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Original poster

Baby terrified of water! Help!

56 replies

bumblenbean · 16/01/2019 22:00

Does anyone else have a baby who HATES the bath? Or a baby who has come to like it??

My DS absolutely loves bathtime and always has. My little girl however (aged 4 months) is the complete opposite. She seems to be terrified of the water and screams the house down as soon as she feels the water, despite being a very placid and smiley baby the rest of the time. It makes bathtime a real drama and it really stresses me out seeing her so traumatised (sounds dramatic but she really seems terrified).

We’ve tried singing, gentle sponging rather than splashing, bathing her with her brother And on her own, before/after food, distracting with toys, different temperatures ... but to no avail! We’ve also tried her in a stand-alone baby bath and holding her in the main bath, but it makes no difference.

As my son loves swimming I thought I would give it a try with her in the hope it would be different if I was actually in there with her- we went to a class in a small, really warm pool and it was a disaster - she got completely hysterical and was the only one crying! I gave it 10 mins and then beat a hasty, red-faced retreat!

I really don’t know what to do. I don’t want her to be scared of the water as she gets bigger and I don’t know whether to try bathing her more in the hope she’ll get used to it or just as often as necessary to keep her clean and keep the meltdowns to a minimum!

Does anyone have any tips or experience of the same?? Thanks in advance!

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Deminism · 18/01/2019 14:18

Ours have hated bath times at various stages.

First thing, make the water hotter. The temp the thermometers tell you to have the bath is way too cold.

Second, do it as an activity not before bed when they are tired.

Third, promise not to wash their hair and stick to it

Fourth, Try a different bath in someone else's house. Our youngest hated baths after I forced him to have a hair wash so he didn't trust me again so we eventually tried weekly baths at my um's house which he was fine with and eventually he asked to have them at our house again.

Oh and when they were small, and still sometimes, I just get in with them.
x

snowy1982 · 18/01/2019 16:14

My wee boy (also 4 months) hated the bath, screamed his head off every time, we tried the wet flannel on his belly and Johnson’s bedtime baby bath one night and he loved it, was splashing around and laughing the whole time

Dragongirl10 · 18/01/2019 16:32

Op my DD was the same, so l used to just take her in the shower with me, hold her close and make sure the water didn't cascade over her head, she never cried in the shower.

Then l used to plop her on a pile of towels, whilst l had my quick shower, it was painless compared to a bath! I think its the holding them close to you that helps them feel secure.

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crazychemist · 18/01/2019 17:22

Another one that got mine used to it by feeding her in the bath. It was the only way to calm her, she used to panic completely as soon as she saw we were in the bathroom. I did that each night for a week and then we never had any more problems, she just needed some extra reassurance I think. She loved it once she was sitting up and felt more in control of herself.

Andcake · 18/01/2019 17:34

Ds was like this so I would bathe with him...as soon as he felt he could sit properly and felt safe he was fine and now aged 6 y.o it's hard to get him out 😂

Minxmumma · 18/01/2019 17:38

Can you or partner bath with lo? The physical security of being held can be a huge help.

I've always bathed with mine when they were small.

Guineapiglet345 · 18/01/2019 20:59

DD hates the bath, screamed and screamed and just hated it! We eventually worked out that she hated the bubbles from the bubble bath, she doesn’t like anything slimy touching her hands, and as soon as we stopped putting bubble bath in she was fine, she loves it now and stays in for ages.

Ethel36 · 18/01/2019 21:22

Yes my youngest was the same, hated the bath. She only liked it if we were both in the bath with her on me! She's five now and doesn't ever want a bath! She only has two baths a week, complete opposite to her sister who has one every other day!!

FlakefleetforChristmasnumber1 · 18/01/2019 21:28

i second Demonism- my DD1 hated bath time and it was only by accident when we'd had a bad few nights and had a bath in the morning that i realised she found it an active stressful activity and didn't see it as relaxing. when it became a morning water play activity she/we found it much more enjoyable.

Original poster
bumblenbean · 18/01/2019 22:56

Thanks for all the replies - lots to think about!

Re the holding her /getting in with her - that was my logic with the ‘swimming’ in a really warm pool - I hoped that me being in there with her holding her close would comfort her, but sadly not!

