Product Spotlight: Bath Time 1/15

SmashJam

Hey all! I have been so MIA lately, looking forward to jumping back in with the product spotlight this week! This was by far the least active in July, let's see what August has to share!

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions and S+TMs to share the wealth of knowledge they've accumulated on baby products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week it's.... bath time! Tubs, soaps, towels and anything in between. 
 
Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.  

For S+TMs: 

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc):
• Favorite [bath time item]:
• Link/picture:
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
• What you like about it:
• What you don't like about it, if anything:
• Is there a [bath time item] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
• Is there a [bath time item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: 
• Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?:

For FTMs:

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc):
• [bath time item] you're interested in:
• Link/picture:
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
• Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

Link to past threads https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UyhRAJyRFD8vsNwLsXd7vCCC-9pYjzH3p5HvngpnaOI/edit?usp=sharing

lakesideknitter

My only input to here is to put the soap into the water, never directly onto their skin or hair. DS had some bouts of really bad dry, scaly spots before we learned this trick from our pediatrician. DS turned 2 in November, and we still rarely use soap directly on him unless he has something stuck in his hair or something.
Sorry, not much to add as far as products go. We use the J&J no tears baby wash (sorry, crunchy moms) that we got at my shower after cycling through every baby wash known to man trying to combat the dry skin. It's what has worked best for us.

SmashJam

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): house, multiple bathrooms
• Favorite [bath time item]: earth mama angel baby gentle foaming soap
• Link/picture:
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $30 for 35 oz, but DS has sensitive skin so unless he gets massively dirty then we bathe every other day-this soap legit just ran out a few months ago. He's 2.5. 
• What you like about it: It lasted forever! He didn't get a rash from it, like most other soaps.
• What you don't like about it, if anything: nothing!
• Is there a [bath time item] you don't have but are considering? Why?: We need a new tub. We have one small upstairs bathroom with no storage room, so looking forward to seeing if anyone has recomendations for an easy to store option. In our old house we just left the tub in our bath all the time because it was the guest one.
• Is there a [bath time item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
• Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?:

baby&thesea

We love the honest company baby soap. Costco has a really good deal on it and I still use it to wash head to toe on a 2.5 and 4.5 year old. 
We also liked the fisher price whale of a tub. 

vinerie

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): House
• Favorite [bath time item]: This is for when they are a bit older, but these foam shapes that stick to the side of the tub
• Link/picture: There are a million different kinds. But here is a link to some: https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=foam+shapes+for+bath&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=214031543199&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1737520937338682583&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013451&hvtargid=aud-397161105748:kwd-303270982264&ref=pd_sl_6mxbq4paph_b
• 
  
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $ 
• What you like about it: Since the side of the bathtub is eye level, having that toy cut down on DS's penchant for standing in the tub trying to reach other "toys" (i.e. soap, the faucet, etc.)
• What you don't like about it, if anything:
• Is there a [bath time item] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
• Is there a [bath time item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: 
• Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?:

7425cait

We used the Fisher Price 4 in 1 sling n seat tub, and loved it. It worked wonderfully from newborn to sitting alone. Once she was able to sit up by herself proficiently, we took the baby tub away. 

I also really liked using a poof (don't know exactly what they're called, soft loofa i guess) instead of a wash cloth because it foamed up the soap better. 

One thing i won't buy again are those little squirting bath toys. They get moldy inside and you'll just wind up having to toss them. Especially if LO chews on them. We tried putting hot glue over the opening, buy that peeled off.

mrsbubbles-2

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): House
  
• Favorite [bath time item]: Bath time by age breakdown below:

Newborn - 3 months: 4moms infant tub (https://www.4moms.com/infant_tub) $60 which is stupid expensive for a baby bathtub but we loved it. The tub has a digital read for water temp and beeps if the water is too hot or cold. The way it is designed keeps the clean water flowing around the baby. Baby reclines comfortably and it fit perfectly on top of our kitchen sink. I was so nervous about bath time with a brand new squishy baby but this tub eased some of my anxiety.

