Baby Bath Tubs

Baby Bath Tubs - Do I Need to Buy One For My Baby?

By Jane Rainford

It is easy to get carried away and buy your newborn everything they could possibly ever need. However, some things are more essential than others. A baby bath tub is one item that really can be made obsolete by you or your baby.

Some things you need to think about:

Cost

If you are going to buy a baby bath - shop around. Baby baths can cost anything from $10 to $100's (if you fancy splashing out on a roll top bath for your baby), and really depend on whether you want something stylish, or just practical.

Ease

We used a baby bath and the sink. It depended on who was bathing him. The baby bath could be used on the living room floor - until he started to splash too much! The sink was handy for a quicker bath.

Baby preference

For a while our baby developed hatred of bath time, we didn't know what to do He was about 1 1/2 and for no apparent reason at all, he seemed to be scared of water. He wouldn't use a baby bath or our bath at all. The only option left to us, was to top and tail him until the phobia passed. It worked, but it just goes to show, when YOU think something is OK for baby - they might have other ideas.

Alternatives

There are many ways to bath your baby.

• In the adult bath - once your baby can sit up without assistance.
• In a tummy tub or bucket bath - the 1st time you see these they look like very strange items. A tall tub that baby sits in, in the fetal position. As it replicates the womb; babies love them!
• In a bowl in the sink - be careful to keep baby's head away from the taps In a baby bath with a support - these have a shaped sloping support that helps keep your baby more upright, while allowing them the freedom to splash around
• In a regular baby bath. Probably the most common method.

Accessories

There are so many accessories you can buy from toys to baby bathrobes:

• Toys - I really wanted my baby to have plastic bath ducks - but this was for me not him - he had absolutely no interest in them whatsoever! It was only as he got older that he started to want toys in the bath.
• Bubble bath - again this is really only for when they get older. A newborn baby needs plain water for their bath - their skin just doesn't need anything in the water. Non slip bath mats - always a good idea if your child is using the bath
• Baby shampoo visors - brilliant if your child starts to hate having their hair washed. It stops water running down their face and into their eyes when you rinse their hair.
• Bath seats, these are great for that time when your baby is too big for a baby bath but too small for a regular bath. They can sit in a bath seat and be supported, but still have freedom to splash about.
• Bath mitts and sponges, Mitts are great for washing the little ones, but a flannel or a sponge is all you really need
• Bath toiletries, generally all you need is a bottle of top to toe wash for a small baby. All the talc, shampoos, bubble baths, are no good for their skin, and they really don't need them.
• Baby bath robes and towels. Keep baby's towels separate from your own. Also, it is lovely to have a nice new towel to wrap them in after a bath.

Space

For me, space was an issue. Baby baths are big, our house was small. It just made so much more sense to use the sink with a bowl in it while our baby was small.

Safety

NEVER EVER leave your baby unattended in the bath. It can take a tiny amount of water and a couple of seconds for a terrible accident to happen. If you have to leave - take your baby with you.

Jane Rainford. When I was pregnant, I looked to the internet for information, but what I got was information overload. Never having been pregnant before it was all so overwhelming, I had so many questions, the internet seemed a good place to start. Once my baby was born I didn't have the time to be searching for answers, though I still had so many questions. As he is growing, I really want to pass on all I've learned to other parents who have questions, want answers, just want a laugh or to know there are other mums out there tearing their hair out too. I'm no expert, I'm a mum - hang on maybe that does make me an expert! And boy do you learn a lot after baby is born! I run http://www.onlinemum.com From bump to toddler.