Whilst keeping your baby clean is key to maintaining their health it is not imperative that you bathe your baby everyday.
Newborns don’t need to be bathed everyday , they are fine to have 2 to 3 baths per week. Of course this would increase to daily baths as they get older.
There are also times when it simply may not be applicable to bath your baby (or for that matter times when it is not applicable to bath a child) and this is when top and tailing is a great alternative.
Cleanliness is important. A baby needs their nappy changed regularly with their bottom cleaned at each change, their face and hands cleaned for every feed and the folds of their skin cleaned during the day.
Top & tail is something that you can do on alternate days from a bath.
As with bathing your baby having all the items and being prepared makes for a more relaxed and comfortable time for all.
Make sure the room is warm. A baby loses heat from their head and quickly loses body temperature when they are undressed. A warm room of 24 degrees C or 75 degrees F is recommended.
Gather all the items. You will need:
It is a good suggestion to top and tail on a change mat on the floor or a change table for stability.
Talking to your baby as you go helps to reassure them.
When you undress your baby you can either do a “as you go” (ie: top first and leave the bottom clothes on and then progress to the bottom) or take off all your baby’s clothes . Either way you chose leave their nappy on until last and you lie them on the fresh, clean towel you will use to pat them dry.
Keep talking as you go. This will help to keep your baby relaxed, is positive interactions and helps to soothe and calm them ready for bed, feed, sleep, etc.