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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

How to make a baby enjoy bathtime?

13 replies

yellowflowers · 30/03/2011 21:30

We have made the bath part of our dd's routine. she is a little over 3 months. I try to time it so she is not too hungry and not too sleepy but about half the time she hates it. Have checked temperature and it seems warm but not too hot, and have some toys. Sometimes she loves it. It's just timing it right. Any tips?

I started doing it after food and before sleepiness kicks in as doing it before food means she is so hungry she can't bear it. So routine is at about 5.30ish she has a big feed then a play then at about 6.15 we do bath. But she still screams and hates it about half the time.

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TragicallyHip · 30/03/2011 21:32

Ds never really liked a bath when he was that age so I only gave him one once or twice a week and was quick with it.

He LOVES it now at 21 months.

samsmother · 30/03/2011 21:41

My ds used to scream and scream when being bathed. He used to get in such a state that he couldn't breathe through all the screaming so we tried putting him in with dh and that was the end of the crying.

WuzzAndBuddy · 30/03/2011 21:54

Have you tried getting in the bath with her?
It might be that she just doesn't feel safe in the bath.
Do you bath her in a baby bath or the normal bath?

Also, a tip I was given, that worked, hold her at one end so her feet are touching the bath, makes them feel more secure.

I think I might just be a phase, my DS is another one who screamed all the way through a bath at that age.
Having his feet touch the side did help though, he didn't flap and wriggle as much so I do think it helped him feel safer.

And we gave up in the end, just bathed him once a week and top and tailed him the other days.
Until he was about 5-6months when he suddenly loved the bath and would lie on one of those little terry towelling hammock things and cried when we got him out!

ArrietyClock · 30/03/2011 22:03

Make it deep. That way they float. (I just hold my babies by resting their neck/head on my wrist while holding on to the top of their arm). All three of mine have hated shallow baths but gone all mellow in a deep bath. i guess it must feel familiar. Oh, and I don't believe in tepid baths either.

Mind you, they've all hated the getting out/dry bit.

zayla · 31/03/2011 06:43

Are you certain it's not the temperature? 37 degrees C is the recommended temperature I believe which is warmer than you might think. I bought a bath thermometer (the Phillips Avent one was the only one I could find that actually tells you the temperature) just to make sure the bath was warm enough for our baby as otherwise he'd scream!

washnomore · 31/03/2011 06:56

Try doing it in the morning instead. There's no way either of mine could cope with a bath at that time of night until around 5 or 6 months, it's completely exhausting for them.

ethelina · 31/03/2011 08:05

My son always hated baths. He's just starting to get better about it at 6 months old since we started bathing with him and he is happiest on one of those sponge seat pads sitting upright - we get small smiles and tentative splashes now instead of rigid misery.

DeWe · 31/03/2011 20:30

Dd1 was happier when we put a coupld of bath toys in (which at 2 months we didn't think she'd be bothered) and warmed the water to hotter than advised (but still quite cool to an adult)

rilesm · 01/04/2011 10:31

I can't rate the tommee tippee bucket bath enough. My baby is 6 weeks old and has loved her bath from day one. Think the key is that it is nice and deep and is apparently supposed to mimic the womb. Not sure if it would work being introduced at 3 months though.. I got mine on ebay for a fiver

Chlot · 02/04/2011 04:06

We started off with a tummy tub when my son was tiny - it was winter and it made sure more of his body was under warm water and he felt secure. Then when we did the transition to the bath I bathed with him until he could sit up. I also took him swimming from 4 months. He's one and a half now and is great with water, has no probs with splashing and is starting to yank off his own clothes to get into the bath as quick as he can.

ethelina · 02/04/2011 11:06

Wish I'd had a tummy tub now. Normal baby baths are a total waste.

Original poster

yellowflowers · 02/04/2011 18:34

Did one today where we had a bath together. She quote liked it and definitely felt safer. Can only do when dh here though as can't get in and out with her by myself.

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biztastic · 02/04/2011 18:56

My DS hated baths until I finally cracked it at about 3.5 months by giving it in the morning. He still needed encouragement and a Tummy Tub helped but he could cope with it at that time of day. In the late afternoons/evenings he just was too tired to cope with something he found a bit challenging, so he screamed, even when I tried everything else including getting in with him.

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