3 months - about a year: Fisher Price baby bath tub similar to this one (https://www.jcpenney.com/p/fisher-price-baby-bath-tub/ppr5007221429?pTmplType=regular) $30. This was a good transition tub for us, baby was reclined at first but once he started sitting unsupported we could sit him in the tub with the insert to keep him from sliding. We never used the sling (he was too big once we transitioned to this tub) We used this tub in the bathtub so he could start to splash and play and there wasn't a huge cleanup after.

Once he turned one we just started using the regular tub. We use the Dove baby wash now but we've used Aveeno baby and Honest as well.

• Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?: Don't bother getting infant towels / washcloths / bathrobes. The washcloths and infant towels are so flimsy and small that baby won't use them after about 6 months. Baby bathrobes are cute in theory but especially when they're tiny you want to get them out of the bath and into clean, warm clothes quickly and a bathrobe is just another outfit change. We also found that when we would give E a bath when he was itty bitty (August baby too!) that it would help if we turned off the AC for about 20 min before bath time. E would get fightin' mad if we pulled him out of a warm bath and he was immediately hit with cold air!
  

matryoshkadoll

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): house and travel
• Favorite [bath time item]: euro bath chair
• Link/picture: https://jet.com/product/detail/254585b7247541e0987342f77f085e6f?jcmp=pla:ggl:nj_dur_gen_baby_a3:baby_baby_bathing_baby_bath_accessories_a3:na:PLA_785112133_44722155007_pla-339057957770_m:na:na:na:2PLA15&code=PLA15&pid=kenshoo_int&c=785112133&is_retargeting=true&clickid=282dd55c-7d22-464f-80cc-cd6de3fac39d&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlI3Yw63a2AIV2bbACh1AigHYEAQYBSABEgLUlPD_BwE
• 
  
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $10
• What you like about it: easy and gets the job done. Good for newborns up to toddler stage
• Is there a [bath time item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Be careful about soaps that aren't tear free. That earth mama soap wasn't tear free the last time I got it, though maybe they've changed the formula. Not unusable, but certainly be aware of the product. I didn't even think they would make a baby shampoo that stung so bad, so there were tears because I wasn't careful about not getting it in their eyes. 

kburg15

We got the 4 moms bathtub at our baby shower which was really nice, but pricey. Also just the Target baby wash cloths worked fine. 

I would highly recommend Aquaphor baby soap, as DS has sensitive skin and eczema. Also putting aquaphor on after the bath was helpful. Anything that had a smell was just too strong for him. 

Secretstapler

For S+TMs: 

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc):. House with 2 full baths.
• Favorite [bath time item]: Summer Infant Comfort Height Bath Tub - Multi-Stage Tub and Step-Stool

• Link/picture: 

• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $30 
• What you like about it: We used it exactly as they show in the pictures.  We liked the elevated tub when he was tiny, and we used the infant insert even for a few months after he was sitting up, because he would get slumpy when he was tired at the end of the day.  I think we lowered the tub about the same time we stopped using the insert, and we do tend to sit on the riser for bath time.  DS turned 2 last month and we still use it.  It uses so much less water than the big tub, and he doesn't try to climb out or stand up because there's nowhere to go.  He's not real adventurous, though, he's still in his crib, too.
• What you don't like about it, if anything: It's not the smallest tub.  We just keep it in the guest bath all the time, but it'd be pretty hard to put away all the time.
• Is there a [bath time item] you don't have but are considering? Why?: I might look into another option for newborns.  Our tub is pretty huge for a teeny tiny baby, and he slid around a bit in the hard plastic insert.  He got big enough pretty fast, but the first few weeks were a little tough.
• Is there a [bath time item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:  We did get a foam pad thing for the newborn phase, but we only used it once.  As soon as it got wet, it got really cold (DS was born in December) and DS got really cold.
• Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?:  Like @mrsbubbles-2, we also made sure to warm up the bathroom before bath time.  We had a space heater that we'd put in the bathroom before bath, and then we moved it to the bedroom so it would be warm when he got out.  Also, we only bathe DS twice a week unless he gets extra dirty.  We still use baby wash cloths, but we moved to adult towels a few months ago.  They're thicker and warmer and DS likes being bundled up in them.

