How to Bathe a Newborn: A Step-by-Step Guide

You can start sponge baths right away — gently wiping your baby with a warm cloth while keeping the cord stump dry. For a soak in a tub, wait until the stump has fallen off on its own, usually around 10 days (sometimes a little sooner or later). In the meantime, a quick top-and-tail wash handles everything a new baby needs.

Sponge bath — while the cord stump is still attached, and for quick clean-ups. You wash your baby on a flat surface with a warm, damp cloth, never submerging them.

Tub bath — once the stump has fallen off. Use a small baby bath or clean basin, filled shallowly.

Top and tail — the in-between option for every day: face, neck, ears, hands, and diaper area with warm water and cotton wool. NHS Scotland's guidance notes you do not need a full bath every day — a quick top and tail once or twice a day does the job.

Print this list or stick it on the bathroom door so everything is within arm's reach before you start.

1. Set up everything first. Warm the room, close windows and doors, and lay out the towel, diaper, and clothes. Wash your hands.
2. Fill the bath. Cold water first, then hot — about 8 to 10 cm so your baby can move arms and legs. Stir to spread the heat.
3. Test the temperature. Comfortably warm on your elbow — about 37 to 38°C on a thermometer.
4. Wash the face first. Undress your baby, keeping the diaper on. Wipe eyes, ears, and face with damp cotton wool, a fresh piece for each area.
5. Lower your baby in gently. Support head, shoulders, and back with one hand — and keep that hand there for the whole bath.
6. Wash top down. Wet the body with your free hand or a soft cloth: face, head, then body, diaper area last. For girls, wipe front to back. Never pull back a baby boy's foreskin.
7. Clean the skin folds. Milk gets trapped in neck, thigh, and wrist creases — clean inside them gently.
8. Lift, wrap, and dry. Keep supporting the head and shoulders as you lift your baby out into the warm towel. Pat the skin dry — don't rub — including the creases.
9. Diaper and dress right away. Many babies fall asleep after a bath, which makes it a good bedtime-routine anchor (see our guide to newborn sleep safety).

The golden rule: one hand under the head and shoulders at all times. Do every one-handed task — washing, pouring, rinsing — with the free hand, and never let go to reach for something.

Babies are slippery when wet, so head-and-neck support is the whole job. A small baby bath or basin is easier to manage than a full-size tub.

And the rule with no exceptions: never leave your baby alone in the bath, not for a single second — even in a few centimetres of water. If the doorbell rings, it can wait.

Comfortably warm is the target — on a bath thermometer that reads about 37 to 38°C. If you do not have a thermometer, test with your elbow: the water should feel warm like your body, neither hot nor cool.

Three temperature habits that prevent scalds:

• Run cold water first, then add hot — this keeps the hot tap from scalding anyone.
• Stir the water before testing, so there are no hot patches hiding at the bottom.
• Keep the hot tap turned off while your baby is in or near the water.

Two to 3 times a week is plenty. Newborns barely get dirty, and frequent baths strip their skin of natural moisture. On non-bath days, a top-and-tail wash — face, neck, hands, and the diaper area — keeps them clean and comfortable. See our guide on normal newborn diaper output to know what those everyday clean-ups should look like.

Keep each bath short — about 5 to 10 minutes. Newborns lose heat quickly, and a warm, brief bath is kinder to their skin than a long soak.

Yes — with sponge baths, not soaks. Wipe around the stump with a damp cloth and let it air-dry; do not pull it off, even if it looks ready to drop. It usually falls off by itself around 10 days. Fold the front of the diaper down so it sits below the stump instead of rubbing on it.

Once the stump is gone, you can move to proper tub baths. The area underneath usually heals into a normal belly button within a few days. Our full newborn care checklist covers what to expect in those first two weeks.