When my husband and I brought our daughter home, one of the more stressful things was bath time. Over the years I had babysat many children, and have probably participated in 100 bath time events; however none of them were on brand new babies. What were we to do?
Bath Time Can be Nerve-wrecking!
Since my husband and I had not experienced infant bath time, my mother-in-law came over “supervised” our daughter’s first bath since she had plenty of experience giving them. Our daughter didn’t particularly love being in her little basin, and seemed to get cold a little quickly, but we made it through our first attempt.
After a time or two in the hospital basin we took home, we switched bath time over to her infant/toddler tub. The tub was equipped with a hammock for her to kind of lay in. Bath time went from being something she had to do to something she loved to do! We didn’t have to worry about her slipping in or bumping her head because she was supported by the hammock, and she got to splash around in the water. She treated it like her own little spa.
Bath Time Can be Fun!
Once we gained confidence in our bath time abilities and made it through several nights, giving her the bath became a breeze. We set her little tub up in our kitchen sink. It was easier with two people, especially in the beginning. Our daughter tended to find bath time the perfect time to poop, and constantly needed a change of water. Just be sure to double check the temperature. I trusted one of the ducks that changes color in too hot water to let me know if it was too hot. One day it didn’t work right the water was too warm for her (I like warmer water and didn’t notice that it was too hot for her, but it was was). We began using a thermometer to make sure that her bath time water temperature was just where it should be, giving us extra peace of mind.
Now that she is older, she has transitioned into the “big” bath tub, although we do sometimes put her in the infant/toddler one since it’s easier to wash her hair in it. For the first time or two, have someone with you that has given an infant a bath before to help guide you. You will most likely be nervous, and their presence may help you feel more confident.
Find out more about bath time and other baby firsts you will experience.
