...about bathing my new baby?

[scantilymad]

Hi
I'm a long term lurker but this is my first post.
I am married with one four month old baby. Our baby has silent reflux, a tongue and lip tie that made breastfeeding difficult and I was diagnosed with PND eight weeks after the birth (a score of 19 which according to the HV is pretty high). Anyway, after battling through that little lot, we finally felt like we are getting in to some sort of structure and settling as a family.
My cousin came to visit last night and we shared a bottle of wine and were chatting generally about babies. I mentioned that I sometimes get in the bath with my baby boy in the evening on the days when I remember I haven't had time to bathe or shower for a couple of days and am feeling generally a bit grim. DH never gets home before 8pm so bath, bottle bed are down to me on weekdays.
My cousin looked genuinely shocked when I told her this and asked if I wore a bathing suit when I got in the bath? When I said no, as the point of a bath is to, you know, get clean, she implied it was very weird for me and my son to be naked in the bath together. She also thinks I'm putting him in danger in case I slip and drop him when I'm getting out or that he will drown because the adult bath is too deep. I don't wash my hair or shave or anything in his bath, just sit in it with him.
Sorry this is so long but I genuinely don't know now if I'm doing something inappropriate or dangerous? Am I? Being diagnosed with PND was a massive knock to my confidence and really makes me doubt my instincts/decisions.
Thank you

I still get in the bath with ds and he's nearly six! He loves washing my hair. He's not very good at it, but who cares?! He's not going to want to do it forever, so I take all the opportunities I can!
His first proper bath was with dh, and he screamed the place down ;)

Frusso, I also have bf in the bath. I actually found it loads easier because I was all nice and warm and relaxed, and if I leaned back against the end of the bath I seemed to be at the right angle to get a good latch. I'm sure that being in the bath with my son was one of the reasons why I was able to bf at all, actually.

In our first house we only had a shower and I have a lovely picture of me bf a tiny 2week old ds1.
Have to say only dp my sister and I have seen it though

I still have baths with my 2 DS, they are 5 and almost 7, in fact, I can't get in a bath without them joining me! And I loved being in the bath with them as babies, it was lovely.

My wee one loves helping me shave my legs!! On fact, he'll say, "mummy, your legs are spiky. Shall I help you shave them?"

Bathing with your baby is a very special and wonderful time. Pretty much every day I bathe with my two kiddies (3yrs and 9 months). My littlest often breastfeeds in the bath. What you are doing is completely normal and a fantastic time to bond all together. I've always wanted my children to feel comfortable around me being naked and myself and DP believe bathing together is one of the best ways to do that.

I just about have faded memories of bathing with my dad when I was 3 ish!
If your story is bad im very worried (except im not)

That reminds me of MIL putting on her swimming costume to bath the dog. Because the dog would clearly be perving over her if she was naked...

Normal .

Have done since DD was about 3 months she is 9 months now and splashes away she loves it.

Her Dad does too with trunks on nothing wrong with it at all :)

Enjoy the lovely time with your son. As he gets older he'll love playing games in bath with Mummy like our Dd loves playing games with her daddy. Nothing in the least bit weird about children and parents being naked together at bath time. It's people projecting weirdness onto it that makes people uncomfortable. Enjoy!

No not weird at all, I never bathed mine any other way when they were tiny, right from birth. We'd have a nice long soak together and I'd combine it with a marathon bf so it killed three birds with one stone, getting her clean, me clean and having a good feed. then we'd get out and she'd be up for having a long nap while I got on with stuff. I don't think either of mine bathed solo until at least 6 months. I had the water a bit cooler than I'd like and they had the water a bit hotter than recommended, but they both lived to tell the tale!

If your cousin has an issue because your baby is a boy, frankly she is barking mad. Does she really think your 4 month old is going to be having inappropriate thoughts when seeing you naked?! Very strange attitude.

Ds2 is 7 years old and still gets in the bath with me I like my baths to myself.

Four month ago she was inside your body! never mind seeing it. And he probably exited via your fanjo. Call SS at once!
Only reason I don't bathe with mine more is because I like to doze off in the warm water..

He, sorry.

From the viewpoint of someone without children, I don't think it's odd either. Sounds like a lovely bounding time to me.

*Bonding.

Obviously not bounding, that would be dangerous.

I still shower with my daughter, she's 5.

Exactly frusso! Boobies mean one thing and one thing alone to babies!

So so so not weird!

What'd she think of me bathing with my almost two year old son who comes over and helps himself to a BF and occasionally accidenally sticks his foot up my bum.

Oh dear...

If it's now inappropriate for newborns to see their mother naked it will make giving birth very, very difficult.

Your cousin is a bit loopy.

Definitely YANBU on this one. Gorgeous thing to do.

Not weird - I've never done it though, purely because i like really hot baths!