Product Spotlight: Bath Time

jvk2012 · October 2019

This week’s product spotlight will be: Diapering & Accessories

Where did you bathe baby? What products did you use for a bath?
Any recommendations on soaps or shampoo products?
Any must have accessories?
Any non-essential but fun/enjoyable accessories?
Any tips?

optimism3 · October 2019

FTM and feeling like I might get laughed out of the room lol but one of the things I’ve been wondering is do I really need a baby tub? It’s really just a plastic thing that can hold water, can you just use a designated plastic tub or container of some sort? Is the reason to buy a legit tub that you can strap the child in in some of them? Obviously the tub doesn’t break the bank by any means but I’m trying to figure out what aspects of this are kind of a scam and what I actually need. Thanks all. Try not to laugh at the image of my child in a Tupperware

daffodil_shoe · October 2019

Don’t buy one of these. I had it for DS and hated it. You have to fill the whole bathtub high enough to cover baby so s/he doesn’t get cold, and the mesh gets cold. Not convenient, doesn’t save water, just hated it.

jvk2012 · October 2019

The one I registered for sucked and we ended up buying a new one. I don’t think it’s made anymore because I can’t find it online but the problem was that the infant sling part sat too high so DD was not deep enough in the water in the tub part and was always cold. We then got this one (The First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn to Toddler Tub Pink https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XW65SG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Jb9ODb8527YGT)and it was much better. Babies are wiggly and slippery and I was terrified to bathe her but the newborn tub made me feel a little better. We then had her sit in it probably until she was like 9-10 months old before moving her to the big tub.

Not a fan of the hooded towels. They weren’t big enough and cozy enough. Get lots of washcloths because they are good for washing and placing over baby to keep them warm in the tub. We also used them to clean her up after meals when she started solids. My DD has sensitive skin so we use Dove Sensitive baby shampoo/wash. Don’t get toys that squirt water or rubber ducks with holes in them because they get moldy. We got a temperature telling bath duck but used it like once. Also, I never bathed her in the sink because the logistics of it didn’t work and grossed me out.

ibabyloveb87 · October 2019

Best bathtub ever. It fit across our sink for newborn baths and then we just set it in the tub as he got older. It has a removable infant sling so baby isn’t sliding around and transitions to a sit up tub. It was awesome. We got rid of our first one when we sold our house so I’ve registered for another one!

ETA: the link might be helpful. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HPY8F2G?colid=27PRNVMW6W5XY&coliid=IQIQOH2T65ZUC&ref=br_vv_mobile

I love Phisoderm baby soap like they use in the hospital. I still bathe my almost 3 year old in it because he has eczema and it smells so good. It’s gentle and you can buy it in a 3-4 pack on amazon.

jvk2012 · October 2019

I also want to say that not all babies love bath time. For DD it was not an enjoyable experience so it was never part of our calming bedtime routine. She now loves bath and we do it after dinner but it's not part of "bedtime".

craftywitch · October 2019

Where did you bathe baby? What products did you use for a bath? In the tub with me! We took a bath together daily during my leave and bathed together regularly until he was about 2. When we'd travel I just put a hand towel in a sink for cushion and bathed him in the sink. We use bar soap and epsom salt.
Any recommendations on soaps or shampoo products? Nope- we use natural botanic type bar soap and just bathed him with that. Hair washing is suuuuuper rare and we mainly do water washing even for us.
Any must have accessories? None.
Any non-essential but fun/enjoyable accessories? We got these stacking boats at our baby shower that also rinse and have holes that are fun to "make rain" with. DS is 3 and still uses them! He loves having a bunch of toys in the tub and I love that they take up almost no space and don't turn my bathroom into an eyesore. https://www.target.com/p/boon-fleet-stacking-boats-5ct/-/A-75568259?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1241788&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1242884&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZDtBRDvARIsAPXFx3CqzVdMw2uVNmBOMVSEGSst8DSvSrP6b8HfjU0TJz9lqSPaW1ov5UQaAsYxEALw_wcB
Any tips? Skip the I-haven't-showered-in-a-week drama and bathe together! Also 100% of baby bath products on the "must-have" list are just really good marketing.

