20 September 2025
Hello! Continuing on from our previous blog, I'll be further exploring more burning questions such as how often to bathe your newborn, how to bond with them and sharing ways to soothe them to hopefully help you navigate through those eventful nights ahead.
Bonding With Your Baby
It’s such an important part of helping them feel safe and loved, and it starts right away. Think of it as falling in love with your little one — that closeness helps with their emotional growth and development.
One of the best ways to bond is through skin-to-skin contact (also called kangaroo care). It’s super soothing for babies and helps regulate things like their heartbeat and breathing. Plus, it’s an amazing way to just be present with them — and it’s great for both moms and dads.
Here’s how to do it:
- Find a quiet, cozy spot where you can relax — a comfy chair and dim lighting help.
- Take off your shirt or wear something that opens in the front, and place your baby (just in a diaper) directly on your bare chest.
- Skip any scented lotions or perfumes beforehand, and avoid smoke so baby can breathe easily.
- Then just sit and enjoy the moment — you can hum, talk softly, or even read aloud. Baby might sleep, and that’s totally okay. It’s still doing so much good.
It’s one of those little things that makes a big difference.
Soothing Your Baby
If your baby’s feeling fussy or just needs a little help relaxing. A few small things can really make a big difference in keeping them calm and cozy 💛
Swaddling is a big one — it helps babies feel secure and can even calm their startle reflex so they sleep better. If you try it, just make sure:
- Baby is face-up, with their head above the top fold of the blanket.
- Arms should be wrapped snugly, but their legs should have room to move a bit — hips should stay loose and slightly bent.
- Always leave room to slip your hand between the blanket and baby’s chest so they can breathe easily.
- And once they start trying to roll over (usually around 2 months), it’s time to stop swaddling for safety.
Massage is another great calming tool — gentle, slow strokes can help soothe your baby, and it’s also great for bonding. Just be super gentle, since babies are delicate. You can ask your doctor for a good book or video if you want to learn more.
Sounds can also work wonders. Babies usually love voices — try talking, singing, or even reading out loud while rocking or swaying. Soft music, gentle rattles, or musical mobiles can help too.
That said, some babies are extra sensitive to noise, touch, or bright light. If yours seems to get overwhelmed easily (like crying or turning their face away), try to keep the environment quiet and calm — low lighting and soft sounds go a long way.
How and when to bathe?
Wondering when to start giving baby a real bath? For the first few weeks, it’s all sponge baths until the umbilical cord stump falls off — and don't worry, I've accidentally knocked the stump on the first day bringing him home but the nurse said it doesn't have any nerve endings so bubs wasn't in pain and to fold the nappy down to let it breath and fall off itself.
Once everything’s healed, you can switch to tub baths (a baby tub or even the sink works!). Just keep those first baths short and gentle — if baby gets upset, no worries! You can go back to sponge baths for a bit and try again later.
And don’t stress about doing it every day — 2–3 times a week is totally enough in the first year. More than that can actually dry out their skin. Generally the optimum water temperature should be around 36°c - 38°c (96.8°F - 100.4°F). If you can, grab one of those bath time temperature ducks, they’re a life saver!
Another amazing tip we received was that in the first few months, newborns develop a million different skin conditions and they typically self resolve, however in saying that, if it doesn't look right and you are concerned, definitely do get it checked out!