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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to only bath my baby once a week?

103 replies

BonjourIvresse · 30/09/2009 20:13

According to my dear mother I am, I "ought" to bathe him more than once a week. If he's dirty or had sun cream on or something I bathe him more than that. I give him a top and tail wash with a flannel once a day, and of course a wipe down either end when its dirty. He's 6 months. I used to give his sister a bath every night at the same age and she had excema. My baby has lovely skin with no excema at all. Its not like he smells or anything

OP posts:
lovebubba · 30/09/2009 22:52

It must take just as long to top and tail them but yes that is fine when they are little babies but when they are bigger much harder and they get dirty the main reason is they can pick up infections example you have a sanitary pad on all week and not have a shower..

MoonlightMcKenzie · 30/09/2009 22:54

Infections? My ds is never ever ill, - although he has autism. I don't think he caught that though.

Olive11 · 30/09/2009 22:57

But loveubba if you have a child that has eczema it doesn't do them any good to be bathed too often.

I think it is a bit unreasonable to compare a small child not bathing more than once a week with an adult not changing their sanitary pad!

hatwoman · 30/09/2009 22:57

yes, what are these infections, pray? and how come my children aren't either permanently at the GPs or social pariahs?

hatwoman · 30/09/2009 22:58

yes, I too don;t get the unchanged sanitary pad comparison...

MoonlightMcKenzie · 30/09/2009 23:05

I'm currently wondering how I'm gonna solve the problem of my ds' almost black legs. He went to bed with them but won't get up until 8ish tomorrow and we have to leave by half past to get to preschool. Won't have time to have a bath, or even a wash for that matter.

I suppose I could put him in long trousers, but his 1:1 will see his legs if she has to change his nappy

What to do?

Life changes when school begins doesn't it?

lovebubba · 30/09/2009 23:09

I do have a child with eczema and when she was still in nappies she was kept clean as urine will burn there skin and so will wipes.
Oilatum in every bath will help you can ask your GP for it.
And no I did not say not changing a sanitary pad that is yuk... I said not showering after you have had one on all week anyway everyone is diffrent lol good luck with that one x

Olive11 · 30/09/2009 23:11

Not really Moonlight

My ds1 bathes once or twice a week. If he has dirty knees in between I like to think it is a sign of of happy childhood ie. he is out playing in the garden and having fun.

He is 9 btw!

You are a bad mother for not bathing him tonight before he went to bed

MoonlightMcKenzie · 30/09/2009 23:15

Yeah, bad mother, but he didn't have dinner until gone 7pm (we eat together with DH) and he was too tired and needs to get up tomorrow. Not sure where a bath will have fitted in. Also, we have to fill up the bath with a showerhead with hardly any pressure. Takes 40mins to fill.

Probably should have given his knees a scrub when we brushed his teeth though. Oh well. Maybe I'll quickly paint his legs tomorrow morning and tell his 1:1 we were doing early morning crafts.

Olive11 · 30/09/2009 23:17

lovebubba I'm sure you are doing everthing right for your dc but it is still unfair to call the OP lazy because they do not bath their ds more than once a week. The OP's ds is only 6 months old and to top and tail at this age is more than acceptable.

MoonlightMcKenzie · 30/09/2009 23:21

You can call me lazy though. I am. Although I suppose I also have different priorities.

colditz · 30/09/2009 23:24

It's far far lazier to bath them when everyone else says they should be bathed than it is to go against the flow and explain to people that too many baths are damaging for a child's skin.

Skin infections are more likely to occur in a child who is bathed every day than in a child who is bathed once a week but washed daily. The reason for this is that too much bathing strips the skin of it's natural protective layer, leaving it open to bacteria.

Lovebubba, tbh if I were you I'd do a little more research into the causes of childhood eczema before you start sounding off about people being lazy. All oilatum does is replace what was washed off in to bath - if you hadn't over-bathed the child in the first place, the oilatum (and associated chemicals) may not have been needed at all.

lovebubba · 30/09/2009 23:25

yep fair point but it must be quicker just to dip them in the bath quick takes all of 5mins

Jajas · 30/09/2009 23:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lovebubba · 30/09/2009 23:33

Ok maybe the question should be how many baths do you take? before you question why I bath my children each to there own!

colditz · 30/09/2009 23:34

My 6 year old goes in the shower entirely of his own accord. I don't allow him to shower every day, it WRECKS his skin.

My 3 year old gets in the bath 2 or three times a week. Depending on how grubby he is.

Jajas · 30/09/2009 23:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Olive11 · 30/09/2009 23:35

but why Jajas? kids this age do not smell. I encourage my dc's to have good hygene habits like cleaning their teeth, washing daily etc. but I do not see why they need to have a bath every night.

Olive11 · 30/09/2009 23:38

That was not why do you shower! I was referring to your earlier post

Jajas · 30/09/2009 23:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

colditz · 30/09/2009 23:41

I have have the urge for sterile children, strangely. they don't need to sparkle.

colditz · 30/09/2009 23:41

Should read I DON@'T HAVE...

BexieID · 30/09/2009 23:42

We've always bathed Tom twice a week. Will do the same for DC2 as well.

Olive11 · 30/09/2009 23:45

Jajas if you are still here the OP was posting about a 6 month old so I don't thing that how they wipe etc. really comes in to it! Obviously it is different as children grow up and we need to teach them good hygene habits

Jajas · 30/09/2009 23:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.