STM: what do I need for the bath?

elliespiral · December 2012

FTM here and I'm confused! Bath slings have recalls, PUJ tubs may not fit into our sinks, some tubs look like we would need to put an addition on the house in order to fit them in our bathroom...

What contraption did you use to bathe your infant? I'd love something that's not super bulky and that dries easily. Thanks for your input!

angelajo19 · December 2012

Yay! I just got on here to ask the exact same question as I've been trying to figure out what in the world to get! So many options and so many opinions.

irishmom2010 · December 2012

In the very beginning, like until the stump of the cord falls off, you do sponge baths, so we just used a towel on the kitchen counter (more space). I found it easier to bathe DD in the kitchen sink rather than leaning over the tub to put her into an infant tub.

Friends of ours love this because it's smaller: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70197588/

We had this one: https://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-whale-of-a-tub-infant-bathtub/-/A-10875121#prodSlot=medium_1_1

And honestly, I think I'm going to buy the one at Ikea this time. We threw the one we had away because it took up so much room.

elliespiral · December 2012

Thanks! For the Ikea one you mentioned, I am stuck on how baby would be placed in there as an infant; do you lay them down, or sort of use the edges to position them upright? Is it safe if they can just topple over? I am clueless and can't figure it out! That's why I looked into the slings.

irishmom2010 · December 2012

Well, newborns and infants can be pretty floppy until they can sit up, so you either hold them with one arm/hand and wash with the other (fill the tub with water & add soap, wash 'em down and then rinse them off) or you can buy the ones that have the seat where you lay them back.

In theory, the one that they lay back in is great, but they are so big and bulky and get gross unless you remember to wash them every.single.time. that I am sticking with the kitchen sink this time and then the Ikea bath when baby can sit up.

elliespiral · December 2012

Aha! thanks for humoring my question. can you tell I haven't taken my "caring for your newborn" class yet??

ATLdesi · December 2012

Not a STM here (a FTM), but yea! Just had to chime in b/c I bought that Ikea tub on Saturday, not knowing whether or not it would be good. Glad some experienced moms you know like it I wasn't sure how it would work out even as I was buying it, but since it was only $8 I figured if it didn't work out for us I'd just donate it to Goodwill and find something else later.

I was thinking of purchasing this thing to put into the Ikea tub for the first few months, before baby can sit up unassisted:

https://www.amazon.com/PRI-Infant-Bath-Seat-White/dp/B000BXJZDY/ref=br_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1W4E6QP8GSFJF&coliid=I1K5PVQ9E4ICHW

I don't know if this is considered a "sling" or not, and therefore whether it has the same safety considerations a sling would - but it seems that it would serve the purpose of supporting the baby while in the Ikea tub.

moosegal · December 2012

We have and like the whale tub linked above. We used that for about 6-7 months until DS was steady at sitting on his own. Now we have an inflatable duck tub to use so we don't have to fill up an entire tub with water. https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-White-Hot-Inflatable-Duck/dp/B000066665

We use the guest bathroom for baths, so we just leave the baby tubs sitting in the main all the time.

perplexed59 · December 2012

We just used the normal bath tub. The first baths I would bathe with my daughter because it was so much easier to clean her that way. Plus I loved taking baths to help everything heal down there. When I stopped bathing with her I just put a large wash cloth under her to stop her from moving around. We just never saw the need to buy another tub when we had a perfectly good one that the rest of us used just fine.

And FYI in Canada we bath baby's fully before the cord falls off. I find it funny that in the States it is a big deal to keep the cord dry and here they tell us to just not worry about getting it wet. The nurses I spoke to said they very rarely see an infected cord and if they do it isn't because the baby had a bath.

pitterpatter129 · December 2012

I just used the big yellow sponge thing with DS and plan on buying another for this baby. It squished nicely in any sink or the bathtub, was super cheap, traveled well, and dried quickly. We just put it on the dish drainer to dry.

Runaway22 · December 2012

perplexed59:
We just used the normal bath tub. The first baths I would bathe with my daughter because it was so much easier to clean her that way. Plus I loved taking baths to help everything heal down there. When I stopped bathing with her I just put a large wash cloth under her to stop her from moving around. We just never saw the need to buy another tub when we had a perfectly good one that the rest of us used just fine.
And FYI in Canada we bath baby's fully before the cord falls off. I find it funny that in the States it is a big deal to keep the cord dry and here they tell us to just not worry about getting it wet. The nurses I spoke to said they very rarely see an infected cord and if they do it isn't because the baby had a bath.

Maybe Canada has cleaner water overall than the States. Ours can be pretty poisonous!

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