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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Question about showering when you have a baby

41 replies

Clarabell33 · 01/10/2014 14:31

I've heard a fair number of mums saying that they can't put their baby (usually fairly young, but also heard same about toddlers) down long enough to have a shower (or go to the loo), both on here and IRL. I am pregnant with no experience of babies, and only limited experience of small children, so please tell me your experiences - is this really true? Is it every day, or just bad days? Or does it depend entirely on your baby's personality and/or their mood?

In practical terms, I take about 5min to shower, and a couple of minutes on doing teeth/faffing around beforehand and then drying off/moisturising afterwards - will it really be impossible to put a baby down for 10min? Do you wait and do it when they're sleeping and hope they don't wake, or do you just go for it and let them cry for a few minutes, or have them in the bathroom so they can still see you?

Btw I'm just curious and utterly ignorant, not trying to be contentious! Trying to imagine how seemingly small things will change next year...

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JuanFernandezTitTyrant · 01/10/2014 14:36

It depends. I could always put mine down - at first in his basket, then the cot under the Tiny Love classics mobile. He would often then go to sleep. Later I would shower during nap time and now I shower while he's awake and in his cot or the jumperoo. He's usually complaining to get out by the time I'm done, but not crying. Maybe I've been lucky but I just sort of got on with it. But then again, my baby doesn't actually like to be held

Molotov · 01/10/2014 14:38

I usually shower after DH but before he goes out to work. I'm in/out in 5-10 mins. That way, he's thereif they need anyone and not left alone; I get to shower immediately and am not reeking come midday.

By the way, my babies are now 5yo and 2yo Grabbing that time to yourself does not get much easier ... and toileting for yourself. Sounds gross but I am now a master at, er, holding it in. Anything ....

scandichick · 01/10/2014 14:42

Depends on the baby!

For what it's worth, I've popped my now ten-month-old in a baby bouncer every day since he was about a month, and got my shower in then.

He's showing signs of getting fed up with staring at the shower curtain now, but it's worked do far...

In more general terms, I think it's a question of what you prioritise.

You much find that its impossible to get time to eat, feed the baby and have a shower, so you pick what's most important...

I didn't have time to shower a few days in the beginning, and I hated it so much I made sure it happened every day since.

I eat lunch out for days out of five because cooking takes so much time, for example, but I'm damn well clean at least

HappyLucyLou · 01/10/2014 14:43

At first it may seem like a shower is a challenge but as time goes on you'll come up with your own ways of getting it done. When I first had my son if I needed a shower and my husband wasn't around I used to wait till I got him to sleep and take the monitor in the shower with me. There were times I sat him in his bouncer in the bathroom and had a shower, and sometimes when he was content I'd pop him in his cot awake and again take the monitor. Once baby is here it may take a few weeks but you'll find something that works for you.

mupperoon · 01/10/2014 14:45

I put my daughter (8 weeks today) in a bouncer in the bathroom, or if she's completely fast asleep she stays in her moses basket (she usually has a Snuza Hero monitor on her nappy which vibrates and beeps if she stops breathing/moving). More recently we've been having a shallow bath together with her in a bath support. Which is lovely!

worldgonecrazy · 01/10/2014 14:48

I had one of those soft baby chairs/bouncers which I put DD in whilst I grabbed a shower and got ready.

She always came to the toilet with me, unless there was an adult nearby who could look after her. Having said that, I had a lot of support in the early days so there was always an adult around to take over if needed.

When she got a bit bigger I gave her a bag of old make up to use whilst I was doing my own - kept her amused for hours.

TarkaTheOtter · 01/10/2014 14:49

It depends on your children and your tolerance for letting them cry. Both mine have had clingy stages where they didn't like to be left so I had to shower/poo when dh was home or they were asleep. The alternative was putting them in cot and just getting on with it while they screamed. I would have found that stressful but for others that is the solution.

Mutley77 · 01/10/2014 14:50

Some babies don't like being put down but I don't know many IRL who can't be left for the time it takes to have a shower - especially if you can be flexible and wait half an hour til baby is fed, changed and perhaps asleep!

Zippyandbungle · 01/10/2014 14:54

I would leave dd on her changing mat on the floor of the bathroom and play peek a boo if she got grisly.

When she started cruising mind that was a whole other story once she discovered flushing the loo made me scream.

bonzo77 · 01/10/2014 14:59

With ds1 I'd wait till his first nap (about 9am) to shower. He was a pretty easy baby though, and as he got bigger he would sit in his bouncer or lie on the bath mat while I showered. With ds2 I Generally showered before DH went to work as I needed to be up to take ds1 to nursery.

sunnyrosegarden · 01/10/2014 15:06

Ds2 was fine, as he would nap in his carrycot etc.