DDRRT1982 · October 2019

My first two got baths pretty regularly in a baby tub, but that was when I had more time. Now, my babies bathe with me when I think it’s necessary. I’ll soap them up and my husband takes them to dry off and put clothes on. I’ll do this maybe once a week or two. They don’t get super dirty as newborns, so unless I had a pukey baby I didn’t worry about baths daily. As they get older I increase frequency, but don’t start regular baths until they are mobile. A lot of people use baths to establish bedtime routines which I have heard helps a lot.

rikiteacup · October 2019

I thought the bathtub dividers were a great idea like this one but why are they so freaking expensive? It is also no compatible if you have a textured bottom, which we do.

Right now, we registered for this one. I feel like I am going to have to bathe my newborn in the bathroom sink before we can use this.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/ac/vh1ez4w4ptfr.png

therealbitts · October 2019

@craftywitch totally agree about bathing together with baby! It’s so much easier to get a good handle on them, and I seriously enjoyed the bonding experience. My boys still ask me to get in the bath with them (obviously not really doable since they're so big!). Also, it saves your back since you aren’t having to squat down and lean over to bathe baby.

If I couldn’t get in, I also had a little portable plastic tub. When I was a new first time mom, I would turn on the shower really hot with the door shut for a few minutes before bath to make it nice and warm in there. I’d also make sure to lay out all my supplies beforehand (diaper, Vaseline/gauze if you have a boy and are dealing with circumcision healing, jammies, lotion, etc.).

brookert615 · October 2019

I love all the insight from everyone!

We registered for this one just hearing from good recommendations and the fact it doesn't take up too much space.

@rikiteacup Oh! I never saw those bathtub dividers! How cool!

ibabyloveb87 · October 2019

@therealbitts yes to laying everything out. Makes life so much easier.

FWIW, bath time always gave me so much anxiety until he could sit up better. For no real reason and it was kinda silly. But it’s become more of DH’s job since the beginning was hard for me. So if you are a FTM and feel anxious about bath time, don’t be afraid to call in reinforcements until you feel more comfortable.

lanie1000 · October 2019

I used the same bathtub as @jvk2012 and loved it. Since it's still in the garage, we'll definitely be using it again for #2. We would fill it up and place it on the bathroom counter which made it very convenient to bathe her with no back pain. We ultimately used it until she was 18 months. I definitely won't be using it that long this time since we had to deal with a little fear of the big tub when we eventually switched her to it. It only lasted a couple weeks but it was enough.

I also second what others have said, we only bathed her every other day (unless there was a diaper blowout). Our daughter has a light case of eczema so it worked best for us to avoid overly drying out her skin.

TennisLove30 · October 2019

Where did you bathe baby? What products did you use for a bath? We had a baby bath from Target that goes in the regular bath tub. It was great. I think it’s the one shaped like a whale. We’ll definitely use it again.

Any recommendations on soaps or shampoo products? Everyone bought scented soaps for my baby shower, and we ended up not being able to use them because my daughter had eczema. We mainly used the Aveeno oatmeal bath stuff after that.

Any must have accessories? I don’t remember using any special accessories other than a bath cup to pour water and baby wash clothes.

Any non-essential but fun/enjoyable accessories? We loved the cute hooded bath towels.

Like @craftywitch said, I bathed with my daughter quite a bit as well.

jvk2012 · October 2019

Forgot to add we have a pad to kneel next to the bath tub more comfortably. I hate using it but my H needs it or else kneeling is too painful for him.

We also got a whale that covers the faucet when she got old enough to be out of the baby tub.

lanie1000 · October 2019

@jvk2012 I feel like our bathing set-ups are very similar. We also have the whale faucet cover. Our kneeling pad is also a whale. It came with an elbow pad and a non-slip mat for the tub to make it easier for us to rinse the LO standing up without having to worry about her falling.

leksiL · October 2019

Where did you bathe baby? What products did you use for a bath

https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/the-first-years-sure-comfort-deluxe-newborn-to-toddler-tub/1015001348?categoryId=32074

We had one of these tubs which was great. The sling was helpful when she was little but it would keep her cold so we did not use it long. She loved kicking around in this tub. When she was older she could turn around and sit up in it.

