A newborn should bathe as often as 2 to 3 times per week.
Newborns don't need a bath everyday or as often as older kids and adults as newborns don't get dirty as often or sweat as often as older children, teens and adults so frequent baths are not required for newborns and can actually be bad for the newborn to bathe too often.
Bathing your newborn too often can remove the newborns natural oils from their skin and result in skin dryness.
Bathing a newborn can also be a relaxing and bonding experience for the baby and parents.
If your newborn has sensitive skin or they're prone to diaper rash they might need more frequent baths or if they have a diaper blowout you should of course bathe them at that time to clean them.
After the baby becomes more active and mobile they will often need baths more often.
When bathing your newborn or baby you should always use a gentle and fragrance free soap that is designed for babies.
And avoid bathing your newborn or baby right after feeding and instead wait awhile such as in 30 minutes to an hour unless you need to bathe them before then.
Keeping your baby's umbilical cord stump dry is also important for preventing infections and for promoting healing.
Sponges are often given to babies until the umbilical cord falls off.
Before using lotion on your newborn it's often best to wait at least until 2 to 4 weeks after your baby is born before using lotion on the baby's skin.
During the first few weeks of a baby's life, the newborns skin is naturally protected by vernix caseosa which is a substance that moisturizes the baby's skin and protects the baby's skin.
After this period, if you see any dry or flaky patches you can begin using gentle, fragrance free and hypoallergenic baby lotion.