Did you know it’s beneficial to delay your baby’s first bath for at least 24 hours after birth? (You will want to avoid submerging baby’s abdomen until the umbilical stump has fallen off.) Your baby is not dirty. When your baby is born, he will smell like amniotic fluid and your breasts will excrete a scent that also smells like amniotic fluid. This will encourage your baby to nurse. So, delay the newborn bath for at least 24 hrs or until you have had several good breastfeeding sessions together