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Easily Shower With Your Infant (without feeling like you can’t)
Need to know how to shower with baby? Want to take a shower with your baby but you’re not sure how to hold them, or take a full shower with a baby at home?
Not a problem, most moms wonder the same thing – how do you even shower with a little newborn.
Are you ready to start showering with your baby?
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What You Need to Know Before You’re Showering With Baby: Learning How To Shower With A Newborn
Is It Ok To Shower With Your Baby?
Once your little ones umbilical cord stump has fallen off it is completely okay for you to shower with them. Read through and learn how to safely shower with your baby.
A lot of new moms ask me when can you shower with a baby? I always tell them the same thing, once that umbilical cord stump has fallen off you can take your baby in a shower stall with you.
Best Bath Time Essentials For Co-Showering
With a few items, you can make showering with newborns an easy habit and actually get a full shower.
When Can You Start Showering A Newborn Baby?
Newborns do not require daily showers and they shouldn’t even be given a full baby bath until their umbilical cord falls off.
This usually occurs within 10 days to 3 weeks. In the meantime, you can give the baby a sponge bath until you are able to take them in the shower with you.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About Newborn Sleep
Taking Shower With Baby For The First Time
It can be a little scary the first time you shower with a baby. I’ve heard many moms take a shower sling for baby and a shower glove (well discuss both options below) to make it easier for them to shower with baby.
Baby will most likely scream and cry the first time they are taken to in the shower with you. A shower with a baby can be easy and relaxing with the tips below.
Common Fears About Showering With Newborn
- Dropping baby
- Don’t know how to hold baby while showering
- Getting shampoo in baby’s face
- Not being able to shower completely
How To Shower With A Baby In A Shower Stall
1. Do A Family Shower
By having two people and a baby in the shower you can easily pass the baby to one another and take turns shampooing and conditioning.
This is the best option when showering with a newborn because it allows you to still take a pretty decent shower.
But we all know we can’t shower with our partners every day, work schedules, visitors and life get in the way.
So if it’s just you and the baby try out the tips below!
How To Shower Alone With Baby At Home
2. Use Shampoo With A Pump Handle
Easily maneuver shampoo with one hand instead of trying to handle a regular bottle cap.
If your brand of shampoo doesn’t have a pump handle try buying a generic pump bottle and filling it with your favorite brand of shampoo! It saves you time!
This way when you go into shampoo one hand is all you need!
3. Shower Glove & Shower Mat
This is completely optional but it can help if you are having some anxiety about taking the baby into the shower with you.
I highly recommend this shower glove (it has a lot of 5-star reviews from first-time moms)
If you decide to use a shirt instead of a shower glove – you can wrap the baby in the shirt so you can get a better grip.
Then, having a shower mat is perfect to keep you from slipping with the baby in your arms. I suggest this one as it’s cheap and holds up!
Related:
4. Master Holding Newborn With One Hand
If you are going to bathe baby in the shower stall you need to master the one handhold.
It will be sort of tough to lather your hair and not get shampoo on baby. As long as you’re using baby shampoo the first few times you shouldn’t have a problem.
This way any rinse off is safe and doesn’t affect their new delicate skin.
Want to master more than just the one handhold? Try using this course to learn about bringing your newborn home, common things to look for, umbilical cord care and so much more.
5. Set Everything Up Before You Go In
These are the items you should set up before going into the shower with your baby.
- The clothes you and baby will wear when you get out
- The towels you will use the moment you get out
- Open up your shampoo bottle (if you don’t have a pump shampoo bottle)
- Have a small wash cloth with baby shampoo on it
- Finally, the temperature of the water should be adjusted before going in
6. Use A Shower Bouncer / Seat
If you are going into the shower with your baby – you can try having a seat for them if you do not want to hold them while you shampoo and wash your body.
By having this bouncer you can place them in the seat while you quickly shampoo and wash. Then you can hold them and shower them accordingly.
7. You Don’t Have To Shower Baby Daily
Baby’s need good bacteria to build up, they shouldn’t be showered or bathed daily. They have sensitive, new skin that needs to grow, and if you are constantly washing baby’s skin you risk them becoming really dry, getting a rash, or skin irritations.
When you do shower with your newborn take a washcloth in with you, to scrub the baby instead of using your hand or direct soap.
But I know that YOU want to take shower with the baby daily, so guess what it is okay to leave the baby in the crib while you take a quick shower too. You can take the baby monitor with you if you don’t feel comfortable.
You can even place the baby in a bouncer outside the bathroom while you shower if you are not planning on taking the baby in at that time.
8. Set The Shower Head Accordingly
Don’t aim the water directly to babies’ face and try using a shower speed that is slower with bigger droplets.
It will create a more soothing, relaxing shower for the baby and yourself.
The first time you take them in the shower with you, they may feel scared and scream and cry.
This is totally normal it doesn’t mean they will not like showers.
Avoid having a shower speed that lets out lots of mist; it could get too steamy.
9. Shower When You Feel Most Awake
You may be wondering when to shower with a newborn. Co-showering with a baby usually wakes us up due to the change in water temperature. That’s not always the case when you are a sleep-deprived new mom.
Make sure you go in when you feel you have energy and you are alert.
I like doing showers with my baby at night, it just feels more relaxing for both of us to drift off to sleep when we get out.
Choose the time that you are most awake!
Now that you learned these 9 hacks on how to shower with your newborn let’s do a little recap on what you learned.
- Having your partner in the shower will make it easier to shower your newborn
- Use a shampoo with a pumped handle
- Try using a bath stool to sit with your newborn
- Learn to hold your baby with one hand
- Set everything up before you go into the shower
- Keep your shower with your newborn short
- Set the temperature and shower head accordingly
- Shower at your most active awake time
And as mentioned above, I highly suggest you take this class if you are a first-time mom who wants to get a lot of knowledge about newborn days.
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How To Shower With Your Baby – Tips To Co Shower
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