The suggestions to care babies. Your newborn only needs to be bathed once or twice a week. And until your baby’s umbilical stump falls off (usually after two weeks), you’ll be sponge-bathing her. To do this, get a washcloth, a couple of towels, and a bowl of warm water.

Turn up the thermostat and close any drafty doors and windows. Undress baby and lay her on a towel or absorbent cloth. Keeping a hand on baby at all times, dampen the washcloth and run it over her body, wiping under her chin and in the folds of her skin that trap moisture. Dry her off gently but thoroughly.

A word of warning: Sponge baths can cause your baby to squirm and fuss, weakening her already tenuous grasp on the solids, liquids, and gases in her body. You would do well to have an extra towel or two handy, if not a full suit of raingear.

A side effect of feeding your baby is that he is going to swallow a lot of air, mak- ing him uncomfortable. And he’s going to need your help getting that air out as he burps (which you may already know a little something about).