Bathing hacks: How to top and tail a new born

Our step-by-step guide to cleaning newborns starts at their head and ends at their bottom!

• You don’t need to wash your baby every day—for the first few weeks it may be easier to top and tail instead.
• Top and tailing is where you carefully wash the face, neck, hands and bottom.
• You will need a bowl of cooled, boiled water, a bowl of warm water, cotton balls or cotton pads, a fresh nappy, clean clothes, and clean towels.
• Wash your hands thoroughly and remove any rings or bracelets.
• Check the room is nice and warm—undress your baby and place them on a clean towel.
• Topping means washing your baby’s face, neck and hands.
• Babies’ eyes can be a little sticky after birth. Dip a cotton ball or a cotton pad in cool boiled water and gently wipe your baby's eyes from the nose outwards, using a new piece of cotton ball for each eye.
• Use a fresh piece of cotton ball dipped in warm water to clean around your baby's ears, avoiding the inside.
• Wash the rest of your baby's face, neck and hands in the same way.
• If your baby still has vernix (the creamy white layer) in their creases, leave it there as it helps the skin barrier to develop.
• Keep your baby’s umbilical cord stump clean and dry to avoid infection—wipe it with a fresh cotton ball dipped in cooled, boiled water each day and gently pat it dry.
• The umbilical cord stump should drop off after about 10 days—if you have any concerns talk to your healthcare provider.
• Tailing means cleaning your baby’s genitals and bottom.
• Remove nappy and wash baby’s bottom and genital area with a fresh cotton ball and warm water.
• If you prefer use baby wipes, but make sure they are unperfumed and suitable for newborns.
• Gently pat your baby dry paying particular attention to the skin folds, before putting on a clean nappy.
• Dress baby in clean clothes. Newborns loose heat quickly so you may also want to use a blanket.
• When you feel ready to move onto giving your baby a bath instead, read our checklist to find out how to do it. [https://www.babyandme.nestle.co.za/0-6-months/how-to-bathe-newborn]