Bath Time Nightmare

[AdmiralData]

Hello all. My baby boy is 10 days old and does not like having a bath, having his nappy changed or having his clothes changed. He screams his head off! He is getting better with clothes changes and nappy changes but bath time is dreadful. He screams until he is red in the face. Midwife said it is just because some babies don't like being naked and he will grow out of it but I am starting to dread bathing him! Even top and tailing him is awful. Does anyone else have the same trouble and what did you do please? Thanks :)

I feel I should also add that once he is wrapped in a towel and having a cuddle he returns to being my lovely baby, he is generally a lovely non-screaming baby :)

He has no need for baths for weeks yet - don't stress him out unnecessarily if he doesn't like it. Don't put things over his head - two babygros one over the other is all he needs - you don't need to 'dress' him. A dribble bib can stop them getting damp and mean he only needs to have his clothes changed once a day. Vests are always a nightmare - if you really want to put one on him remember they have the 'envelope' opening so they can go up over legs and tummy, not over head.

Very normal. Stick to one bath a week. He really doesn't get dirty. Try to only put one thing on over his head - a vest. Then pop a babygrow and cardi on top. Vests with envelope necks can be pulled down rather than go over the head for coming off. Keep the outfits till he is past 6 months.

Thank you both :) I will try and find some of those envelope vests, unfortunately he has about five hundred of the 'over the head' jobbies and I hate them as much as he does! I should have specified that I only 'dress' him in babygrows and vests (and cardigans if needed) and not in pointless outfits as they just upset him further.

Congrats on the birth of your son !
What you are describing is absolutely.normal.. my DS used to scream and scream during nappy changes and top n tail...They hate being naked at that age. He's now almost 6 mo and loves his bath and doesn't fuss at all during nappy changes :)

I agree with fewer baths. DS didn't even get one a week at first. And he loves them now, so it's not a case of having to 'get used' to them.

Does any kind of distraction work for the changes? DS used to have a few black and white patterned cards stuck above his changing mat. Maybe try a cheery song too, that he might begin to recognise and enjoy.

Take it slow and listen to his feelings of upset. It must be a big shock for him to be out of the womb and feeling all these new sensations. Crying is the body's natural healing process and when my daughter cries I take things really slow, giving her a chance to express her feelings rather than rushing through the job with a struggling baby. If your DS had a chance to cry in the safety of your arms, it will help him to adjust to the big change of being on the world and he'll grow in confidence

Cheers guys. I really appreciate the advice and have already switched to top and tailing which is going down alot better than a full bath! I agree that it must be a massive shock to my little man going from a snug womb to the big wide world >:] I use envelope neck vests now so he is MUCH less stressed when I need to put new ones on. I will get some of the black and white cards too, alot of mums have recommended them!

My son screamed from birth when having a bath. He was 5 months old before he had his first pleasant bath ! Don't fret about it, just top and tail for the time being.