Daily Newborn Care

Bathe your baby every 3-4 days.
Use a warm, wet washcloth to bathe baby until the umbilical cord falls off and the circumcision (if present) has healed.
After this happens (around 10-14 days of life), use a normal baby bath and gentle baby cleanser every 3-4 days.

Nail care is usually not needed, but may become necessary if your baby is accidentally scratching his face.
- Of course, these scratches will heal without scarring on their own.
If this happens, nails should be filed, not clipped.
- This is to avoid accidentally clipping your baby's skin.

Baby lotions are safe to use from the start, but not necessary.
In the first two months of life, flaking skin is not actually dry.
- Your baby is shedding layers of skin she no longer needs, and this can be ignored.

Until Mom's mature breast milk comes in (around day 3-5 of baby's life), the poop will be black and sticky (meconium).
- The meconium is sticky, and requires more attention to completely clean from the skin.
- Baby wipes are safe to use from the first day of life.
- Be sure to check all the nooks and crannies.
  - Groins and fat rolls, under the scrotum, around the anus
  - Clean poop from the vagina only where you can see, but no further.
- Putting diaper rash cream on the bottom before a rash has never been scientifically proven to prevent diaper rashes from happening.
  - That being said, the studies aren't perfect, and it won't hurt your baby.
  - If you choose to do so, use healthy amounts of cream after the diaper changes.
After the meconium goes away, the poop is easier to clean.
- Be sure to check everywhere for poop
- Continue to use diaper wipes and cream with diaper changes.
We have a comprehensive discussion about poop (and pee) in Class 4 - When to Worry About Your Baby.