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AIBU?

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AIBU - The Baby Bath Incident

355 replies

ExhaustedRaccoon · 08/08/2026 09:30

SIL and I both have toddlers of a similar age ( only 3 months age difference) and I also have an 8 week old.

When the grandchildren were born, MIL bought lots of lovely baby things for us to share ( MIL lives abroad close to SIL and we are in the UK).

DP and I are currently on holiday and staying with MIL and DC. DS 2 ( the youngest ) has had severe colic and reflux and during the wee small hours of searching the internet, I read a nice warm bath before bed can sometimes relax the baby. At this point, I am willing to try anything. MIL only has a shower and a sit on things for the baby borrowed from SIL.

I remembered about the lovely bath with a pillow MIL purchased and asked where it was. She said SIL had borrowed it. MIL messaged SIL to ask if she could bring it back please. SIL said no, she still uses it. MIL explained our colic situation and how we are all incredibly sleep deprived and also how she is the one who bought the baby bath and she still refused to bring it back ( we are only here for two weeks so she would get it back!) she suggested we buy our own.

SIL has just moved house and has a lovely big bath in her second bathroom she could use for DN.

DP got a bit annoyed and messaged SIL saying he will come to pick it up himself and they ended up having an argument about it.

AIBU to think SIL is being incredibly unreasonable and childish about a bloody baby bath? Children’s things are not cheap here and we will only be using it for two weeks to try an ease a bit of pain for our DS2 which she clearly doesn’t care about!

OP posts:
LizzyA123 · 11/08/2026 13:25

Maybe she passed in on to someone else and is too embarrassed to say or has damaged it, repurposed it or it’s stuck in a loft covered in spider webs.

Retiredfromearlyyears · 11/08/2026 14:06

ExhaustedRaccoon · 08/08/2026 10:11

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.

I think your SiL is one mean madam! However just be the better person and buy your own baby bath. You know where you stand with her now. I hope your wee baby gets past the 'colicky ' stage soon.

Whiteshapelz · 11/08/2026 15:00

Yanbu.
What a pity your MIL could not have been firmer.
Awful behaviour.
I hope your baby settles soon.

Coffeeismyfriend1 · 14/08/2026 20:05

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.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 14/08/2026 20:33

Coffeeismyfriend1 · 14/08/2026 20:05

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.

Says in the OP, and has been covered multiple times on the thread, she doesn’t have a bath. I presume she’s solved the issue in the last week anyway

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