To boil and cool my baby's bath water?

[belephant]

Posting on AIBU for traffic as bathtime is fast approaching, sorry if it's not appropriate for this board!!

I was just FaceTiming my mum when I said in passing "ugh it's bath night tonight, I'd better start getting the kettle going soon" and she looked at me like I was stark raving mad and told me to just use tap water like any sane person would. I had a quick google and can only see stuff coming up advising cooled boiled water for wiping newborns' faces. My baby is 5 months old for reference. I'm struggling to actually remember where I even got the idea that it had to be boiled and cooled from.

So go on then, should I be boiling it or am I lost in the realm of 'PFB' and FTM anxiety?! 😁

When ds1 was a baby, I sometimes used to take him in the bath with me in the afternoons - he loved it, and it entertained him - and I used to wrap him in a towel and put him on the bath at while I had a really quick wash - it was a real win-win.

With ds2 and ds3, when they were little babies, they’d just get a quick dunk in the bath water while their brother/s were in there.

Dont worry, @belephant - the baby will survive - and we’ve all done the odd PFB thing. There’s a famous thread on here where one poster tells how she put baby shampoo in her own eye, to check that it really was ‘No More Tears!’

Oh dear! 🤣🤣🤣

Utterly bonkers. Tap water is fine.

Sorry OP, but that is wonderfully bonkers. I always just jumped into the bath with mine.

No wonder you dread bath nights 🤣

Put him in the main bath aswell he'll love it

Aww… love that you had to ask
tap water is fine…. You do know most babies will pee in the bath the second you put them in right?

I shall defend you, OP! I was told to use cool boiled water for topping and tailing... for the first few days until the cord falls off. TBF that was 2 decades ago so I've no idea if that advice still stands.

Oh OP, you've taken it pretty well.

I remember when my DD2 was little I was asked by the dragon-like HV to go along to the breastfeeding support group. I had DD1 with me who was turning 2 and very articulate. The HV started lecturing all these new mums about weaning and sterilising bowls, spoons etc. I burst out laughing and said I'd never sterilised a spoon or bowl in my life. Both DDs were in nursery back then (only a terms' maternity leave) and playing on the floor and drooling over the same toys as all the other kids & putting them in their mouths. Why faff around sterilising a clean spoon when they were sucking a rattle that 4 other children had sucked? The HV was unimpressed and told me not to bother coming along again. The other mums were most grateful.

You've probably got confused with washing their eyes with tepid boiled water.

This is insane!

Are you confusing drinking water with bath water? I don't understand

What??

I do vaguely recall using cooled boiled water to wipe dd's face when she was newly born but only for a few weeks.

Well mine just had normal bath water from birth !!!
They are late 20 s and tot sally fine .....

Haha you're insane OP but this is very sweet somehow. Every day is spa day for your little one!

we used to do that in the tropics where the tap water was rain water that was collected in a cistern under the house.

in the uk it's luckily drinking water and tightly monitored for quality & safety - so safe to use straight from the tap.

This is adorable. 😍

Oh this made me laugh so much. Bless you. Definitely PFB. My baby gets a quick dunk under the shower (3rd child!)

Absolute madness OP, but we've all been there! I once cried (I was only a few weeks postpartum in my defence) after a random stroked my first baby's hand, I was so worried about germs - and this was before covid existed!
Second time around, it's more "Well worst case, it's good for the immune system!"

Awww, your little baby must feel like Little Lord Fauntleroy, with his own personal house maid running up and down the stairs preparing freshly boiled water for his bath. Best of luck to that little chap adjusting to the plebby life of water from the hot tap.

That's absolute madness.

That’s bonkers 😂😂

My god 😂😂😂😄

Aww OP, I did the same. I was told to wash baby with cooled boiled water so assumed that meant bath too 🤷🏼‍♀️

No need at all to boil and cool bathwater. I reckon it'd potentially dangerous because of the risk of scolding yourself.

Oh bless you OP! And you’ve taken these replies in good humour, I love posters like you!

Unless you are getting tap water from some really dodgy place, Tap water in UK is fine.
water companies in UK are held to higher standards than bottled water sellers.