Infant and Baby Needs

I have a certain way I like to bathe a babies.  It can be nerve wracking and those little babies require careful handling and for me an arsenal of bathing tools.  Read on for my own tips on ways to bathe a baby...

• First I warm the nursery (heater of course). When preparing to bathe a baby you don't want drafts. Warm air is necessary to keep your baby from becoming chilled. Then I lay out a quilt I made and set up the baby bathtub, complete with cloth covered baby bath seat on it.  If you don't have one of these they are invaluble for bathing a baby that can't sit up yet.  This holds your baby at an angle so their head is out of the water and as you rinse soap off of them it runs into the tub and does not pool around them.  I'm sure more adept people than I would just prop the baby on their arm and wash with the other hand but uncoordinated me needs both hands to bathe baby and this frees them up to do just that!

• I then set out a baby towel next to the baby bath on the right and on the left I have a tub (separate from the baby bathtub) of baby, appropriately warmed, water, scooping cup, baby bath, and two washcloths. Some may think this is overdoing it but it becomes a nice bonding time for the babies and I.

• Now it's time to bathe baby. I take my time and baby likes the warm soothing water.  Now mind you babies can get cold fast so I'm running warm water over baby continuously to keep them from catching a chill. The room is also very warm. Of course this is all easier for the baby over 2 months rather than the newborn.  Those sweet ones get the uncover as you go method (keep baby covered with a towel and only uncover a portion at a time, bathe, and recover) and not so much dunking in the water. I don't think the newborns take too kindly to my stripping them down and then propping them in the tub. Also it gets a bit more difficult for 8 to 10 month old child.   The bigger babies prefer to be sitting all the way and assisting in the bath.

But (never begin your sentences with "but") for those first few months this simple bathing method made bath time a less daunting task for me and a more relaxing time for baby. I'm as squeamish about bathing them as they are about receiving the bath.

Oh did I tell you I performed this method on six little babies. As a foster mother to tiny babies, and only one at a time, it was very helpful to bathe them in this relaxed manner to get over my nervousness in caring for new life and their nervousness of a new home.

Bathing your new slippery baby can be a daunting task.  Find your own comfort zone and the right tools for baby. These tips might help you find that perfect way to bathe your baby.

My baby is sitting up now and playing in the water and with the washcloths. I need to get her some bath toys. I still bath her in her room on the floor with the room nicely warmed up but now there is a folded towel at the bottom of her tub to keep her from slipping. I learned this tip from a very seasoned mother.   She's been a foster mother for 30 years let alone raising her own birth children.

My little one also doesn't like the water running into her face.  It was easier when she wasn't sitting up but now that she's active, she has no time for rinsing shamppoo out of her hair! She's not too fond of the sputtering.

Then picked up a shampoo rinse cup.  It makes rinsing shampoo out a breeze.  It has a rubber recessed area that you place against your child's forhead so that it molds to their forehead.  Then when you pour the water it doesn't run down their face, it runs through their hair.  No more frustrating shampoos!  You can get one at BabyCenter Store  She now laughs when I rinse her hair.  Definitely a good buy!

Update: My own little one is now 5! We still use the rinse cup and recently had to trade it in for a new one. She now swims in the tub and that's where swim glasses came in handy!