Turn baby bath time into a bonding moment of care

Bed time wind down
Wind down time begins with a consistent bath ritual. It’s the perfect way to help your little one  slow down and settle before bed, so you’ll want to start by creating a calm environment. When it comes to their parents’ emotions, babies are tuned in – the more relaxed you feel, the more relaxed they’ll feel. So, dim the lights and make sure the bathroom and newborn bath temperature is warm and comfortable for you both. Once your little one is in the bath, gently wet their hair and skin, lightly massaging 1-2 pumps of the chamomile-scented Baby Dove Calming Moisture Ultra-Gentle Foaming Wash in circular motions. This creates an airy foam that your tot will love to touch and explore – a great way to bring sensory play into your baby’s first bath and beyond. Once you’ve had a little foaming fun together, rinse the foam away and continue their routine by massaging your baby with our Calming Moisture Lotion for enhanced bonding time before they snooze.

Skin-to-skin time
There’s nothing more precious than skin-to-skin time when you’re bathing a newborn. Not only does this closeness calm both of you, but it’s also one of the best ways to bond with your baby. When do you bathe a newborn? The World Health Organization recommends delaying baby's first bath until 24 hours after birth. But after this time, it’s completely up to you.  Remember, the best time to give a newborn a bath is when they’re awake and happy, and most parents like to try it within the baby's first week. If you have a newborn or it’s your baby’s first bath, ask someone to hold the little one as you get into the tub, then sit down and lay them on your legs with their face to you. When you’re giving a newborn a bath, let them practice tummy time on your chest, placing a warm flannel on their belly to prevent any slipping. Apply Baby Dove Fragrance Free Ultra-Gentle Foaming Wash, and let your tot play with the beautifully airy texture as much as they like. Don't worry if there's some splashing here and there – it's a hypoallergenic, tear-free baby wash that cleanses and nourishes the most sensitive, eczema-prone skin, helping to replenish the skin’s essential nutrients that can be lost during bath time. If your little one isn’t sure about the bath, touch, talk and sing to them, encouraging eye contact along the way – our panel of parenting expert influencers and parenting lifestyle influencers found that simply being in water can help calm a baby.

DIY baby wash
With our DIY baby wash activity, your little one can build their independence by learning from exploratory play. First, give your tot a wash cloth and help them pump some of our Melanin-Rich Skin Nourishment Ultra-Gentle Foaming Wash onto it - a dye, phthalate, paraben and sulfate-free body wash formula, blended with calendula, that nourishes and hydrates melanin-rich skin. Then, tell them to wash certain body parts, naming and pointing to each as you go, from their little hands to their little toes. Once that’s done, give them a cup of bath water and ask them to pour it over each body part to rinse off. Not only will they love playing with the fun and foaming baby body wash, but they’ll also learn different body parts and how to wash themselves on their own.