To bath DS every night even though he hates it?

[Onlymydogunderstandsme]

My DS is 14 weeks old. Since he was about 8 weeks he has had a bath every evening as part of his bedtime routine and has always enjoyed it, splashing and smiling etc.

That was until about a week ago, he now screams as soon as his feet touch the water. I don't really understand why, nothing has happened to make him frightened and I think it's a shame seeing as he used to enjoy it so much! I have continued to bath him hoping he will start enjoying it again but I don't know if that's a bit mean as he seems so upset? He has to be bathed I know that but probably not every night?

So AIBU to continue bathing him every night?

You really dont need to bath every night. Topping and tailing is enough.

Is your room cooler now than it was so he doesnt like the change in temp?

Talk about making life hard for yourself!

I wouldn't at this age tbh if he hates it.

I wouldn't bath him every night. I doubt he is dirty at all. I would do it once a week. Bathing children everyday seems to have become a strange ritual relatively recently, it's totally unnecessary.

I'd do a bath every other night maybe. You obviously can't stop completely and it's probably just a phase for him. He'll get used to it again :)

Thanks Wannabe-The bathroom is always warm and I put the heating on around the time I bath him so I don't think it's that. Do babies go through stages of liking/disliking things? He hated the car for about 3 weeks but then was fine?

Not good for his skin surely?

I'd just stop for a bit at this age. Just wipe face and bum and skin creases with damp sponge. Reintroduce it slowly. Also, check the water temperature. DS liked it much hotter than they recommend.

yes, they go through stages, but REALLY he does not need daily baths. Why do you want him to bath on a daily basis?

Just why?

What were baby wipes invented for

I'd only bath him if he's really mucky.. certainly not every night if he hates it !

My ds is the same age as yours and we do bath and bed but he loves his bath.

I started doing it every evening as the HV suggested it as part of the bedtime routine. I know he's not dirty and doesn't need it but when he found it enjoyable it was a nice part of the day! I will take your advice and not do it so often! Thank you!

I only did mine a couple times a week at that age, but I did used to swaddle them with their head sticking out and do hair washes a bit more often as they get milk everywhere and mine would get a bit of sick in it and they had a ton of hair.

It was more because he enjoyed it than anything else so think I will do what Bonzo said.

Try putting a warm face cloth over his tummy so he is covered up a bit, some babies just don't like that feeling of being "exposed"

At around the same age my dd went through a phase of hating the bath, only lasted a couple of weeks and back to loving it again. I would just run her bath anyway and give her a wash down lying on a towel on the floor then at the very end once she was clean if she hadn't kicked off put her in the bath, then if she got upset she was still clean and could take her out again quickly. She absolutely loves the bath again now so it will hopefully pass soon for your ds.

Once a week is enough at their age TBH. It's not exactly like they're running about in mud is it? That's what wipes are for, to clean them. Their skin can very easily dry out at that age, and I think you're just making work for yourself.

Thank you Fresh and Nyancat I will try both of those. Hopefully he will go back to living it again soon.

Loving not living!

I thought your child was going to be a grubby little 6 year old not a teeny weeny!

Honestly a baby that age needs a clean bottom, face and hands.

A bath once a week if that is all that's needed.

Get in the bath with him and let him sit on you, facing you. All my children loved this, and I have very happy memories of lounging in the bath with them when they were fussing and nothing else would comfort them.

Oh and he might be hating it because he is already tired and wants bed? I had to bath DD in the mornings for a while which she preferred

Dd hated baths, I bathed her three times up to five months old and one of those was at the hospital

I did top and tail her twice a a day though.

I only did two or three times a week at that age, and even once a week would be fine I think. My nine month old hated her baths until she was around six months but I think it did have to do with air temperature. She's just recently really started to hate having her hair washed, just like her older brother, so I do think things can just change.

Get in with him and let him lie on you. He will feel secure and start to enjoy it all over again. Have the waters slightly warmer then usual so that it's OK for you. Run the hot tap onto your feet and have the chest area cooler. Take a book in with you if you decide to have a long soak together.