Any recommendations on soaps or shampoo products? DD1 had dry skin, we tried a bunch and like Eucerin wash & shampoo. It also smells really good.
Any must have accessories? A washcloth and a towel.
Any non-essential but fun/enjoyable accessories? DD1 loves playing with the plastic floaty toys in the bath, and stacking cups. The floaty toys need to be replaced often as mold grows inside. Do not let your sophie la giraffe in the tub as it will grow mold inside that you can't see.
Any tips? Do NOT wash the baby's hair too much. We did that with DD1 and she got cradle cap. Now we wash her hair twice a week but I think even less would be appropriate with a baby.
Bed routine: we DID use the bath as part of the bed routine, and since DD1 loves baths so much it works out very well. This is also an activity that is good to have Dad/SO take care of. We spend so much time feeding and holding the baby so it is nice to have a special thing just for them. This is still DH and DD1's thing and they have a lot of fun.

@brookert615 we had one of those with my DD, but our sink was too deep and she would hit her head on the granite counter so DH got rid of it. Too bad because bathing in a sink would be easiest! Just saying try it before baby comes.

brookert615 · October 2019

@leksiL Noted! Thank you!

rikiteacup · October 2019

I registered for the whale pad too! If anyone is looking for it, it is the Skip Hop Bath Kneeler.

shellac835 · October 2019

With DS we used this tub: https://www.amazon.com/Angelcare-Baby-Bath-Support-Grey/dp/B01M6YVW7B/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=baby+bath&qid=1571177919&sr=8-13. It's in the main bath so you still fill the tub, but I would get in with him a lot and it was nice to have a place to set him while I was getting in/out. Worked great and we'll use it again. We used to give him baths a lot, it was my favorite part of my day in the months after going back to work. He was always so calm and happy in there, I looked forward to hanging out in there with him before bed, and it def helped us establish a bedtime routine.

nhh11 · October 2019

For those of you that bathed with the baby, how exactly did you do it? Was it like @shellac835 said, you’d put the baby bath in their baby tub and then fill up the bathtub part way? Or did you just get in and hold the baby? Trying to picture the logistics of that. Also @optimism3 you cracked me up talking about picturing your baby in a Tupperware haha

DDRRT1982 · October 2019

We have a garden tub and I would lay all the towels down, undress baby, place baby in towels briefly, get myself in and reach over and grab baby. You can cuddle with them or put them on your knees and relax. Do whatever is comfortable. DH normally grabs baby after we wash up and then I would wash up with hotter water. If DH wasn’t there, I would just lay babies wrapped up in the towel briefly next to the tub and wash up.

craftywitch · October 2019

@nhh11 ^Same. I’d strip him and lay him on the bath mat then strip myself, get in, and grab him off the floor. He’d sit on my belly and either lean forward and cuddle on my chest or lean back and use my legs as a prop chair- photo in spoiler.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/vz/p6ses9vmkgc2.jpeg

Unsure about this tub thing ma!

therealbitts · October 2019

I just step in carefully holding baby. Like @DDRRT1982 said, you can cuddle them or put them on your knees. When they get a smidge older and are sitting up a bit, you can sit cross legged with baby in your lap so they can lean against you. I normally just get out holding baby, grab the towels and wrap both of us up at first, then just baby. It’s a bit chilly for me until I can get baby dried off and dressed, but it works if you don’t have someone to take baby out first.

lanie1000 · October 2019

Bathing with baby in a tub sounds so nice. Showering with baby is absolutely terrifying. I remember thinking how easy it would be to do a joint shower (having my husband hand me the baby) and it was the scariest thing ever. I had no idea how slippery soapy infants are.

therealbitts · October 2019

@craftywitch such a sweet pic! His face! ❤️

nhh11 · October 2019

craftywitch said:

@nhh11 ^Same. I’d strip him and lay him on the bath mat then strip myself, get in, and grab him off the floor. He’d sit on my belly and either lean forward and cuddle on my chest or lean back and use my legs as a prop chair- photo in spoiler.

Unsure about this tub thing ma!

Oh this is so sweet!!

nhh11 · October 2019

Thanks for all the tips on co-bathing! And I ended up registering for a few different toys and a bathtub after all these recs! Super helpful for a FTM

Product Spotlight: Bath Time

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