AIBU - The Baby Bath Incident

Does MIL have a bath? If so, the solution is for one of you to sit in the bath and hold the baby in the bath. It’s what we did with both of our DC, it’s lovely skin to skin time, quite often DH was the one in the bath because I was breastfeeding so it gave him the skin to skin time. I sat in the bathroom and washed the baby whilst he held them and then I got the towel ready and he passed the baby to me to wrap in the towel and get them dry and ready for bed.

DN is 2, so she would be absolutely fine in the bigger bath now. SIL will be having her bath ripped out soon for a shower as she stated “ DN does not like baths” so this begs me to wonder why is she so adamant about not giving over the baby bath? It also wasn’t a cheap plastic thing as someone stated, MIL spent a lot of money on baby things to remain at her house as both DP and SIL are in their 40’s and she had given up hoping she would become a Grandmother. Then we both got pregnant at the same time.

I am in Italy and it definitely is not cheap for baby items. Powdered formula costs €25-€40. Clothing sets you’d find in next for £15 cost €30. Baby baths ( I looked) are €25 plus p+p because we are in a small village in the mountains. We ventured into the town yesterday but it isn’t like England where you can nip to B&M, you have to go to a specialist baby store which is just over an hour away.

My DS2 is only 8 weeks old and requires the support for his neck which a baby bath. Partner has OCD and will not use the kitchen sink as obviously, it where dirty dishes are washed. The bathroom sink is a modern thing which really isn’t safe or deep enough for a nice soak to relieve pain.

Over the decades we’ve had a few through with snapped necks, so I really wouldn’t risk it. Too high a price in the event (albeit rare) that something goes wrong.

Absolutely worked for our baby too, 3 sessions in 12 days and it cured weeks of constant crying

It may not be possible where you are but cranial osteopathy solved our dc’s colic- she was really struggling and the day after her first treatment it miraculously stopped. Could be coincidence but I believe it helped.

I’m sorry but I’m not washing my 8 week in a sink, where he will become slippery with the water and possibly aggravate any colic/reflux he has. I’d rather be safe and use the correct apparatus that are made for babies!

Honestly, you are being utterly ridiculous. Do you think baby baths have existed forever? Generations were happily bathed otherwise, including myself as I lived in a multi-generational household as a baby with grandparents who distrusted ‘new fangled things’🤣. Never hurt anyone and certainly won’t worsen colic or reflux (no idea how you figure this), but also, likely won’t help it either. You seem to be dying in a hill you just don’t need to be on.

That's why you put a towel on the bottom of the sink. If the floor is slippery, stand on a towel.

Not once did I drop her.

Well once would be rather more than enough!

It obviously works for some people but I would feel very insecure being wet and slippery on a hard floor with a wet, slippery baby in my wet hands.

The sink, a washing up bowl or a bucket would be the right size. However, from experience of having DD1, the likelihood of a bath sorting out the gastro bloating and pain isn't very high.

I'm sure that you've already looking for everything you can, but just in case, do you FF or do you BF? If so, do you eat/drink dairy? DD was unable to tolerate dairy either way.

And whilst you've done it all before, it may be that your baby needs a different position and technique for winding - neither of mine did a thing with the traditional over the shoulder method, but if I sat them forward with their chins supported in my hand and rubbed their backs in a circle, that worked 99% of the time, the final 1% being when I'd cross my forearm over their tummies.

Laying flat in a scrap of water did nothing - imagine if you felt sick, had heartburn and painful bloating and somebody suggested you laid on your back - although being upright in deeper water, supported by your arm along their front, might feel nice when the baby isn't actively in pain (and could help encourage elimination).

It's easy to get into the panic and anger when a baby doesn't stop crying, which is likely why the baby bath is becoming quite such a thing. Take a deep breath, get a washing up bowl or bucket and even if it doesn't help, the baby doesn't care it's grey with Addis printed on the edge rather than bunnies and flowers.

🤣

I've read my message back and know that I didn't explain myself well here.

I was meaning a baby inflatable. You can often get them for swimming pools in various different styles. If somewhere warm or touristy then maybe a boat style may work as a temporary bath solution.

Of course , I wouldn't be suggesting a massive boat. That would be pretty silly wouldn't it!

I never had a baby bath. DD came in the bath with me or DH from birth. DH worked away so I was often doing it by myself. Not once did I drop her.

I never had a baby bath. DD came in the bath with me or DH from birth. DH worked away so I was often doing it by myself. Not once did I drop her.

I just wouldn't have the confidence.

When you get them out of the bath, you aren't wet, the floor isn't wet, your feet aren't wet. Your feet are dry and on firm dry ground and the only wet thing is baby so you can focus everything on holding them firmly. I'd just feel challenged by also focusing on not slipping on a wet floor myself.#

Sitting in the shower seems not so bad, but I'd have to hand them to someone before attempting to stand up again.

Erm, you just don’t drop them. Just like how you don’t drop them when you get them out of the bath. You just don’t drop your baby. And no one is really that slippery - trying to think now.. I think I sort of washed one side of his body whilst holding him on one hip, rinsed, then swapped sides. Two days after a c section too! Then we got a baby bath seat with holes in, then later he sat on the shower floor..now he stands up.