westphilly

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): Row house (small bathroom)Favorite [bath time item]: Boon Bathtub & Dove body washLink/picture:  https://www.target.com/p/boon-naked-2-position-collapsible-baby-bathtub/-/A-14271799#lnk=sametabCost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $70 at targetWhat you like about it: It collapses for easy storage. We hang it on a towel rack, because we don't have anywhere else to put it.  We also still use it and our son is 2yo. I love that it has sides he can hold onto, so if he's slipping or feeling unsteady, he grabs the sides. Plus, it keeps his foam toys close to him and keeps him away from the spout and drain. What you don't like about it, if anything: It wasn't great for the newborn phase, because it was slippery. Although, i'm not sure he would have liked any bathtub at that stage. We didn't give him baths very often at that age anyway (only once a week). Is there a [bath time item] you don't have but are considering? Why?:Is there a [bath time item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?:Looking for tips from other STM on how to rince soap out of a toddler's hair without getting the soap in their eyes. I try to get him to look at the ceiling, and cover his forehead/eyes with my hands, but he still squirms and looks down at the wrong moment and the soap runs down into his eyes.

matryoshkadoll

@westphilly the best we've done with our squirmiest toddler is have only 1-2" of water and have her lie down on her back to rinse her hair. The water should be up to their ears, so it doesn't cover their face. I convince my daughter to lie down by telling her she's a mermaid and humming the little mermaid song. Sometimes they are sharks and I hum the jaws tune. I only do this when they agree to lie down for rinsing so it's special. 

princesslockness

Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): Single bathroom, now have 2 bathrooms.
Favorite [bath time item]: We never used any baby baths. I didn't have room in my house for them, and rarely used soap.
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): I did get some super soft dish cloths that I knitted, and the hooded towels. the towels were like 4 for $10.
What you like about bath time: We would just lay the kids out so their head was on our legs, 100% out of the water, and let LO float for a bit. It was a super nice time while LO got to kick and play before they could actually sit up.
What you don't like about it, if anything: I never used anything besides water regularly, so any of the soaps or special tubs were just wasted at our house.
Is there a [bath time item] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Maybe a pad, like a foam pad that would sit on the bottom of the tub. So when LO is super little they could lay down on it, or when a bit larger they could sit on it, and not slide everywhere.
Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?: We did baths less than 3 times a week. We didn't have to worry about sensitive skin, but I just have never been a huge bath person. Now that both E&L are over 1, bath time is a play time, when mom wants to relax for 20 minutes. I can bring a chair into the bathroom, close the glass doors and let them do whatever they want - barring blood shed and pushing over. 

7425cait

@westphilly we do the same as @matryoshkadoll. We tell her to lie on her back and look for the unicorns on the ceiling (something we learned in swim class). We also just tell her to close her eyes and hold her breath. My daughter has had a full head of hair since birth, so we've had plenty of practice. I'm talking blow drying her hair since she was a month old full head of hair. 

I forgot something i love...a knee pad for the parents. Definitely makes bath time more comfortable. 

melprop

• Lifestyle (house, apartment, travel often, etc): House with 1 full bath & 1 half bath
• Favorite [bath time item]: Summer Infant bath seat
• Link/picture: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Deluxe-Bather-Triangle/dp/B01NA9HMK5/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1516115717&sr=8-5&keywords=Baby+bath+seat
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $15ish
• What you like about it: It’s not a tub, folds flat, will sit in a large sink or tub, easy to store, easy to travel with 
• What you don't like about it, if anything: I had to leave it out to dry overnight. 
• Is there a [bath time item] you don't have but are considering? Why?: Angelcare bath support or the BRU version - either will fit in my kitchen sink, dries by wiping off, and could be stored under my kitchen sink. I despise leaning over a bathtub to bathe an infant. 
• Is there a [bath time item] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Baby washcloths - I love them for cloth diaper wipes, but I feel like they’re useless for actually bathing a baby. I used regular washcloths with DS. Baby bath tub - I got 3 at my shower for DS and ended up returning them. I didn’t have anywhere to store one in our only full bathroom. I used the bath seat in the kitchen sink when DS was little, and  then I used it in the tub. 
• Additional thoughts on [bath time item]?: Don’t over-bathe. It took me awhile to realize DS’s sensitive skin does well with once-a-week baths. Even now at 7yo, DS takes a full bath once a week unless he ends up covered in dirt. He’s actually still using the massive stash of baby bath products I got at my shower in 2010. 

