How exactly do you sponge bathe a baby?

sleepingbeauty825 · February 2010

I've been afraid to try, I don't think he's gonna like it.

diana.filipi · February 2010

Why do it at all?

It just means to use a washcloth that's wet and warm. Dip cloth into water/baby wash then wipe down child. Rinse and repeat 'till baby is clean.

Smootchy · February 2010

My LO really likes the water and gave first real bath yesterday.

For sponge bath, (and I could have done it wrong....) but I put him on his towel, wiped his face with clean water, then wiped behind ears, then sorta worked my way down with midly soapy water... saving the "dirty" parts for last. Didn't wash hair. And always tried to keep towel over him to keep him warm and didn't take diaper off till I needed to. Also, I didn't do his belly too much and sorta stayed away from belly button.

Hope that helps.

diana.filipi · February 2010

You can give a baby that still has it's cord stub a real bath. They don't recommend sponge baths for that reason any more.

ablou · February 2010

chapski:
My LO really likes the water and gave first real bath yesterday.
For sponge bath, (and I could have done it wrong....) but I put him on his towel, wiped his face with clean water, then wiped behind ears, then sorta worked my way down with midly soapy water... saving the "dirty" parts for last. Didn't wash hair. And always tried to keep towel over him to keep him warm and didn't take diaper off till I needed to. Also, I didn't do his belly too much and sorta stayed away from belly button.
Hope that helps.

This! When we did sponge baths, we kept his body wrapped up in a fluffy towel, and uncovered and washed each appendage one at a time. We used 2 dishes of warm water, one for clean and one for soapy water, with washcloths for each. We wiped off the soap with the clean wet washcloth.

libra31 · February 2010

diana.filipi:
You can give a baby that still has it's cord stub a real bath. They don't recommend sponge baths for that reason any more.

I work in OB and have never heard this!

We definitely still recommend as do our docs that you do a sponge bath until the cord falls off. First wash hands and face with plain warm water, then rest of body with soapy wash cloth avoiding getting cord wet. Rinse wash cloth and use warm water only on cloth to rinse baby. Swaddle baby with towel and you can do the hair under running water or over a basin of water. HTH!

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