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Parenting

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Original poster

Newborn Baby Bath Time

35 replies

doctorwho2000 · 16/02/2008 22:06

Can anyone suggest the best way to bath a new born baby.

in a bath seat in the main bath?

in a baby bath on a stand?

in a baby bath on the floor?

in the sink?!

which is the most comfortable and easy for the mother/father?

I think we will use a bath seat in the main bath after 3-4 wks but slightly worried about when they are tiny.

OP posts:

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Set a reminder

crokky · 16/02/2008 22:09

depends how often you want to do it, personally I only bathed my newborn once every week to 10 days. I would say put the baby bath in the big bath so that it is easy to fill/empty or just put DH in the bath, put baby on him for a dip.

spaghettiarms · 16/02/2008 22:11

We always had one of us in with the boys, until they could sit up on their own. Lovely bonding time silly splashing or just gently trickling water onto their skin.

Original poster

doctorwho2000 · 16/02/2008 22:15

crokky, every 10 days....i think i can smell your baby from here!

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pelafina · 16/02/2008 22:16

Message withdrawn

fingerwoman · 16/02/2008 22:17

kitchen sink, or in with you.
but like crokky I didn't (don't) wash either of mine that often lol
ds2 didn't have a bath for well over a week when he was born. think that's why he has such lovely skin because all the vernix stayed on and soaked in and was allowed to do its stuff

fingerwoman · 16/02/2008 22:17

hmm, babies really don't need washing that often. they don't get dirty

crokky · 16/02/2008 22:19

doctorwho2000 - he isn't a baby anymore, he is a dirty little toddler so he does go in the bath most days. Truly though, it is a fact though that if you do a good job of a newborn's nappy changes, there is no need for them to be in the bath much at all. He really likes splashing in bubbles now, but it was no fun for him when he was a newborn. He never smelt as a newborn, honestly!!

StripeyMamaSpanx · 16/02/2008 22:19

My advice?

Don't.

DD had her bum, hands, and face washed with warm water every day for the first three months.

Original poster

doctorwho2000 · 16/02/2008 22:19

you are right, it is good to bath them but any detergents will just dry out their skin.

OP posts:

iwouldgoouttonight · 16/02/2008 22:20

We tried to bath DS most days which he hated and ended up really drying his skin and he got quite bad excema. I'd definitely recommend only bathing every few days or once a week when they're really little. We found it easiest to have him in the big bath with one of us.

hunkermunker · 16/02/2008 22:21

Would you like my experience-based advice or will you be rude to me too?

lilyloo · 16/02/2008 22:21

dd 4 wks has baby bath which we fill in bath when dc's having theres (although every 3 days for her) and then we put it on toilet seat to save your back. Still think she too small and it would hurt back too much to bath her in big bath yet.
Still hoping to find time to have bath with her

Gemy · 16/02/2008 22:21

We use a bath seat (one of those with the suckers) but she loves it in the water, with her ears covered (must remind her of the womb - she is 7 weeks old)

We bath her every other night or every night if she's had a particulary sicky day.
When DD" was able to sit up, we got a bath ring which was marvellous, and also we bathed in the kitchen sink because she could sit up in it on her own and she looked so funny (my hisband and I kept laughing and saying "there's a baby in our sink!" for some reason it was hilarious)

Best thing to do is bath them, get them out (lots of screams) into a warm massive bath toweel (lots of cuddles) and the into a babygrow fresh off a hot radiator, a little nighttime baby powder, and the warm milk and swaddle.

fingerwoman · 16/02/2008 22:25

gemy, how does she sit in it if she's only 7 weeks old???

Original poster

doctorwho2000 · 16/02/2008 22:26

thank you everyone, all very helpful.

great idea putting the babygrow on the radiator.

OP posts:

Original poster

doctorwho2000 · 16/02/2008 22:27

John Lewis sell these great seat/slides that a baby can recline in. the seat/slide sits in the main bath and allows you to have both hands free to clean and play with your baby

OP posts:

MrsBadger · 16/02/2008 22:32

You get in the bath
dh hands baby to you
you bath baby
hand back to dh who is holding big warm towel
run more hot water in and have a nice bath yourself

DON'T step into / out of bath holding slippery newborn, esp if stil sore / wobbly post bath

later these are good and very cheap

MrsBadger · 16/02/2008 22:32

sore/wobbly post birth

tis late

littlelapin · 16/02/2008 22:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cory · 17/02/2008 15:26

We did the special little bath tub on the changing table with dd, then found with ds bathroom sink was much less trouble.

missmama · 17/02/2008 16:02

If you put the babygrow on the radiator watch out for metal fasteners. They can get very hot.

Gemy · 17/02/2008 16:07

Fingerwomen as you can see I typed DD" - this was meant to be DD1 (who is now nearly 2, and was much older - of course - when she could sit up in the kitchen sink!)

fingerwoman · 18/02/2008 19:43

actually, you said:

"We use a bath seat (one of those with the suckers) but she loves it in the water, with her ears covered (must remind her of the womb - she is 7 weeks old)"

flamingtoaster · 18/02/2008 19:49

Neither DS or DD liked being stripped when newborn so like crokky they only made it into a washing up bowl on the bathroom floor about once a fortnight until they learned to love water! I used to wash, dry and dress the top half, then wash, dry and dress the bottom half. Happy babies and less stress on me.

flowerybeanbag · 18/02/2008 19:50

We didn't bath him for a couple of weeks iirc, just topped and tailed, then used one of these, was fab.

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