livinthesunnylife

Ok, so first we had this stupid $50 bathtub from Summer Infant:
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Warming-Waterfall-Bath/dp/B013P1MCXI/ref=sr_1_41_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1516116307&sr=8-41&keywords=baby+bath+tub

Then I got annoyed with it and it wasn't comfortable for him anyway, so I bought this Sooooo much better one for $15:
https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Me-Deluxe-Infant-Bathtub/dp/B01EJ5DEDG/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1516116430&sr=8-3&keywords=baby+bath+tub+dream+on+me&th=1

My advice when it comes to bathtubs, you're going to want something you can lay them down in so you can get to the most important parts (bum!). 

Baby bath towels are the stupidest thing ever invented.  Get your baby nice adult fluffy towels.  It takes that much towel to properly dry a wet baby. 

My little guy LOVES bath time.  It's part of his night time routine so we bathe every day.  Yes with soap.  He has great skin and has never had any issues drying out.  I use Aveeno baby wash, but I've used other things too. 

DH is in charge of bathtime and one time I felt the bath water and the temperature freaked me out.  Get a thermometer that tells you the proper temp, it's worth the peace of mind.  This is the one we have:
https://www.amazon.com/MotherMed-Thermometer-Floating-BathTub-Swimming/dp/B01N4I19UX/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1516116676&sr=8-3&keywords=bath+thermometer

ETA: I bought a stupid blow up "travel bath" once and he absolutely hates it.  Then I read on pinterest about using a laundry basket so that's what I did at my parents when he was 7-8M and it worked great!  So there's my last tip- Laundry basket makes an excellent substitute!

calimom2524

OMG this picture is huge and I can't shrink it. Anyways, we used this in the sink when DS2 was an infant until he could sit up then once he could sit up a straight up laundry basket in the bath tub. It was a livesaver; it kept the kids separated, his toys couldn't float away, and it was like baby jail for the bath. 

kc0711

FTM here

Does anyone have experience with those bath pads that look like flowers? We have a big farm sink, and I’m wondering if those pads only work well in double sinks that have a smaller section to use as support for baby. We do have a bath tub in our second bathroom that will be the baby bathroom, but I’m trying to come up with some ideas when they are small to not be kneeling over the big tub when they are so little. I know the easy answer is a baby bath tub, I just don’t know where we will store one!

livinthesunnylife

@kc0711 a friend of mine gave me one of those Puj tubs which I think are similar?  They fit in the sink.  Personally, I preferred to just bathe the infant in the baby bath tub on top of the bathroom counter.  I never really wanted to haul all the stuff into the kitchen. 
But, obviously my friend really liked the Puj so maybe that's something to look at if you want to do sink baths?

kc0711

Thanks @livinthesunnylife I’ll look into that one! Our bathroom sink is very small and not a lot of counter space, so I feel like I’ll end up in the kitchen sink if they aren’t in the tub for space and safety. 

juliebird6

We used the Fisher Price "Whale of a Tub" and loved it.  We used it in our kitchen sink for a long time, then moved it into the regular tub when DD was too big for the sink.  We actually left the newborn insert in there for a long time because she didn't fight it and it made it easier to actually wash her.  I was really sad when we had to stop using it because she was essentially trying to climb out of it.  Now she just gets a bath in the regular tub.

