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.)

Minieggs I would think the baby would get very cold like that.

DS goes in with DH when both of us are around or we have that bath seat pictured but I think it was a bit of a waste of money tbh, our bath is too curved on the bottom so it doesn't feel at all stable and he just lies back in the seat so it feels even worse. It means I can wash him on my own but I wish I'd got one from a second hand site rather than paying full price. I feel like once he's old enough to use it properly I might as well wash him without it.

BTW if you do get a bath seat bear in mind you still need at least one eye on them at all times and to be within grabbing reach if not with one hand on them. You can't turn around to get a towel or body wash and you absolutely can't leave the room.

If you want to save money on hot water btw, get a bath divider which means you don’t have to fill the whole bath! It will just fill half, easier to keep an eye on them then too.

@noreplacementsfoundhere ah that makes total sense! I had a vision of trying to make a baby sit still and not move or crawl in the bath and wondered how that was possible haha!! :)

@cornflakes5 I just kind of wedge him between my legs sitting up, or hold under his ampits and let him float a bit. I have to kind of lie him on my legs to wash certain bits of him. When we get out I hold him firmly under the armpits, stand up, step out and step straight over to the changing table to put him down.

@HerSymphonyAndSong I think it's fine as they get loads of other play time, plus filling a bath (even a smaller one) each day costs money.

I'm sure I'll do the same when I have a child in the future.

@BertieBotts it's over in less than 3mins and warm towel off the radiator warms them up straight away :) never cold water! The house is warm too.

Getting loads of other playtime isn’t really the point!

We're going to skip the seat and just get a bath mat. Thanks everyone!

Tummy tub or the kitchen sink

When our dd was too big for her baby bath, we got the angelcare bath seat and it's been a godsend. Bath times are so easy with it.
There are loads of bath seats out there so have a look at which ones appeal to you. Xx

minieggsqueen of course babies and children get clean in baths! what a strange statement.

In the sink! Then with me happy memories. DD is 10 now and has a shower all on her own!

We used a baby bath for ages. Just putting a few inches of water in the big tub left a lot of him out of the water to get cold - while filling it deeper seemed far too wasteful and took too long. By the time he grew out of it (about 4 though he has always been on the small side!) he was ready to move straight to showers.

minieggsqueen how filthy are you that you are sitting in filthy water when you have a bath. I've had baths that look unused when I'm done if I haven't used any bath oils etc. There is enough water that you shouldn't be 'sitting in filth' even if it is a relatively shallow bath. 'baths don't actually clean you as you're sitting in dirty water'.....funny person you are. If you are filthy muddy or whatever else is on your body that you seem to make baths filthy then have a shower but for normal people, baths do indeed get you clean.

We just bathed our babies in the normal bath from birth - sometimes in with one of us in with them and sometimes on their own with one of us sitting beside the bath holding / watching them. Washed their bottoms by laying them back, holding their head with one hand and giving them a swish with the other - or when a little older by standing them up and giving them a swish.
As soon as they could sit up we just sat beside the bath and watched / played with them. Yes they occasionally slipped, but we were there to catch them.
To get them out we would either lift them onto the bathmat and then climb out ourselves or, when they could sit, climb out and then lift them out.
Honestly, I think all these plastic contraptions are a hideous waste of time and resources unless you have very particular needs.

We had a little bucket bath that needed a lot less water than the big bath and supported the baby so that even when tiny it was easier to hold them safely. It wasn’t a waste for us at all.

@sollyfromsurrey wow that's an aggressive reply! I don't tend to run baths when I'm clean, it's usually at the end of a long day so I will normally run a small bath and soak with some muscle relax bath stuff then have a proper shower afterwards.

@guiltynetter it's just my view!

@HerSymphonyAndSong ? Surely if they have enough stimulation and playtime outside of a bath then it's fine? It's not mandatory to let your baby play in the bath to ensure they have enough playtime!

I never played in the bath as a child as it's getting ready for bed time, not stimulation time. I usually had a nice read afterwards with my mum then straight to sleep. I'm fine now as a grown up!

It’s nice to let them enjoy doing something normal like having a bath. Babies do it every day and they are not sitting in their own filth or whatever. I would find your method really quite odd if you were babysitting my baby and he would get quite cross I suspect! It’s a bit strange to have such specific ideas about something so mundane as having a bath

In India, the Mum's most probably take their baby,or small child down to the river Ganges, and just swish the baby around a bit, and then job done! No plastic bath mats,or seats, too much plastic in the world.

Seriously 1forall74? Know a lot about India, do you?

@1forAll74

In India, the Mum's most probably take their baby,or small child down to the river Ganges, and just swish the baby around a bit, and then job done! No plastic bath mats,or seats, too much plastic in the world.

Casual racism and mahoooosive generalisation there.

When they were little I lay them on a rubber non slip mat in the bath with an inch of water. I didn't get on with baby baths.

They would lie and splash for ages. It was such a peaceful stress free way to do it.

We have a bath seat. He loves it!! Can easily play with his toys but doesn't fall over. Also means we can wash him with the flannel and wash his hair really easily as don't need one hand to hold him still!