This can have disastrous results.

You are going to need:

baby shampoo - Johnson and Johnson's, of course
baby soap
wash cloths - two will do
baby towel
baby toys
paper towels - to use if needed

Rubber Duck and other bath toys

Bath time should be a fun time for both parent and baby. Playing with toys while in the tub will put baby and parent more at ease in the water. Teach your baby to splash and have fun in the bath tub. This will not only help development coordination but will help your child associate bath time with fun time. Therefore, when they get older they will not whine and complain (as much) when it is bath time.

Baby Washcloth

Small soft wash clothes are just right for baby. Be sure to be gentle as you "scrub" your baby. Remember they have soft skin.

If you have a little boy, wash clothes can have another good use as a quick geyser/fire hose shield. For some reason baths just bring out the well, boy in them. So keep more than one washcloth handy during bath time.

Baby Towels

Towels actually serve three purposes. One, they obviously dry your baby. Two, they will help keep your baby warm as the evaporation of the water from their skin makes them cold. And, three, they make great changing pads for getting baby's clothes on.