How to bathe your baby

Your baby's first bath is one of those moments every parent remembers – mostly because it can be so daunting! Newborns are tiny, squirmy and quite slippery when wet, so it's no wonder lots of parents are terrified when it's time to introduce their little one to the water for the first time.

How to massage your baby

If you've ever had a massage yourself, you probably know how wonderful they can make you feel. Massage is just as good for babies – it relaxes and calms them, and helps to promote good sleep patterns, digestion, nerve development and motor skills. Plus, it's a beautiful way to bond with your little one; the gentle skin-to-skin contact is perfect for helping your baby to feel safe, secure and close to you or your partner.

Nappy changing

Nappy changes are another one of those things that many new parents find daunting, but the good news is that it's not really so hard. (And trust us, with the average baby needing more than 4,000 nappy changes between birth and potty training, you're going to get very good at it!) Here's a step-by-step guide – gas mask optional.

Nappy rash: what is it and how to cope

Here's an amazing statistic for you: Before your newborn learns to use the potty, you'll have changed his or her nappy around 4,000 times.

How often should I bathe my baby?

Many adults bathe daily, but as we've explained earlier, babies' skin is very different to ours, and daily baths aren't usually a good idea – once to three times a week is plenty.

Gender specifics: special tips for boys and girls

A lot of what we do to care for our babies is gender-neutral; after all, there are a lot of faces to be wiped, tiny fingers to clean and little, kicking legs to manoeuvre into sleepsuits! But baby boys and baby girls are different in a few important ways, too. Here's how to care for each of them properly.

How is baby skin different to ours?

In your baby's first months of life, many of the body's most important systems are still developing, and the skin is no exception.

Skin conditions: causes and coping

As new parents, we have a completely understandable tendency to marvel over our newborns: the flawless skin, the rosebud lips, the tiny fingers and even-tinier fingernails. Everything about them seems fresh, new and pretty much perfect.

Sun safety for babies

As we've mentioned, babies' skin is a delicate thing – much thinner and more prone to damage than our own. That means protecting it from the sun is very important – and not just on those occasional hot summer days!

Trimming nails

This can be an unexpectedly nerve-wracking task for new parents – after all, those fingers and nails are unbelievably tiny - but keeping your baby's nails short is well worth the time and effort.