Vernix—that creamy, waxy white stuff—may look gross, but it's actually good for your baby’s skin! "Vernix does offer some protection for the first few hours after birth," Dr. Brown says. So don’t rush to clean it off: delay that first bath for 6 hours.
2. You bathe Baby too often. Yes, creating a nighttime routine is important, but when it comes to bathing your baby, nightly really isn’t necessary: Once or twice a week is fine. But as Dr. Brown points out, a diaper blowout obviously deserves a bath!
3. You use too many products. Keep it simple: Just use a moisturizing, perfume- and dye-free cleanser.
4. You make Baby’s bath too hot (or cold!). Like Goldilocks, make sure the temperature of your baby's bath water is juusst right: about 100 degrees fahrenheit. "And make sure your hot water heater is set to less than 120 degrees fahrenheit," says Dr. Brown.
5. Your fear the belly button stump. As any experienced parent can attest, you wait (and wait!) for that belly-button stump to dry up and fall off, and treat it ever-so-gently until it does. According to Dr. Brown, the best thing to do is to ignore the dried-out part (after all, that really doesn't need cleaning!), and look at the skin underneath. If it’s gooey or oozing, wipe it gently with rubbing alcohol or plain water on a gauze pad.
