baby baths

[luey]

I know I could use the handbasin or laundry trough but I think at least initially I want a baby bath.

Ideally I would like one that can be used for a long time, the bath in the house we are moving to looks very deep and I don't know that I could safely bath the baby when they have outgrown the baby bath but too big to sit unaided, plus it would take lots of water too.

What bath did you have/reccomend?

Baths on a stand - are they worth having? Or I could just put it on the bathroom vanity, I think there may be enough room.

I have seen a maxi bath that has inbuilt moulds to enable it to be used longer. Has anyone tried this?

How long does the FP aquarium bath usually last for?

Any suggestions gratefully accepted

[JordieC]

I bought the FP one which was great because easy to use but she was only in it for about 8 weeks. We have now borrowed a bigger baby bath which we sit on table or on towels on floor. Our bath is deep too. I don't think she'll be in that one for much longer though - maybe till 6mnths. I've seen the ones on stands and they look esasy to use but take a lot of room

[Erin_25]

In my opinion my baby bath was the biggest waste of money & space. I found putting a bath aid in the big bath much easier & just bought a stall so I could sit along side the bath. When bubs cant sit unaided but too big for baby bath they love to splash around, I read some posts on here where many people just fill the bath with a little water & lay bubs down in the bath. Charlie loved that, he would splash about & I would pop a flannel on his tummy to keep him warm. Charlie now at 9months can sit up unaided so loves to sit in the bath & splash & play with toys...again I just sit on the stall beside the bath. Though we do try & shower him most nigths, it's much easier & more convinient, great to get them used to showering at a young age.
All I can suggest if you are going to buy a bath is check the sizes, I bought a small one & he was too big for it in a matter of weeks as he was such a long baby.

[Arimeh]

We went and got a really interesting looking bath from Big W - was a bit pricey - and had moulds and everything from newborn to toddler. DS absolutely hated it as he couldn't go under the water as much as he wanted etc, and he would just scream. So I got sick of that and went to a baby shop and got the biggest baby bath I could (its really long and quite deep) and just plain white etc, for around $30. We use this still (and he is just over 12 months old) and he loves it. We have stuck some sticky things on the side and the bottom that he loves to scratch away at, and we put it in our bathtub so we just sit on the floor next to the bath, whilst he plays away!!!! Before he could sit up it was a bit hard on the back, so we bathed him in the laundry sink until he could sit up on his own. Then back to the baby bath in the bathtub. I'm not sure what everyone else does, but it works for us!!

[~Trish~]

Hi luey! How exciting, your bub is nearly here!

My MIL bought us a Childcare bath with a stand when our first DS was born. I found it really useful. With our second DS we didn't bother using the stand, we just put it on our bathroom bench. We only used it for 8 weeks though and then he outgrew it. I now put him in one of those layback baby seats in our big bath. I will get a lot more use out of the seat than I did the bath. It is up to you, but I honestly wouldn't invest a lot in a bath as you can't use them for very long.

All the best

[Beach Mama]

We got a moulded one that supported her when she was a newborn and then you use the other end once they can sit up on their own! We still use it now occasionally when we can't be bothered running the big bath for her. If you buy a big flat one you can buy an insert thing that supports them, its a frame made of wire covered in terry towelling. We found she loved her bath when she was a newborn especially when she felt supported but if we tried to hold her in the water and let her float early on she would scream the house down! Now she's a real water baby and just likes being in any water!
Hth!

[ME2006]

I have just found a brochure about a new thing called "TUBmat" made by a company called Little Bear. It looks to be a great idea, do a google search and see what you think.

[luey]

Thanks for all your feedback. Interesting that some bubba's didn't like the moulded baths. I think I may just find a really big baby bath and possibly by the inserts if needed. We will be out country, about 2hours from the nearest shops that will have that stuff so I have to try and be prepared. But I should be able to get some stuff sent up.

My main issue is that the normal bath is so deep, not a spa bath unfortunately, that I would have problems holding and supporting bub when he/she is not sitting yet. I can always use the laundry tub as some of you have done. I have thought of showering with bub too.

I may still get a stand but will have a closer look at these IRL. I may even have a look at second hand stands/baths. If it is thoroughly cleaned I don't think there would be a problem. Gotta love domestos.

