My doctor advised me to bathe my newborn infant only once or twice a week because they don’t require regular bathing and to protect their sensitive skin.
I’ve been doing it since she was born, and it’s about 8 weeks now, but I’m becoming upset by the comments my family, particularly my mother, makes about it. “When I had you, I used to bathe you daily, sometimes multiple times a day and you loved it so much.” And the “Oh, did you bathe her today, or is it scheduled for tomorrow?” “You only do it once or twice a week…”
Tired of the older generations’ superior parenting tone with us younger mothers.
LOL The warm water will relax the bowels. I’ve heard suggestions to dip them in the water in a diaper (or swim diaper) and let them poop, then remove the diaper and actually bathe them after the deed is done.
Luckily, our 11-week-old has never pooped in the bath. But we bathe her once a week, usually after a massive poop in the evening, because that’s when she’s least likely to defecate again.
Omg, our daughter used to do the same thing until a buddy suggested we get a restroom warmer, and it changed everything! She never popped again in the bathtub!
I like to run the shower on the hottest setting for a few minutes with the bathroom fan off before filling the tub. This makes the bathroom nice and steamy hot.
My pediatrician recommended that once my baby started eating solids or crawling, I could bathe her every day. Before that, they suggested every other day or every two days because of her sensitive skin.
If a baby has eczema or another skin issue, the recommendation might be different. People who haven’t had babies recently might not remember accurately or might be following outdated advice.
I usually say, “Her pediatrician advised this, so we’ll be following the doctor’s medical advice.” You can leave out the last part if you prefer to avoid confrontation, lol.
I did this with my mother, claiming that her pediatrician said x, y, and z. Then my mother began taunting me, saying, “Believe me, your pediatrician will say it’s okay.”