Ds1, on the other hand... it is possible to shower very fast, whilst blocking out the screaming. Don't think I blow dried my hair for 2 months (and the baby photos confirm this fact!)

Original poster

Clarabell33 · 01/10/2014 15:49

This is very interesting, thanks for the responses! I'm now wondering if some of my friends have been pulling my leg... except they all looked/sounded deadly serious and exhausted so maybe they were all just unlucky

OP posts:

hartmel · 01/10/2014 16:00

With DS I waited till DH got home from work! But on the other hand my in laws where living with us for 5 month. As they sold their house! So I could leave DS with them..
But because he is our first, I don't like to give DS to anyone for babysitting accept DH.

I'm now 37 weeks with DC and DS is 12 month old. And I'm still struggling with the thought that DS has to go to my parents house while I'm in labour.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 01/10/2014 16:04

Im an evening showerer anyways so never worried about this, however for loo breaks dd would go into her big cot with the mobil on. Or if she was already asleep in the living room in the basket id leave her there. We live all on one level though which made things easier.

stargirl1701 · 01/10/2014 16:07

DD1 - no, no time to shower or a shower to the sound of screaming.

DD2 - I could take half an hour!

Ikillpotplants · 01/10/2014 16:10

I would put DD in her baby bouncer in bathroom, but there were still quite a few occasions when she would yell, despite singing/talking to her, so your friends probably aren't having you on. I found it a bit demoralising so would sometimes ditch shower and just smell! Once DD started going to bed in the evening I would shower then.

Ikillpotplants · 01/10/2014 16:13

Oh, and she had to come on loo breaks, or yell whilst I tried to reassure her by shouting "Mummy's weeing as fast as she can!". The indignity!

Mrsgrumble · 01/10/2014 16:13

Also put baby in the bouncer or went for a shower when he napped. Even now, he is moving, I bring him in and close the shower door and bathroom door and give him a few toys and he's happy enough to sing along with me.

Branleuse · 01/10/2014 16:15

Baths were easier as i could take baby in with me

Highlandbird · 01/10/2014 16:16

Both my boys were incredibly clingy, I mostly showered in the eve or before DH went to work but sometimes managed to put them in a bouncy chair while I had a veeeery quick shower, basically it lowered my standards no time for makeup etc really. For going to the toilet I just had to keep them in a sling or sometimes managed to put them down on a change mat.
All depends on your baby if it's the type you can put down in a Moses basket for a nap you're laughing really. Mine weren't not bitter, honestly don't worry about it until you need to

TortoiseUpATreeAgain · 01/10/2014 16:20

I could put DS down but he screamed loudly the entire time. DD1 would be happy for ten minutes, probably. DD2 somewhere between the two.

Although once you have a toddler going to the loo or having a shower unmolested goes out of the window. Now DD2 wanders in, points and laughs (I know it's just that she finds nudity in general funny, but it's doing nothing for my self-esteem).

RaspberryBeret34 · 01/10/2014 16:35

I had an errr... "spirited" baby who liked to feed every 1.5 hrs up till 6 months and napped erratically. I can't remember what I did initially but at around 2 months he became willing to sit in the bouncy chair on the bathroom floor for around 5 minutes while I frantically showered while manically singing then I would generally endure 5 minutes of wailing (still manically singing - usually yellow submarine...). Or sometimes I'd manage to shower during a nap or get up early and shower while he was still asleep. Lots of options, you just need to be flexible and willing to shower quickly!

AuntieMaggie · 01/10/2014 16:57

Buy a cheap second hand bouncer and keep it in the bathroom for showers/baths/toilet trips - handy to put baby in when you're running them a bath and less stressful if you go for a quick wee but end up taking ages because you're constipated

SomeSunnySunday · 01/10/2014 17:07

My first was a nightmare, screamed when not being held, I just had to shower before DH left in the morning, or at night. It got better after a few months, I can't remember exactly when. There was a point, though, where he'd play in a play nest in the bathroom while I showered (he must have been sitting up though, so probably around 6 months).

My second would happily lie in his cot watching a mobile while I showered, I didn't have any problems at all.

Once they were crawling / toddlers I used to strap them into the highchair in front of CBeebies . I showered in our en suite and they would be in our bedroom, so not far away.

CoffeeChocolateWine · 01/10/2014 17:14

Both mine were happy if I brought them into the bathroom with me. I would lay them on the changing mat on the floor and play peekaboo behind the shower screen and then shower as quickly as was humanly possible. They were always very brief showers though. If I wanted a more leisurely shower I would have to wait till my DH got home!

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