Why I Don't Bathe My Baby

I'm guessing at least half of you cringed reading the above and the other half nodded in solemn approval. I honestly didn't even realize it was true until today when I spotted his bathtub sitting dejectedly in a corner. "Huh," I thought, "when was the last time I used THAT?!"

He is my third baby so I probably don't have to tell you that I have a lot going on in the evenings. I can barely get the older two bathed, and they don't require their own special tub and shampoo.

Some nights I do remember that the baby needs a bath but then inevitably one of the older kids needs a story read or help with a craft project. The older kids make these evening needs very clearly known, whereas the baby does not give two snots if he has a bath or not and is happy to just be in my lap during the other activities. And thus the cycle continues. With my first baby bath time was part of her bedtime routine. But this third baby gets a clean diaper and PJs, a boob, and it's beddy-by time.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no need to bathe a baby every day and bathing that frequently can actually lead to dry skin. As long as you are thoroughly wiping the diaper area, as well as neck and face, then baby is good to go. This makes total sense to me. It's not like he's touching every filthy thing he can find or running around and sweating a lot, so spot cleaning should be pretty sufficient.

Unlike my older kids who really, truly stink when dirty, my baby smells really good to me all the time. My hormones say so. Could that be the reason I'm not super motivated to give him a scrub down?

Honestly, how frequently do you bathe your baby?