What Temp for Baby Bath Water
What is the Best Temperature for a Baby's Bath?
We all know how important it is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our little ones.
However, when it comes to taking care of our newborns, we may not have all the answers.
One question that is making many new parents scratch their heads is - What temp for baby bath water is optimal? How hot is too hot when it comes to water temp?
This article should help provide some clarity on what temp for baby bath water.
Baby Bath Water Recommendations - Temperature Guidelines
Bathing a baby can be a daunting task for first-time parents. I remember my first time as if it were yesterday. The anxiety, nervousness and uncertainty if I was doing the right thing (or not)!
Where do I put my hands? How do I hold my little girl while at the same time bathing her? The questions were never-ending.
One of the few things you can prepare for (to lessen the anxiety) is to set up the right way from the beginning. This means answering the question "What temperature is the best for baby bath water?".
The short answer is to aim for around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. 38 degree Celsius).
But there are other considerations that need to be accounted for when you are bathing you baby. Let's take a look at the tips I found the most useful from my experience.
Other Tips for Bathing Baby
- Keep a heater in the room - the temperature of the water isn't the only important aspect of baby bath time. You also need to consider the whole process of the bath time ritual. This includes getting your body to and from the tub. Newborn babies do not have a developed immune system like you and I. So a quick 30 second trip from the change table to the bath (while naked mind you), can actually be more dangerous than you think. This is especially so while their skin is still wet from the water. Within minutes, your baby could catch a cold. To reduce the chances of this happening, I recommend keeping a heater in the room and preheating the entire room that you are giving your baby a wash.
- Minimize any Drafts - when you go to bathe your bubs, keep the bath away from any windows that may cause a draft. Even the slightest air movement can drastically cool your baby's wet skin, causing a rapid drop in core temperature. And as we said before, this will leave them vulnerable to becoming sick and uncomfortable. We also recommend closing doors to retain the humid warm air for the duration of the bath and your little one is fully clothed and dry.
- Build a routine for bath time - I have found building a little routine during bath time helped my little girl understand what was happening around her (and it also allowed her to build anticipation of what was about to happen). This means cleaning her body and face in the same sequence and allowing some water play at the end of the bath session. I also sang the same songs to her in the same order to give her audio clues. Soon enough, my clever little cookie looked forward to bath time because it was familiar and comforting to her.
Looking to make Bath Time Easier? Check out our Top Baby Bath Tips by the Best Baby Care Tips Team. We have the benefit of leveraging the wisdom and experience of our community for the best tested tips.
Baby Bath Water Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Know if the Baby Bath Water is Too Cold or Hot?
One of the best ways to test if the water is too hot or cold is to dip your elbow into the water. This is a good trick to use because you can actually use the elbow testing trick while carrying your little bubs.
A great use case is, say you get your bath water ready to the right temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. 38 °C). But as you go to undress your baby, you realize they have soiled their nappy. Requiring a proper clean and wipe down. Understandably, this can take a bit of time (especially for those explosive moments). You then lift your baby to place them in the tub, but just as you are lowering them into the bath the thought occurs to you that it may have cooled down. Simply dip your elbow in and use that as your judge.
When is the Best Time to Bathe Your Baby?
First up, let me say there is no 'right' or 'best' time to bathe a baby. It really is what suits you and bubs best - usually when your partner is home to lend a helping hand if you need it.
With that being said, I have always found bathing at night before they go to bed is a great time for bath time. This was especially the case for my newborn bubs. Making a routine of it (eat - play - bath time - story time - bed) made a nice night time routine. Who knows, maybe it was because the warm bath reminded them of being in the womb? Whatever the reason, I found it seemed to have a calming effect on my little girl, which was the perfect prelude to bedtime.
Final Thoughts on What Temp for Baby Bath Water
Bath time doesn't have to be a traumatic experience for you or baby.
With a bit of preparation and fore-thought to the process, it can actually be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
Having the right bath water temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.78 °C) will help to kick off the perfect bath time for bubs.
Let us know your bath time stories in the comments section below. We love to have a good laugh and reminisce about bathing our little bubs.
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