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Original poster

baby bath - needed or not?

36 replies

amidaiwish · 12/01/2009 11:47

My sister is buying all her baby clobber... i have told her that a baby bath is a waste of money, she disagrees and has been told she will need it.
wise words required please mumsnetters?!?

OP posts:
Tinker · 12/01/2009 11:48

Waste of money. Too damn heavy to lift to empty water away. Wash baby in the sink or a kitchen bowl

Yeni · 12/01/2009 11:49

Not needed.

I found a moulded plastic bath seat invaluable, though

witchwithallthetrimmings · 12/01/2009 11:55

waste of money as a bathing aid for babies but can make quite a good laundry basket/pretend boat/teddy store later on!

honestly some kind of seat for the big bath is much more useful.

mamadiva · 12/01/2009 11:55

Bath total waste of money IMO

But an ergo bath seat is brilliant worth paying a tenner for I have to say leaves your hands free and it's been used with 4 kids here and I ma sure all of them are more confident with water because it allows them to splash and they were neve 'held' in the water so dont rely on you that way.

mamadiva · 12/01/2009 11:57

One of these

LyraSilvertongue · 12/01/2009 11:58

I found mine useful in the early weeks when the babies were really tiny but could have managed easily without it. So no, your sister doesn't need one but if she wants one there's no harm in it.

littlefrog · 12/01/2009 11:58

Fantastic. Still using it with DS 21 months! Means you need half the amount of water in the bath, and they can have it up to their tummies when they're bigger. Only going to abandon it because DC2 coming along and there's not space for 2 in it!

MrsBadger · 12/01/2009 11:59

waste of money and (more importantly) space

one of these is a much better idea

FAQtothefuture · 12/01/2009 11:59

I had one of those and hated it (I know I know - it was recomended to me by MN ). DS3 only used it for a few months months and then started pushing with his arms/feet and managed to slip out - first time caught me by surprise and he ended up submerged under the water and was absolutely hysterical.

FAQtothefuture · 12/01/2009 11:59

one of "those" being the ergo seats -x posted with the 2nd link

NattyPlus2andAHalf · 12/01/2009 12:01

no not needed, wash baby in the sink, once he/she is too big for sink wash them in the bath. both of mine have been bathed this way, i had a seat for my youngest because she sat late, but didnt bother for my eldest.
will be doing the same for num 3.
save your pennies!

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 12/01/2009 12:03

I used mine for about a week. I like the look of those seats though

Gorionine · 12/01/2009 12:05

Had a baby bath (gift) when dd1 was born , used it a lot... to store her toys... never used it for a bath. when she was really little baths where a 5min job anyway and once she could sit we got that bath seat we broke it after ds2 and never missed it for ds3 and dd4...

Libralovesbiscuits1975 · 12/01/2009 12:06

I'm with Lyra, whilst not essential if you do have a spare tenner they are quite useful, no point running the whole bath for a 5 minute splash around and if you put it in the bath then it's very easy to empty.

NattyPlus2andAHalf · 12/01/2009 12:06

i tell you what is a much better idea. one of those storage buckets (u know the plastic tubs with handles)
then once uve finished using it to bath the baby in for the whole week that u will use it for u can store toys in it!!

(thinks she may have stumbled on a great new invention....)

cmotdibbler · 12/01/2009 12:06

We just had a bath together - its a win-win as you get to have a nice long bath, and they are totally supported. I still soak in the bath with my 2.7 year old

sunnygirl1412 · 12/01/2009 12:07

I agree with the not needed crowd. Ds1 was bathed in the sink when little, then in the bath when he got bigger. I used to take him in the bath with me - he loved it, and it was a nice way to entertain him in the afternoons.

By the time ds2 came along, ds1 was having his baths in the big bath, so it was very easy to give ds2 a quick swish in the bath at the same time, ditto when ds3 arrived.

In fact, I currently have a picture of dh and all three ds's in the bath, as one of the pictures on my screensaver slideshow - it's so cute (not sure dh agrees, mind you....)

randomcupsoftea · 12/01/2009 12:08

I used an ikea storage box as a bath & now store toys in it. I then bought a baby bath from ikea & it's the perfect size for a 1yr old. Sometimes dd is in the big bath & sjh loves this as well.

Gorionine · 12/01/2009 12:10

I would not run a full bath for a baby bath a few centimeters at the bottom of real bath or, as Natty, in the sink.

KewcumbersRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 12/01/2009 12:10

I used an inflatable bath inside the normal bath with DS as he was scared of baths for a long time and the smaller one seemed to make him less scared.

Vey specific circumstances though.

Original poster
amidaiwish · 12/01/2009 12:11

thank you everyone, will print out this thread for her and introduce her to mumsnet!

i had the fabric bath support like the one MrsBadger linked to. Anyone use it and not like it?

OP posts:
FAQtothefuture · 12/01/2009 12:12

ahh yes - few cm works fine if you're only bathing one child - older children tend to complain at 5cm of water though

Gorionine · 12/01/2009 12:31

true FAQ!

Ivykaty44 · 12/01/2009 12:33

Not needed and a waste of money - have kitchen bowl and it worked fine far easier to use than with my first and using a baby bath.

BlueSapphire77 · 12/01/2009 12:43