Bathing newborn

[Elkalv]

Hi, I would like advise from anyone who has experience, I know that first couple of weeks you don't actually use bath but after? I bought bath support but if I put it at the bottom of the bath it's not very comfortable to bend so far. I am single mom as well so how do you actually bath? Is buying baby bath will make it easier?

I'm pretty sure there is a NHS video on youtube where a midwife shows you how to bath. I remember watching it a couple if times when I had DS. It's helpful!

Thingymaboob Ah, okay - thanks. DS was bathed next day by a midwife on the ward, but maybe different because I had a section.

If you put it inside the actual bath, why? Why not just use the bath with a few inches of water?

Because a few inches of water in the big bath is a heck of a lot more water than you would use in a baby bath. Using a baby bath in the big bath saves time, water and the gas used to heat the water.

Why is anyone carrying full baby baths around or ferrying water in a jug to another room?

Surely you just bathe the baby in the bathroom? Either in the sink, the bath proper, the baby bath in the sink, on the floor, or in the shower?

Baby bath in the bath *

I have always used a baby bath. It was just a cheap one. When it's not being used we just keep it inside our bath tub. Now that DS is bigger and into splashing water we have started to keep the baby bath in the bath tub to avoid flooding the place!

I did baby bath on the floor too - I hated bath time when they were really small I was terrified of dropping them

Baby bath on kitchen work surface. No bending or lifting just slide it back over sink and let the water out.

I used a baby bath with DD but with DS I bought a snuggle. They are brilliant - they sit up and it has a little bump in the bottom to stop them slipping. The back is a kind of foam so they don't slip sideways. To wash the bum and back you just lift legs up and they float.
I tried DS with a seat but he hated it - slipped all over the place. The snuggle he loves and it's not overly expensive. It's a great piece of kit.

Hi raviolidreaming I think while umbilical cord is still attached you don't bath them rather just rinse with water?

Lemon drop thanks that looks useful, I think I ll wait and try the big bath/ sink and if it doesn't work I ll order this one)

We definitely bathed ds whilst his cord was still there. Probably didn't with dd (more out of laziness though ). Mine both hated being bathed when they were really tiny so for the first couple of weeks it's more of a chore than a pleasure tbh.

I think we paid about a fiver for ours (just a basic baby bath)and it did for two babies and is now in the garden for water/soil/toys/crap.

I used the angel care seat in the bath. Best seat ever. But I didn't bathe my ds for about a month. Just flanneled down until then. His skin was (and still is) as smooth as glass.

Definitely bathed from getting home on day 2 or 3 here.

The stench of milky sick, or poo after an exploding nappy isn't very pleasant, cotton wool and water just doesn't cut it.

Tbf, my ds has never once vomited from a milk feed or ever had a poonami.

I never got the hang of top and tailing so bathed in plain water from the get go! I used to clean around the umbilical cord with wet cotton wool in the bath, but probably didn't immerse it.

Tbf, my ds has never once vomited from a milk feed or ever had a poonami.

If that's true it's not the norm for a very young baby. Most babies will burp and throw a load of milk up and/or shit up their own back at some point.

Like lemondrop we got the Shnuggle after several incidents of DD nearly sliding under the water from my arms.

It's the best thing ever and - important - you can bath baby on very little water at all. X

n0rtherrn - honestly, it's true Never ever had any throw up, milk burps etc!

And only one slight poo leakage incident. Certainly never up the back/in the cot etc. Ds was ebf and only pooed once every 3 days or so if that makes any difference...

I bathed babies in plain water from the start... never everyday ...when they were small enough I always bathed them in the sink as it was much easier on my back. I did have a baby bath that almost never got used... babies bathed in with a parent or with siblings or in water to be used afterwards by siblings etc. They are very cheap and make good laundry baskets so buying one won't be a mistake of any sort.

I loved the baby bath and will be using it with DC2 (although I suppose I might end up bathing them at the same time as toddler DS in the main bath) We do have a bathroom work surface though, and a very low bath. So just fill up the baby bath, bath them without destroying your back and then just move it over the sink to empty the water down the plug hole. At my mum's we just bathed him in the kitchen sink when he was tiny.

I've got a Shnuggle too. Only used once so far, baby only 9 days old, but it seems really good. Rested it on closed toilet lid. The sides of our bath are much too deep for me to bend over.