Baby bath time hell since day 1.

[Woobeedoo]

Help!!

My little boy is 14wks old and since day 1 has screamed blue bloody murder on all but one of his baths. I've tried different techniques but to no avail (we have a bath temperature thing so I know I'm not cooking him) and they are:

In the bath with me.
Top & Tail on the living room floor.
Washing up bowl on the living room floor.
Washing up bowl in the kitchen sink (worked with no tears once).
Kitchen sink minus w-up bowl, with a thick flannel for him to sit on.

In all cases he is being well supported by me, he is warm, the water is warm and I have everything set up ready so I'm not wasting time faffing about. After the bath when drying him off I give him a gentle shoulder and tummy rub, put him in clean warm clothes and give him a feed but he will be turning puce doing Stressed Crying until we reach the milk stage.

Does anyone have any tips on how to make bath times less vocal or shall I go out and buy the ear defenders now?

[soontobeslendergirl]

Maybe he doesn't like feeling exposed to the air (even though it is warm) have you tried keeping a flannel over his chest?

He wont be that dirty really, could you do a bit at a time every time he is changed so it isn't all happening at once? i.e. face and hands in morning, under arms and chest next change....you get the idea :o

[DoItTooJulia]

You need a tippitoes bath! ds1 hated his baths too. Ds2 adored his, because I had bought the tippitoes one! He was secure in there, I had my hands free and it was altogether more relaxed.

Ds1 had a shantalla bath, which was a total disaster!

Good luck.

[Woobeedoo]

Ahh, good idea on the flannel!

I bath him every other day and thoroughly wipe his bits with each nappy change which he seems to accept tho when my OH tried it, he wasn't as organised as I am and got himself pee'd over. Oh how we laughed. Well, I did.

Will try to bathe by stealth and see if that works.

Cheers!

[Beccadugs]

We have a bath support that goes in the big bath. I think it makes it quicker as she is totally supported (I think she likes that feeling) so we can be quick. Agree with warm flannel over the chest and tummy... That was a turning point for us!

[Woobeedoo]

I like the look of that bath DoIt. I'd dismissed other baby baths as they just looked like big washing up bowls and easily tip-uppable but that one looks good.

Could be £15 to save my sanity. And eardrums.

Thank you.

[Woobeedoo]

Hi Becca,

I had to rule out bath supports - we have a corner bath and cleaning the thing is hard enough (the amount of times I've nearly done a Mrs Doyle from Father Ted, over stretched and fallen in the poxy thing is insane). Boooo.

Thanks anyway.

[Colchestergal]

I have that bath and my DS still screams blue murder at every bath time!!! Sorry!

[DoItTooJulia]

Honestly, it is brilliant. I have given it to a friend who just had a baby and they love it too. I would really really recommend it.

Let me know how you get on with it if you get one!

[mrscog]

We used a tummy tub, but when they're that tiny as long as you top and tail them well, and put clean clothes on them regularly you only need to bath every few days - save yourself the grief!

[meditrina]

DS2 was like this. I abandoned bathing him, and cleaned him by massaging with olive oil.

We kept trying baths from time to time, and had a breakthrough when he was sitting up securely by himself. It was like flicking a switch - from screaming to happy splashing.

[Beccadugs]

Oh rubbish woobwedoo! Never mind!

[Woobeedoo]

Ahh, the Tummy Tub. A friend of ours bathes her baby in a small garden trug as they are supported all round and feel snug so is kind of similar in design. I was tempted to try but not yet got round to getting one. Could always use it in the garden if it doesn't pan out.

I'm hoping its an age thing and that one day I'll plonk him in the water and he'll enjoy it. I live in hope.....

[slightlyconfused85]

My DD was like this for a while till about 10 weeks. We solved it by making it a bit warmer than the recommendation (obviously not very hot, but warmer than the recommended temp). This was the idea of a friend with two children - worked a treat. Maybe he's a little bit chilly.

DD still adores her bath now - she is 16.5 months and is the highlight of her day!

[TheGreatHunt]

You don't need to bathe daily at this age.

[AnythingNotEverything]

I was going to say the same as slightlyconfused - DD needs the water warmer than I would normally offer it.

[Orangeisthenewbanana]

DD was like this until about 4.5 months old. We just persevered with a short bath every night and figured the more often we did it, the quicker she'd get used to it.

And she did! DH comes out of the bathroom now looking like he fell in a lake, where she has been enthusiastically splashing her way through bathtime

[StarGazeyPond]

My son also loathed being bathed from birth. We just left it until he could sit up, with us right there, and my Mum got the bath out in front of the fire.......and away he went. He's been a water baby from that day to this.

[cowbiscuits]

DS hated baths until he got old enough to sit up in them. Now we have tantrums when it's time to get out the bath.

[MexicanSpringtime]

Is it feasible to shower with him? You need to put a towel or facecloth over you chest and shoulder so he won't slip, but that is what worked for my granddaugher who also hated bathes.

[sesw]

Hi - just a thought by both my two boys HATED being supported. They love the water a little deeper and Warner and they float. We simply hold their heads and the rest of their body submerges and they float in bliss. It's a method piloted by a French nurse - you can see it on you tube and it revolutionised bath time for us.

[ClipClap]

Another one who abandoned the thermometer - my DD loved baths once they were actually warm.

[systemsaddict]

It's going back a way now but the Tummy Tub worked for my bath-hating ds for actual baths - although he still screamed blue murder when I took him out of it! I ended up doing a fair amount of bathing with him, and also with dd later.

[MinesAPintOfTea]

I'd also get him dried, dressed and to the milk as quickly as possible. And I've never used a bag thermometer but is your bathroom warm to be naked in and how does the bath temperature feel on your wrist?

[HippyPottyMouth]

DD hated baths until about 14 weeks and then all of a sudden got over it. I think the change happened when we were away and hadn't got the baby bath, so she went in the big grown-up bath and realised that she could kick and splash about.

[GingerMaman]

Honestly try the tippitoes bath. It is fantastic! I still put my 10 month old in there even though its too small for her. At your LO's age, they can sit in that unaided, and you can then play with him and it'll be more relaxed.