I’ve ordered the Shnugle bath to try and will also try the wet flannel on her belly trick. If that doesn’t work I’ll go for the option of stopping baths altogether for a while and just wiping her clean .. am just a bit worried that if she doesn’t come into contact with water at all at this age she will never get used to it and will have a lifelong aversion to water (a tad dramatic I know!!) Grin

OP posts:
Catsandbootsandbootsandcats · 18/01/2019 23:00

My youngest was terrified of water. He would have hysterics as soon as he saw the bath. We got round it by bathing him weekly, as quickly as possible, and doing quick wipe downs between times.

One day when he was 3 I put him in the bath and sat there quite happily like he'd loved it his whole life!

I have no idea what changed but he's loved water ever since.

reetgood · 18/01/2019 23:05

I see you’ve tried swimming - that was what worked for us. He found the bath too confining I think maybe. We also made sure the bathroom was warm enough. When we made it part of his routine we dried out his skin and he had eczema appear, and we literally just bathed him in water. So if you do give up on baths I don’t think it’s a bad thing!

JellyTeapot · 18/01/2019 23:12

All of mine hated baths for the first few months, first baby we just persevered until he was old enough to be distracted by toys, second time round I tried the wet muslin/flannel trick and it worked brilliantly. As long as there are no bubbles...

Wallywobbles · 18/01/2019 23:13

I put a non slip mat in the big bath. Added an inch or so of water and lay her down on it. She liked it like that but hated it if I was holding her in the bath.

gluteustothemaximus · 19/01/2019 00:57

DS1 and DD normal crying as babies but soon settled and loved baths.

DS2 petrified of water. Never had a bath and he’s 2.

We do flannel washing and he’s fine. Would never put him in the bath shaking and crying. He’s terrified. He’ll get there at some point.

GobblersKnob · 19/01/2019 09:13

Don't bath her! It's completely unnecessary. Dd was exactly the same, she had one bath in hospital from the middle where she screamed blue murder until I took her away. Then I tried again at home a week or so later with exactly the same result.

After that I just washed her with s bowl and flannel until she was about 18 months when one day she demanded to get in the bath with her dad. She's gradually got used to baths by her own, but only ever went in if she wanted to and I used to make them very shallow.

She is now an incredibly keen swimmer at 10 and does open water swimming whenever she can.

You are most likely to make her water phobic by continuing to bath her. She doesn't like it, don't do it.

GobblersKnob · 19/01/2019 09:14

*midwife not middle

Poppylizzyrose · 19/01/2019 09:29

Hey just to give you hope my dd was the same she’s only 7 weeks and loves the bath now. I’d started her in baby bath but bought angle care support bath seat, a really lovely colour wet book that starts off black and white then the colour gets added as it gets wet. Used a Jbd speaker to play classical music (as I’d done this with her in the womb while I’d had a bath) put wet flannel on her tummy too. I’m sure the bath seat is the main thing, she feels supported and kicks about and loves it. I use warm water too, she loves it a proper temp. I start off in there with her then I get out, in fairness I don’t think she’d need me there now but I enjoy it 🙈

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silkpyjamasallday · 19/01/2019 09:53

DD only started liking baths when she was about 1 year old after we'd been on holiday and she had been swimming with my parents. She is now 2.5 and loves her baths, it used to be screaming tantrums putting her in and now it's screaming tantrums trying to get her out. We just washed her with warm wet flannels before she would tolerate bathing.

AJPTaylor · 19/01/2019 10:36

Dd1 hated baths. We stopped at 6 months. At 18 months I filled the bath one day whilst I was cleaning the bathroom and chucked some toys in. Did the same thing the following day and she took off her clothes and demanded to get in.

ItchyMad · 19/01/2019 17:48

Easy fixed. Get her in the bath with you (at an appropriate temperature obviously)

Couple times of that and it’ll be fixed

bumblingbovine49 · 19/01/2019 18:29

DS is 14 but he hated baths too when little. We got through this by bathing him less often and when we did, one of us bathed with him. He was fine if one of us was in the bath.

OnlyToWin · 19/01/2019 18:34

We had this with dd1. Probably not what your HV would recommend, but we made the water warmer than the baby bath thermometer recommended. It was not as warm as an adult bath (obviously I checked the water myself) but the thermometer did say “too hot”. After always crying she bobbed about happily. Anyway it worked for us!! I would cry if I was put into a tepid bath too!!

Pixey89 · 19/01/2019 23:10

I had this issue when my DD was a baby i use to just put on a swim suit and get in with her knowing that mum isnt scared f the bath helped her that and splashing daddy and covering him in bubbles I hope she settles soon for you