@kc0711 Honestly, I was worried about storing it too because I was all FTM - I don't want our house to be overrun with unsightly baby things! - but that was dumb of me and I got over it real quick.  We just stored it nearby in our dining room and put all the bath time necessities in the tub so everything was all in one place.

livinthesunnylife

bahaha @juliebird6 that comment made me chuckle.  A mom in one of my groups commented once that they didn't want their playroom to be visible from the front door and I laughed because our "formal living room" is the playroom and it's totally visible from the front door and has a massive bay window.  But I could care less.  My kid(s) live here, whoever is judging me doesn't.  Get out if you don't like seeing play land lol

calimom2524

livinthesunnylife said:

bahaha @juliebird6 that comment made me chuckle.  A mom in one of my groups commented once that they didn't want their playroom to be visible from the front door and I laughed because our "formal living room" is the playroom and it's totally visible from the front door and has a massive bay window.  But I could care less.  My kid(s) live here, whoever is judging me doesn't.  Get out if you don't like seeing play land lol

Our entire house used to be the playroom. Toys in the living room, kitchen, dining room, even the bathroom. I mean, my kids live here and play in all of the rooms, welcome to my life? Haha.

Firemanswife11

We used a cheap baby tub (it had some kind of sling in it for newborns) that wasn't anything fancy and we use cheap (baby) lavender or regular soap. We have been lucky with a water baby who doesn't have any skin issues. Lol. I am so super lax about most baby supplies.

kc0711

Having baby stuff everywhere doesn’t bother me, we are so beyond excited for this little one that’s the least of my worries. We literally just don’t have any room. We live in an old house that was flipped, so no closets anywhere but the bedrooms! We don’t have a coat closet, hall closet, or linen closet- so storage is very tight. My plan is when they need a baby bath tub, we will just keep it sitting in the big tub because we only use that tub when we have guests. 

dirtanddiamonds

kc0711 said:

FTM here

Does anyone have experience with those bath pads that look like flowers? We have a big farm sink, and I’m wondering if those pads only work well in double sinks that have a smaller section to use as support for baby. We do have a bath tub in our second bathroom that will be the baby bathroom, but I’m trying to come up with some ideas when they are small to not be kneeling over the big tub when they are so little. I know the easy answer is a baby bath tub, I just don’t know where we will store one!

@kc0711 we used one on my last and loved it. We used it in the bathtub and in the sink. She loves it. 

livinthesunnylife

@kc0711 Little man has his own bathroom for now (will later share with this next kid) so we just leave ALL the kid stuff all over the bathroom.  Bath toys, baby bath tub was always in the tub.  We actually even took down the shower curtain because he kept pulling on it.  Oh well, it's his room. 

lalala2004

We have the same one as @calimom2524 that we used when we travelled. That was great since it folds really flat.

mrslittlemac

For the first few months DD just went in the shower with me. We had a baby bath and tried to use it once, but the water got super cold, super quick. So it turned into a lounge pool thing for late summer. We used it for that once successfully, then the state caught on fire and we couldn't go outside at all. Womp womp.

 Now that she's almost a year old and bathtime is more fun, she gets about a dozen ball pit balls in there with her (they don't have holes and don't fill with water) and she looooves splashing them around.


As for soap, we use the lavender Earth Mama Angel Baby foam for baths close to bedtime, and Orange scented Honest brand for mornings/midday. Still only bath 1-3 times a week typically, unless she gets particularly messy.

lolog531

We have one that is similar to the angel care one, but I can't remember the brand for the life of me (and it's packed away in the basement!). It also had a removable plastic piece it sat on top of, which also had a drain, so you could use it on the counter and the water would drain into the sink. It was nice at first since our kitchen sink was super small and we couldn't fit anything in there.
We used that for awhile in the tub, too, then when DS could sit up unassisted we used a laundry basket. It kept him from sliding, his toys wouldn't float away and it worked perfect! Now he's just a water baby and loves 'swimming' in the tub.

I didn't like storing the one we have since it didn't collapse, but it was nice because it dried easily since it was mesh. We also have more space in our house now than we did in our condo. We will probably just use that one again because we are trying to reuse a lot of things from DS to keep from unnecessary spending!