Product Spotlight Series: Bath Time!

kagesstarshroom

The Product Spotlight Series continues! Remember, the community is welcome to comment on threads like these throughout your time here, not just when it's their week in the spotlight. Big thanks to everyone who participates! Thanks for providing links and pics when you feel they are helpful!  For this week, we've got Bath Time!



One note: Here are all TB's Bath time articles.
Ooo, a second note: See below the prompts for an extra question about next week!

STMs:
What types of products did you find to be essential for baby bath time, and which are your fave brands & why?

What types of products are unessential, but you would recommend for bath time--which are your fave brands and why?

Which types of products/specific brands/brand products would you NOT recommend?

What's the super cutest bath time product? (pic/link plz for this one!)

FTMs:

What bath time essentials/unessentials are you looking at? What's topping your list so far & why?

What one super cute bath item do you not want to live without? (pic/link plz for this one!)

Any questions (other than the above) for STMs?


Up next week: WELL, it's supposed to be Maternity Clothes! EXCEPT: We have a whole thread for this already!!! Anyone want to browse the spreadsheet and pick a new product category for next week that isn't already on there?!?! OR weigh in: Do we get a week off of Product Spotlight?!? Or just move something up--but I really don't want to reorganize it--ahhh! As a clueless person trying to build a registry, these have been super helpful to me, so I'm not sure I want to take a week off, either. Help!) To view the upcoming PSS schedule, based in part off of S19's, see here: March 2020 PSS Spreadsheet!

momoftoddlers

For both girls we used the Fisher Price 4 in 1 Sling Tub. It fit in the kitchen sink and the sling actually supported a newborn great. And then it fits in the actual bathtub and supports a growing infant for a long time because of the removable seat. Yes it’s big but I would just toss it in my laundry room or hang it in the shower. 

Im all about the cute hooded towels, photo opp! And we always liked Burt Bees baby wash. I think I stop have a stockpile of it, hope it’s still good. 

miss.sally

I’m super not into all the fancy gadgets. Someone gave me the 4moms tub that compacts. It was fine. I also had that giant flower shaped foam mat. I probably used that more. But as soon as DS was big enough I brought him in the shower with me (we have a huge walk-in shower) and we have been doing that ever since. He loves to shower, and I prefer it because risk of UTIs is lower, and with his kidney problems we have to worry about that. Unfortunately the next baby has a fairly high chance of having the same issues, so I’ll most likely stick with the same routine.

Definitely love and recommend hooded towels. Make sure you have at LEAST 3-4 because babies love to poop and/or pee in them (or was that just mine?). Lol. I got a few of the Aden and Anais ones for DS and he still uses them, although he’s getting a little big. Haha. You can get great deals on cute hooded towels at Marshall’s or homegoods. No need for anything fancy. 

We also use the aveeno bath products. DD was allergic to basically everything else so I’ve stuck with that even for DS and it’s great. 

I also really like the aden and Anais washcloths. They’re really soft. 

And a pro tip for all of you FTMs!! DD hates the bath at first, and my OB told me to get her naked, swaddle her in a Muslin blanket, and submerge her IN the blanket. Then slowly remove the blanket. Y’all it was a LIFE CHANGER. I would absolutely recommend trying that for the first few baths to get them used to it. 

orbmaker

Seconding above ^^. Bathing baby was so much less complicated than I thought, though it was certainly kind of nerve wracking the first few times. I also don’t think you NEED to bathe a tiny little baby more than once or week or so 🤷🏻‍♀️ (once they get into food, tho...  all bets are off). We have a tub from boon that we used til she was sitting up confidently. Then we just put her in the tub straight up. We’ve only used a super scent-free sensitive skin baby soap from (I believe) California Baby (or similar). 

Madamemerle

We had, and LOVED, the Shnuggle bath: https://www.amazon.com/Shnuggle-Baby-Bath-Tub-Newborns/dp/B00SNM4KS0

I resisted getting it because it seemed kind of expensive, but it was genuinely one of my favorite baby items. My son adored having baths in it! We used it for a long time (until he was around 1) because it was so much quicker and used less water than filling the whole tub, and he still enjoyed being in it.

It props the baby up in a way that they sit independently in the water and can play with toys/splash etc without slipping or without you needing to hold onto them.

I second the hooded towels: I love the ikea ones. We bought three there before he was born and are still using them (other brands he grew out of a long time ago).
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/klaemmig-towel-with-hood-turquoise-red-40373074/

WorkingOnMyNightCheese

I have tried soooo many bath products! LO has eczema so I'm really picky about what goes on her skin now. 

