How do you bathe your baby?

[cornflakes5]

This is a stupid question I'm sure, but I have to ask: how do you bathe your baby?

We bathed ours in a little tub until she was too big, at which point we moved on to using the bath tub. However, because we didn't have one of those special bath supports, I always got in with her, and my husband would put her in and get her out.

This works fine but only if we're both around. I've done it a few times solo but it was a total nightmare. She's 10 months and massive.

How does everyone else bathe their little ones? Do they just sit in the tub on a baby mat? How do you then wash their bits?? (I know, such a stupid question.)

We used to use a baby bath until a month or two ago (DD 11 months old) but now she just goes in the normal bath, no mat or anything and I kneel outside it.

It's quite shallow so she could even crawl and still have her head well out of the water but we don't encourage the crawling! As she can sit up well on her own it's no bother at all. Except that she keeps trying to cruise round the edge of the bath!

We just wash all over with baby shampoo and a quick sponge (and sometimes use her baby bucket to pour water on her which she loves!)

Baby tub - > bath support - > bath seat - > bath mat from mothercare with little back support and bar to stop falling in face first. I tend to leave the bits alone mainly - they get washed with water during nappy changes. We don't use soap apart from on hands unless there's been contact with something very dirty/poonami.

Thanks everyone.

So DD is 10 months and can sit up unassisted, not crawling yet. The bath is slippery, and she's slipped once or twice and cried as a result.

Should I get a mat? Or something more specialised?

Normal bath mat, baby on it, chuck a load of toys at him, let him splash, quick run with flannel, job done.

Just get a bath mat (we got a long one from wilkos cheap). Didn’t bother with any special seat. Plus only an few inches of water: they only need a little splash and clean at that age :)

I don't understand the 'we don't encourage crawling' statement..huh??? I get that baths are slippy but that is somewhat over zealous haha! Just buy a bathmat!

Like PP we just put a few inches of water and bubbles in. Let DS splash around and play with toys and we kneel on the floor by the bath. Quick rub down with a flannel unless he is filthy and done. He absolutely loves it. Lets him use up last bits of energy before bedtime. A few inches of water means however he moves crawls etc it never touches his face and the bathmat means he doesnt slip.

My dc (ten months) always wants to get up and crawl away as well. I take him in to the shower with me and wash him while I'm holding him. If I'm not having a shower I sit him on shower floor and use the shower head (its the on a hose kind) to wash him.

My girl had a little bath seat from 6 months and when she started getting too big for it at about 1, I just bought a bath mat for her to sit on.

I imagine any bathmat would work tbh, I just like the mothercare one because it's really long and has a hot spot thing.

@Constantlurker hmm.. I'm not sure what I meant really, I suppose just that we try to sit her upright and splash and play like that but to be honest she usually climbs around and cruises and if she wants to she does crawl. She splashes around and does what she likes 😊 💦

Obviously she crawls around everywhere other than the bath too and we don't discourage her!

Baby bath as long as possible. Then a bath seat

I take mine in the shower. He plays on the bottom with toys while I get washed and then I wash him with the hand held shower. If he has a bath I just plop him in the bath and sit beside him to supervise.

Big laundry basket (the plastic type with holes). Toys don't float away, lots of space.

We use a big bucket rather than wasting water filling up a whole bath. Hold DS under the armpit with one hand, wash with a flannel with the other. He’s nearly 6 months and whilst he sits really well independently, he’s obsessed with trying to drink the bath water so definitely needs a hand on at all times!

I’ve got the hang of bathing with him on my own now too if I fancy a bath. We have a changing table in the bathroom so I never have to carry a wet, wiggly baby too far.

I've never used an enclosed baby bath (they're unhygienic to me and baths don't actually clean you as you're sitting in dirty water), I've always used a bath insert that the baby lays on then I body wash them, shampoo etc and rinse with either the shower or a cup. If no bath insert, hold them.

(I don't have a baby, just speaking from my previous babysitting experience).

Thanks everyone. thatsnotmyotter may I ask how you bathe with the baby? It's so slippery and splashy, how do you get in and out with the baby? (You're very skilled!)

Normal bath mat, baby on it, chuck a load of toys at him, let him splash, quick run with flannel, job done.*

This worked with mine! Sometimes the simplest way is the most effective.
I either couldn't afford fancy bath seats, supports etc or they weren't readily available but if baby can sit up and you don't turn away for even a second, all will be fine!
Besides the need for washing, this is also great fun for the baby, splashing around, kicking legs etc. Sing songs while she's in the tub.

My 9mo has been crawling for two months and standing since 8mo. There is no way he would tolerate a bath seat. He has been in the normal bath since 6mo when he tried to climb out of his baby bath, but he was sitting well by then. We have a non-slip mat but with all the standing we have to be extra viligant

minieggsqueen It would be a pity for a baby not to be able to splash and play in the water if they enjoy it!

Did him in the kitchen sink first few times, then he went in with his big brother on a bath support, then switched to a bath seat at 6mo. He's about to turn 1 and we'll probably ditch the seat soon. just wash him all over with water and a sponge and gently brush his teeth.

Never used a baby bath, bath seat until sitting independently (around 6 months) then put a non slip mat down.

This is great

Lay down bath support before sitting up, sit up bath support now she can sit up unaided - it's like a ring with a seat that water just flows through and has a toy on the front.

You just wash their bits with the water that's already flowing around and some baby wash on your hands.

I used to have a variety of techniques depending on how messy the baby was. At around ten months, if they were coming in with me I’d just hold them and climb in. I put younger ones in with older ones usually though. A toddler is something to sit a baby against.
If they were messy, I usually just held them face down and swilled them under the tap.
I also had (still have) a large plastic storage box that went on the kitchen table and was filled by jug; that made it easier on the back and saved wasting a whole bathtub of water just for a baby.

We’ve never had a mini baby bath, we used one of those bath supports that sort of cradles the baby in the big tub. Used that until they could sit confidently, then just moved onto having them sit on a non-slip mat and supported them if they looked a bit wobbly.
They are 2 & 3 now and bath time is utter carnage with them both in the tub at the same time. Think a minor tsunami