It’s easy to focus on the bath water, but how is the overall bathroom environment? Try to keep the room itself warm and softly lit. Use a cozy hooded towel to keep your baby warm afterward. This can help if your baby cries from cold air drafts.

Lower your expectations. Limit bath time to 5-10 minutes to prevent your baby from getting too cold or fussy. While a long soak feels relaxing to us grownups, short is often better for newborns.

If you have a persistently fussy baby, you could also get in the bath with them, securely holding them on your chest. The skin-to-skin time in the warm water lends extra security and can be a great bonding experience.