Moving baby to 'big bath' - tips please!

[oliveoil]

Moving our dd from her (huge Ikea) baby bath into the 'big bath' soon - anyone got any tips, or ideas on any products that you found useful, don't want to waste money like I have done on everything else......

She is 8mths and about 22lb so not sure is she can still use those sucker chair things. She is v wriggly, and has a bath oil for her excema so also slippy too - are bath mats any good?

Can she sit well? If so I sit my 8 monther on a non-slip bath mat (essential BTW) or lay her back holding her head. I've put her in the big bath since she was a few weeks old.

Personally think 8 months is a bit too old for all the bath seat things, you wont get much use out of them.

If she's a nervous sort (or if you are) then wash her a few times in the 'little' bath inside the big bath for both of you to get used to it.

A pad for your own knees.

Get in too?

Thanks everyone....she can just about sit up on her own but wobbles (v cute) and doesn't seem bothered by water so think she will be ok in the big bath. Think I will just see how she goes and buy things as I see fit, maybe gets some squirty toys or something.

Britabroad - don't think I will get in with her, would want to stay there

I used a bath seat for my ds till he was nearly 2. He is a bit small for his age. I felt more secure with him in it & it meant I didn't have to actually hold him (although of course didn't leave unattended)

I know some parents/babies didn't like them but I really liked mine & it was only a tenner. If she isn't a very stable sitter & is average size you could still get quite a lot of use & it'll save your back!

the nct sell a fab thing - it's like a sloping frame that rests in the bottom of the bath and is covered in flannel. You lie the baby on it, and they are fully supported with body in and head out of water - I think it's about a tenner from their catalogue - I swore by it with my ds.

the thing that manna is talking about is also available in Mothercare for about £6 - I used it with dd( almost 1) and still use it now to wash her hair. It is great - I wash her front and then flip her over and she plays with toys while I clean the back of her. IT is like an L shape and mine has a webbed cover that dries very quickly and is washable. I even sent one to my SIL to use - she loved it too.

The bath seats with suckers on the base are fine until your baby can stand up unaided. We've got one for ds (10 mths - 25lbs) and it's fab - he's far too wriggly otherwise. Mothercare £9.99.

Just bung her in with a mat underneath. Whats the problem?

extra long bath mat, packet of squirty toys from elc and that should do you for the next couple of years! everything else is just parsley (recognise the film that is from?)

we just bung ds aged nine months in the bath with a drop of olive oil so I guess he's pretty slippy too. If you don't want to waste money then I'd try without bath mat or anything else first - maybe you could get in too and sit behind her the first few times? I stick ds down near one end of the bath so he feels more secure - it looks smaller. My ds is a real active bod and spends his entire time trying to stand up so all those seats would be a real waste of money for him. Think we really need a shower!

Agree with codswallop. Our 8mo has been in the big bath since she was about 1mo - she has a non slip bathmat (and is now pulling herself up to standing while holding on to a grab rail, gulp). she happily lies on the mat while being washed (head not supported by us) and has some boats and balls and things (charity shops v good for cheap toys). She has worked out how to scoop up water with her boat and drink it - clever girl. Her dad does most of the bathtimes and has been a bit more adventurous than me letting her lie there on her own since she was about 2mo - with very very close supervision/hands about 6 inches away obviously. She really enjoys herself and I think she's worked out that trying to roll over is not a good idea. She's also stopped trying to drink the bathwater directly!

My DD HATED her baby bath and so we used it about 4 four times and it was 'donated' to a friend who still uses it now and her DD is 7.5 months!

Our DD, now 11 months, has used the big bath ever since she was a couple of weeks old. I know that you discounted the idea of joining her in the tub fairly early on in the thread but there are LOADS of benefits to this. Bath time used to be a thing that DD and Daddy did together, as I was bf and we wanted her to have a 'unique' bonding time with DP too. Although we did have a moment when DD decided to do a poo whilst 'sitting' hunched on DPs chest at 5 weeks old ! Both DP and I found that it was much easier to get in the tub with her, especially when she was newborn, as they are so tiny, weak and slippery ! We found that it was best to lie in the bath with your knees up and lay baby on your thighs so that they're fully supported & their body is in the water but their face isn't. Bending over the bath also plays havoc with your knees and back

There is one downside to this though and that is that really you need two adults in the bathroom, one to bathe with baby and one waiting with a cosy towel to do the drying. Otherwise you are left dripping wet whilst trying to dry the baby and so it can get a bit awkward !

We have a nonslip bathmat which is essential if you are putting baby in on her own (obv you'll be holding on!). It is so easy for them to slip out of your hands when wriggling and soapy.

I agree with Monkey and Bobsmum about the bath seats being excellent. I still use mine for dd who is nearly 17 months and find it great as at least she is kept in one place. Now it is really warm I sit her in it and then give her a quick shower, which she seems to love.

We still use the baby bath even though the sluglet is 20 months old. We just plonk it in the big bath. It saves water and waiting as she tends to get hysterical at the sight of water and starts stripping off as soon as she hears a tap turned on. In fact last night she woke up at 10pm because she heard her father drawing a bath. I walked past her room and heard a frantic shouting "Baa! Baa!" and the thump as she threw things at the door to get our attention.

We bought a baby bath for ds1 and used it for about 2 weeks until someone bought us one of the 'Safety 1st' moulded bath sponges. They are fantastic, you just put a few inches of water in the big bath, put the sponge in it, enough to cover the 'body' bit of the sponge, and lie baby on it. It's soft and comfortable, and you have both hands free to wash baby.