The TUBmat looked great but unfortunately I don't think will fit the shape of the bath and there is no vanity in the bathroom to fill it. I could hook it to the bath taps but turning it on and off could be an issue. The bathroom is a 'three way one' with shower and bath in one room, toilet in another and mirror and vanity in the entrance.

Thanks for your feedback, it was exactly what I was after.

[Hoody]

i just found my baby bath awkward it was so much quicker to pop DD's in the laundry trough. Mine was a big white one and i think i only used it a handful of times.

[mgm]

We didn't have a laundry trough or any sink big enough, and our bath was very deep and huge. We bought a combined bath/change table (bath sits under the table, which lifts up on a hinge) and it was fantastic. Filling it and draining it were a bit of a pain because there wasn't enough room to keep it in the bathroom, but even so, having the bath and change table at that level meant no awkward bending over. I think I used the bath til DS was about 10 months - he was much too big too lie down in it and had to sit up, but that was fine and used a lot less water than filling a huge bath.

[mrscricket]

Luey - we purchased the Roger Armstrong Laguna Bath from Baby Bunting. The house we were in only had a shower. Originally we just used a standard baby bath for DS but it was so difficult filling it and empting it and DS outgrew it quickly. He is really active in the bath and would try to 'swim' from one end to the other and smash his head. The Laguna bath was bigger and more of an oval shape, rather than square. The best part was it had a plug hole so i just to put it over the kitchen sink, so no leaning over to bath bubs and super easy to empty.

We are now in a house with a bath and i just put a little bit of water in the bath and lay DS in it and he goes nuts kicking and splashing.

I think the Laguna bath was about $60-ish - but definately worth it.

[Liviam]

I found a baby bath the biggest waste of money and is now just cluttering up an already cluttered house. I bought a baby bath seat that reclines backwards and Livvy loved it and we used it for ages. You can put it in the bath or laundry sink.

[Starfish]

We bought the FP aquarium bath and used it for about 6 months. I absolutely loved it, as I thought that the baby hammock thing made bathing DD so much easier. We now bathe DD in the big bath, but plan to keep using the baby bath as a paddling pool of sorts for her to splash around in on hot summer days. As we live in an apartment with a shared laundry and crappy kitchen and bathroom sinks, a baby bath has come in most useful.

[Phteven]

We had a baby bath and it was a total waste of money. I stopped using it after about a month with Yasin and I didn't ever use it for Imran. I found the easiest thing to do was just lie them on thier back in a few cm's of water (so it came to about their ears). They liked it better too because they could kick and splash about.
I also used to just take them into the shower with me. If DH was home I would get him to come and get the baby so I could have a bit of time on my own in the shower while he dried and dressed bubs. I used to have baths with them too but I was always a bit scared that they would poo in the bath so I would usually get DH to collect them as soon as I could so I could relax a bit.

[Beach Mama]

Oh forgot to add, best baths were and still are ones where we get in with her! Easy if you are both home so one can be on standby with towel etc. but a deep warm bath with lots of skin to skin cuddles is great, then later one as Dach said, a shallow bath or shower will be fine and before you know it they are sitting up alone! HtH!

[aussienic]

I have always had just a baby bath but this time round I bought a bath on a stand and I think its great.. It is just the perfect height.. Olivia gets her morn bath in the big bath and her evening one in the bab bath ...

HTH

[leebee81]

As we live in an apartment with a shared laundry and crappy kitchen and bathroom sinks, a baby bath has come in most useful.

We also live in an apartment - we have a laundry cupboard with a tiny tub and the bathroom is a disaster area - the sink is falling off the wall for starters, and there is no bench or vanity. I can't see how I could be bent over the bath with a tiny baby without killing my back or knees, so we got a basic white baby bath from Target (it was actually a gift) - I think it was about $30 and it has a drainage hose. I plan to put in on the kitchen bench and use it there so I can be standing. Plus, I can have the towels, moisturisers, wash, etc right next to me. I figure bubs will go in the big bath once it can sit up a bit and not need quite as much support - hopefully by then we will have renovated the bathroom.

I figure for $30 its not a huge investment and if its not useful we can get rid of it.