what are you told about bathing your baby?

[Traveller]

I'm interested in what new parents have been told about bathing their babies. Specifically what are you told about using soap/baby wash and what, if anything, was used on your child in the hospital. Did you find the hospital you gave birth at had a common guideline for the use, or not, of soap or other products on newborns. Did you get any samples in Bounty bags of products? What are your opinions on the use of soaps in the first 6 weeks of life?

All answers welcomed please, I am trying to push through a policy change in my local hospital and would be interested to know if other hospitals act similarly wrt perfumed products on young babies.

[Calluna]

The only info I can really offer is that they used Johnsons bedtime bath stuff. He was 3 days old.

[Nai]

I can't remember but we used only water anyway as I didn't want to use any products.

[Aligater]

they used johnsons soaps in my hospital I refused to use it and just used water but then we were told no or minimul for the first few months

[~Kim~]

I remember on the hospital tour of the private hossy where I had DD they were sprouting about the free samples they'd provide and how they loved J&J products. I all ready didn't love J&J products but the new anxious mother in me never thought to say 'no, don't use those on my baby'. I was also too sick to bath DD and DH just did it because they said to. It took me a long time to get him to understand babies don't need soap. Heck mine didn't use any until over 1. But yes I remember that hospital told you to use soap and shampoo.

When DS was born I asked them not to. I have no idea of their policy. They were happy to do what I asked.

I only got bounty bags with DD and gave away all the samples (along with all the 'product' I got at my baby showers). Never collected them with DS as they were full of crap. But I also don't wear perfume for those first few months so as to leave bub as free from as many perfumes as I can.

Don't know if that helps at all.

[Party-of-five]

the hospital supplied j & j

[PumpkinZulu]

johnsons!!

Isla wasn't bathed in the hospital, we were only there for 9 hours. Our midwife visited us at home for the first 2 weeks and told us that all you need is water and a warm cloth, which we agreed with. By a few months old we started using moogoo milk wash.

[Miss E]

Our hospital didn't give any recommendation - we were told at our birthing classes and again when baby was born that it was our decision, but that soaps/shampoos etc weren't necessary. The only thing they gave us was some disposable nappies and cotton balls. Mind you, I'm sure there were soap/shampoo samples in the bounty bag.

I still don't use soap on DS (2.5) when he has a bath, we do shampoo his hair though. I think we started using the shampoo at around 2 or 3 months because he had a full head of thick hair and was a happy chucker which meant it got a bit smelly.

[Eenee]

I had a home birth and the midwife didn't say anything about product use. All she said was "I don't need to show you how to bath her do I? Just don't drown her"

[Traveller]

This is all great, thank you! It may be interesting that in the UK there are national guidelines recommending only water for cleaning for the first 6 weeks because any product can strip the skin of its natural defences. UK Bounty bags no longer contain soap/shampoo samples. I would love to get this policy implemented in Australia and am working with the woman who changed the rules in the UK through her research and campaigning, but sadly our national college who represent midwives is sponsored by J&J so I don't see it happening soon. I am starting on a local level through my hospital and university, I would just be interesting in knowing if anywhere already abides by the evidence and recommends only water for the first 6 weeks so I could contact them and find out how they did it.

[Purple Penguin]

I can't remember what was used on my girls but if definitely wasn't J&J, horrible stuff! We only used warm water for the first few months for both. My sister recently had a bub and I happened to be there when she gave her DD2 a bath and they used J&J for it, I don't think the student midwife liked it very much when I said my niece didn't need any soap on her skin at such a young age...lol

[kelsbels]

Ours only used water and she wasn't bathed for about 40 hours after birth.

We used a little oil in the water for the first 3 odd weeks when we got her home then she started showering with us and we would use moogoo.

We were blessed with family who understood our desire to use all natural products and got enough to last us until now (20 months) and probably enough to use right through for next bubs too, lol!

[Jakabella]

Just water with DD on day 3 and no bath for DS as I was home after 12hrs. I only used water when young and I only use natural products on DD now (3) and only water on DS (8mth)

[Beach Mama]

We were told to use minimal products by the nurses but the hospital had J&J stuff there and also with DD we got the Bounty bag that had Curash and J&J stuff (didn't get one with DS) all of which was pretty much ditched when we left (other than the chocolate!). We only ever used tiny amounts of Gaia early on and then Moo Goo.

[Phteven]

I don't remember getting products in my bounty bag.
At the hospital I remember the midwife being quite focused on how to get the temperature right and support the babies' head. I don't remember anything about soap.

[RainbowBrite]

The hospital supplied j&j products, they also used it in the baths for the premmies.

[starangelk]

I didn't get given a bounty bag - they explained it was because it was a baby friendly hospital and they don't agree/support all the products in the bag. They never said anything to us about whether to or not to use products when bathing the baby but they had a bottle of QV in the bathing area to use if you wanted to. They also had a bottle of gaia and something else....it was a blue and white bottle, I think it starts with M.

[Rowellen]

The midwives at my hospital told me to use water only for the first 12 months. I still only use water the majority of the time & DS is almost 3! I only use soap on his hands after toileting or if he is particularly muddy.

I occasionally use organic shampoo on DD but only because I like it.