As a new mum I spent hours ( and more hours) reading blogs, and endless articles about everything from breastfeeding to toilet training babies from birth ( Yes that’s a thing! )
One thing I came across several times was advice , and people seeking advice to make bath time easier. ‘she screams as soon as I put her in’ ‘ How do I get her not to cry’ ‘should I try a different bath’ and on it goes.
We are very lucky. Our baby is very much a water baby. This was clear from her very first bath in the hospital, when the nurse advised us to be prepared for tears, but all she did was sigh and go to sleep. The only tears we see at bath time is when its over.
Our routine is very simple. I make sure I have everything I need before hand as if you are bathing baby alone you won’t be able to get it later . Bath, bath thermometer, towel, baby bath wash and one cute bath toy.
Bath water temp is best between 36-38 degrees, if you don’t have a thermometer you can test this with your elbow to make sure it is a comfortable temp.
Strip baby and use cotton balls to do a quick wipe down before putting them into the bath. Best to do this on a changing bath as cold air and baby bums equal spontaneous wee . ( learnt this the hard way on a brand new plush white rug! )
Once baby is in the bath wash their body, doing hair last so they don’t have a cold head.
If your little one isn’t keen, white noise can help settle them.
We use the Shnuggle bath which is fab because it has a high slightly tilted back and bum bump, both of which helps support baby and stop them slipping under the water.I love this because it makes bathing a newborn a lot less daunting, especially if you are doing it alone. The backrest has a foam back attached so it’s warm and comfy for baby too.
We have the advent bath thermometer, which doubles as a room thermometer too. This is super cute and takes up very little space in the bath. Lily loves to kick it about so it’s helping her motor skills to.
As far as body wash is concerned, in the early days this isn’t necessary. Your baby’s skin will be very sensitive so only water is needed. When we did start to use a bodywash, I chose Lansinoh Calming Lavender Bodywash & Shampoo because of it’s calming effect and it makes getting Lily to bed after her bath much easier.
We also have the Shnuggle hooded wrap towel. This is amazing as it’s wearable for mummy so you can keep dry when lifting baby from the bath
All of this makes our bath time routine 100% easier, and in effect, more fun!
lilyandmesite.wordpress.com 