Newborn babies don't need a bath every day - topping and tailing is a quick and effective way to keep your baby clean and fresh.

Make sure the room you choose to wash your baby in is warm before you take her clothes off, otherwise she's likely to cry if she feels cold.

Handy Hint

Don't worry if you don't manage to bath your baby every day - if you're too tired, you won't enjoy bathing her and the odd day without a bath won't do her any harm.

You will need:

• changing mat
• clean nappy (and clean clothes if you're going to change them)
• bowl of cooled, boiled water
• towel

Lay your baby on her back on a changing mat covered with a towel so that you can wrap her up once you've finished. Or, if you find it easier, you could sit her on your lap for the topping part.

Dampen the cotton wool with the water and wipe one eye from the inner corner outwards, using a clean piece of cotton wool for each stroke. Then do the same with the other eye, again using fresh cotton wool.

Wipe her face and neck with another piece of damp cotton wool, paying particular attention to the creases of her neck. Wipe over and behind her ears (but never inside) using a fresh piece of cotton wool for each ear.

With newborns, the cord stump should be cleaned gently every day until it's fully healed. Use cotton wool and cooled, boiled water. Dry carefully with fresh cotton wool.

With damp cotton wool, wash her hands (uncurl her fingers first), feet (between her toes) and under her arms. Pat her dry.

Always clean the nappy area last. If you have a girl wipe from front to back and never separate her vaginal lips to clean inside. If you have a boy, don't pull back his foreskin.

There's no need to wash your baby's hair (if she has any) every day of the week. Wiping your baby's hair with a flannel and some cool, boiled water will help keep it clean.

It's important to keep your baby's fingernails short to prevent her scratching herself - especially if she has sensitive skin. The easiest way to trim your newborn's nails is to bite them off - waist until she's asleep if you're nervous. Nails grow fast, so you may need to trim them as often as every three days. Frayed nails can be gently pulled off when you're feeding her.

Some newborn's toenails are virtually transparent, and may grow to quite long lengths without you noticing - so make sure you trim them regularly. Do it after a bath when they are soft, using specially designed baby nail clippers.

Once your baby's older and her hands are into everything, you need to keep her nails as clean as possible. Do this in the bath, with a flannel.