What types of products did you find to be essential for baby bath time, and which are your fave brands & why?
We used one of those simple blue plastic tubs until she could sit up, that worked great.
LOVE the Skip Hop whale cup for hair rinsing: https://www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Tear-Free-Waterfall-Rinser/dp/B00FXR5S20/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=whale+cup&qid=1569424655&sr=8-2
We used babyganics soap for a long time, but it dried her out eventually. We've since had good luck with Hello Bello soap and Cerave lotion.

What types of products are unessential, but you would recommend for bath time--which are your fave brands and why?
Gizmos and gadgets and fancy tubs. Seriously all you *really* need is a sink and a towel.

pdx2020

@kagesstarshroom, could we do one next week on a mix of (1) must have product and (2) things you didn’t end up using? Feel like that has been super helpful info from friends! And a place for FTM to ask about “must have” products they’ve heard about to get feedback. 

kailanae

Personally, we were pretty mild here in terms of bath items.  I got a baby bath from Amazon for before baby can sit solo (a whale tub that I don't think they make anymore.)  We just used regular towels - I found the hooded baby towels we had to not be very absorbent for actually drying baby off past the super newborn stage.  I would put a hand towel sized towel into the baby tub to help cover baby to keep them from getting too cold, but the swaddle trick mentioned is interesting and I may try that this time.  Just used regular Johnson's head-to-toe baby shampoo/soap (and still do).

The main recommendation I have for a bath-type item but for a non-bath use are the baby washcloths.  We bought a couple packs of them to use for our boys as penis covers during diaper changes.  Not as cold as a wipe, more sturdy than a tissue - worked well for us to block any pees mid-diaper change.  Boys don't pee during changes much after several months old, but early on it happens quite often.

momoftoddlers

@kailanae I’m having a boy after two girls and totally appreciate you sharing that washcloth trick! I’m nervous about boy diaper changes. 🤣 Thanks!

miss.sally

Lol @momoftoddlers when. I found out I was having a boy last time I was terrified of pee being literally everywhere ALL the time. In reality he only peed once during a diaper change. It was traumatic for both of us because it happened when I lifted his legs and it went STRAIGHT into his mouth. Lol. Poor kid. Having another boy this time though so who knows what he will be like. 

stassischroeder

@miss.sally oh man, you were lucky! My son peed during almost every diaper change until he was 4+ months. Luckily we have tile, wood-look floors in most of our house so cleanup wasn't a big deal, but there was a lot of pee for a long time lol. 



I must be one of the only ones who didn't think that hooded baby towels were all that great. We used them because we had them, but regular towels would've worked just as well if not better. They're also so small that you certainly can't use them long-term unless you have a really tiny kiddo. 

We used a regular bathtub with infant sling for the first few months. But, once he was old enough to kinda sit up, we used this and it worked great. 

My one tip is to save the peri bottles from the hospital, because they can be useful for baby-bathing! 

kagesstarshroom

@pdx2020 So we have a must have week on the list already, so I'm going to do with product you had but didn't use for today! thanks!

treetop19

I had a plastic baby bath with sling for bathing (inherited from DH's sister) and we didn't really use it much, just until DS was able to sit unassisted.  Then it was the regular bath.  We just used regular towels, which worked out fine for us.  For soap, I like the Johnson's nighttime, just because it really did seem to calm DS down a bit.  I didn't bathe DS more than a couple times a week when he was really little.  didn't have the boy peeing problems too much, though he did pee on me once during a diaper change... lol.  

With DD, also had a plastic baby bath, sans sling, and used the hooded towels.  I bathed her pretty much every day just because I loved when she smelled so clean... and with only one I had more time. 

stac4056

I really dislike bathing babies until they can sit up on their own!! We used the Flower sink bath insert thing for DS and that was much better than any of the three tubs I tried with DD. Any tub I used, she just slid down in and I feel I have to hold them the whole time regardless of the bathing contraption. And sink bathing was much easier for me recovery and larger babies-wise. We also landed on the Fisher price 4 in 1 for sitting up once he could though.
I actually like and still like the hooded towels and baby washcloths!! The washcloths help get into their tiny, soft crevices better than full size. I just think they look adorable in the hooded towels, and again seems easier to dry their rolls than with a full size towel. 
One thing I started with DS was using the little soft bristle square brush the hospital sent home to do his head and hair. DD got horrible cradle cap, I thought I had read to leave it alone, but it just kept accumulating, so gross. DS got it a little bit but never as bad as hers, she did have way more hair that might have contributed. 
I think someone mentioned in the disregarded list but I like and still use the whale faucet cover, and we used the whale suction mat for the bottom a while but I haven't replaced it and we've been fine without it.
I like Honest shampoo, smells sooooo good, but a little pricy. Trying out the Everyone soap for kids, doesn't have the best lather, but smells good, and is a good value.