Baby's Bath

I remember signing up for the newborn care class at the hospital thinking I would receive important information that would make me feel more capable to take care of my daughter.  I did not expect to feel more afraid.

The one area they discussed that ended up terrifying me was bathing my baby.

I had thought it would be so simple.  Not even close.

You have to make sure the temperature isn't too hot or you could scald your baby, babies are slippery, you can't wash her until her bellybutton fall off, etc etc.  Then to make matters worse there are a million different items out there to use to bathe your child.

First is the baby bath itself.  There are so many different styles it's shocking.  They even have ones with spa-like sprayers.  Did my newborn really need a spa experience?  Fortunately for me I was looking for a BPA Free Non-toxic bath so it really narrowed down the field.

There is a great newborn bath called the Primo Eurobath.  It is BPA, Phthalates and Lead free.  It very simple and easy to use, without all the bells and whistles.  It runs around $25 to $30.

I also purchased an in-between bath seat.  It's ideal for that stage where they are too big for the newborn bath, but not ready for the big bath yet.  Aquababy Bathtub Seat is non-slip and non-toxic.  It is so great because my daughter could sit up in it and loved it.  I also didn't have to worry about her slipping since she was set in the seat.  It is also really easy to clean them.  That was a concern of mine but it was just as simple as the newborn bath.

After you decide on the bath to use it is time to move on to the "gear" you need. 

 I chose to use Little Bamboo washcloths and towels.  They are pesticide free and eco-friendly and organically grown.  I love them!  They are super soft and chemical free.  How great is that against my baby's skin!

When I first started bathing my baby I used just warm water for awhile.  I didn't want to use anything on her new skin and besides the dirty diapers, was she really getting that dirty from sleeping all day?

The baby wash and lotion I chose to use on her is California Baby Super Sensitive.  I read a lot of information about how bad the detergents and chemicals in a lot of "big name" baby washes and lotions are.  Also scent-free is really the way to go.  Babies new skin is so sensitive that you don't want a scent to start a reaction and honestly do you really want to take away from the wonderful smell of your newborn child? YUM Also make sure to keep away from ANYTHING with parabens.  They can potentially harm your child.

I actually started to use the lotion that I purchased for my daughter on myself.  I didn't want her to be exposed through me holding her to chemicals in my lotion so I switched and never went back.  I think it is very important to make sure that when I touch her it is safe for her and myself as well.  If your baby is anything like mine than your shoulder will be used to suck on constantly and you don't want to take a chance.

Bath toys.  My daughter loves them!  We have a set of her "people" as she calls them and also letters and numbers.  Make sure the bath toys are non-toxic.  You will be warming up those items in the bath and you do not want any chemicals leeching into the bath water that your child is soaking in and will for sure drink some of.  I love Boon bath toys and the Munchkin letters and numbers.  They are both non-toxic.  

I really recommend a bath ball filter also.  It hangs from the faucet and filters the water that comes out.  There are a few places that carry them.  Gaiam carries one that is around $60.  Well worth it if you don't have a full house filtration system.  You would be shocked to find out what is lurking in your water.  In my area there was jet fuel found in the water!

Another thing to consider is the shower curtain liner.  The plastic liners contain BPA.  Choose a fabric liner.  I know, never thought about that.  It is also a lot safer.  

My now 19 month old daughter likes to play hide and seek.  She loves to sit on the bathroom floor with the shower curtain covering her and her FACE, plastic would be very bad in that situation!  

There is so much to think about for your baby's bath.  I was blown away.  I thought it was a simple, bathe my child, but it really isn't at all.  Once you get everything in place and your ready though, it is so much fun!  My daughter loved the bath from day one and still runs across the house yelling "bath" trying to take her clothes off on the way when we say the word.

Till next blog....