Bathing Products - Newborns

[BabyZen]

Hopefully I'm posting this question in the right place...

My DH & I are about to become clueless 1st time parents (due in 4 weeks) who are adamant about not collecting unwanted and unnecessary baby junk and products. However we do want items that are safe, healthy and worth every penny.

With that said, I would appreciate your top rated and favorite recommendations on baby bathing products (specifically for newborns) from shampoo, body wash, and lotion. I've done some research on my own and found many parents who suggest staying away from Johnson & Johnson because of the "unknown" ingredients that can cause harm. Others suggest the pricier (yet safer) brands such as Aveeno, Burt's Bees and California Baby.

-What are you brand recommendations?

-Do you really need shampoos, body wash, and lotions for newborns?

-How often do you bath a newborn?

-Any other advice you would like to share regarding this topic?

[MoJo]

I'm SO thankful for recommendations from this board for "Yes To Carrots." I accidentally used a JNJ knockoff on my nine-month old (after using YTC for the first several months) and she had a rash for weeks. My oldest used JNJ with no (known) issues

My bathing schedule seems to vary greatly, anywhere from once a week to twice a day, depending on many factors. We were told not to actually bathe our newborn until the umbilical stump fell off, which was just a couple of days for our second but a few weeks for our first.

Even the baby who had hair doesn't need shampoo, and my toddler really doesn't either yet. Just the baby wash is fine, and even that might not really be necessary most of the time. And, at least for me, baby lotion is a very sparing and very occasional use item.

[weech]

This is one of those things where YMMV, so I recommend trying some stuff and if it doesn't work, trying some other stuff

We use Aveeno baby wash, and if it's before bedtime, we use Johnson and Johnson calming lavender wash. I'm not a huge J&J fan, but DS seems to settle down a little easier after a bath with it.

We use Aveeno baby lotion throughout the winter b/c of dry heat. Probably not necessary unless you notice dry skin. We use Aquaphor on his face when his cheeks get dry/red/blotchy.

We didn't bathe DS very much - probably once a week, or sooner if he had a big blowout/spit up, etc. My skin is very sensitive to hot water and soaps, so I tried to expose him to it only when necessary.

Hope that helps! You're going to have a blast

[momm]

CONGRATULATIONSSSSSSSSs!!!

I use J&J without any issues so far. Only the body wash. Use the same thing for hair.

Here's a great tip I read on these boards - get one of those foaming pump hand washes. When it's used up, wash and rinse it, and pour some of your baby wash into it with 3x water. Use THIS for washing your baby. So much milder, so convenient and saves you unnecessary expense and it's less to do at bath time.
(I wish I knew who's post it was that I read this reco - I would like to thank her!)

I use Aquaphor instead of baby lotion. It's much thicker and better for my baby's skin esp in winter. Your summer baby may not need it though. You can also use baby vaseline instead of lotion. With lotions you will have to do trial and error to make sure your baby does not react to it.

For newborns, only washcloth baths till the stump falls off - could be in 10 days for you! They don't get dirty or sweaty. It's OK!

Good luck and **enjoy** these last few weeks of pregnancy.. things are never the same!! I love my DS to all ends of the earth and beyond but still think wistfully of my wonderful pregnancy days!

[mom2khj]

I love the Aveeno Baby products. They really keep DS's skin from getting dry. He was getting very dry with California Baby (can't remember which one).

He was getting some red/dry patches on his cheeks and the derm (we were there for another reason) recommended using some Aquaphor on it. It clears it up overnight!

[eh613c]

We used Aveeno when DS was a newborn. Now that he's a toddler, we use JNJ with no issues.

[wellyes]

We always use just water with newborns and the first couple months. I like Mustela for older babies/toddlers. I'd not use J&J, the other products are more expensive but really it's just a couple of bucks.

[edurnemk]

When DS was born the nurses at the hospital said: "Don't use any of the J&J products you'll get as a gift when you go home it's terrible for babies' skin because it strips them of the the natural skin oils, we use castille soap to bathe babies in the nursery and that's what we recommend".

To this day we use Dr. Bronner's for DS (and me), there's a mild baby version, and you can dilute so it lasts for ages. As a newborn we also used California Baby and Aveeno. We got the ones that are both shampoo and baby wash, not 2 separate products. For lotion we've used also California Baby (DS loves the one with Calendula) and Aveeno. DS was born in the winter so we used lotion daily.

We bathed DS almost daily, but more for the purpose of setting a bedtime routine. You can easily get by with 2-3 baths a week.

[edurnemk]

We always use just water with newborns and the first couple months. I like Mustela for older babies/toddlers. I'd not use J&J, the other products are more expensive but really it's just a couple of bucks.

I love the smell of Mustela products, in fact I bought a bunch but then I actually read the ingredients and looked them up on skin deep and I freaked out and threw them all out.

[SnuggleBuggles]

-What are you brand recommendations?
I like CA Baby unscented. I'd be willing to try the Dr. Bronners too.

-Do you really need shampoos, body wash, and lotions for newborns?
body wash and lotion. I haven't even used up the lotion I bought 3 years ago yet though so I'd recommend buying small!

-How often do you bath a newborn?
about 2 times/ week. Give or take 1 based on how dirty baby seems to be. Their natural skin moisture is good for them so we go with that.

-Any other advice you would like to share regarding this topic?
Make sure you get behind their ears and in the leg folds (and any other creases). I forgot about behind the ears the first few baths with ds2!

Also, if you use a stand alone tub, put it somewhere sturdy. I was with my friend when she did her ds1's 1st tub bath and I helped get things set up. I put the tub on the counter next to the sink then left the room. I cam back in and she had it wedged over the sink for the bath- and it slipped and fell during bath time!! Luckily all was well but I did have to do a little "I told you so" in a nice way!

Beth