Bathing Infant

[Shleedogg]

Thank you for all the responses, now I have some good options!

 

[TravelinGal]

I agree with some of the other posters - you don't need to bath babies that often (unless they have a major blowout or really bad spit up) Just make sure you keep all the folds and crevices wiped clean with a moist cloth and dried well to prevent chaffing.

My DS was on the very early side of gross motor skills. He was sitting unsupported at 3 months old (really! I have a photo of it!). But 'average' (for whatever that is worth) is 6 months or so.


(Here's a link to see the picture, if anyone wants to peek... I enjoy digital scrapbooking and this was one of my earlier pages where I created everything {background/elements etc})

 

[brockash]

Congrats! And no she won't be able to sit up yet. We went to DL last year when DD was 4 months old. It's a little tricky to bathe such little ones. I'm thinking the easiest thing would be to have someone else help you. Have one person hold her in/over the tub and you bathe her. As far as using the sink, we stayed at ASMo, and I don't think the sinks were very big/deep, but than again she'll be pretty small still, so that might work. There's also places that you can order stuff for babies, and they deliver.-No idea on how much it costs. I don't think we'd do it, but just something to think about. Also, I don't think I'd try the showering with the baby. I tried that once with my then 1 year old DS, and seriously almost dropped him. It never dawned on me that he'd be slippery, and very very slippery, and he was 1- I'd be scared to death to try that with a 2-3 month old. I also wouldn't even try to bathe her every day though. I think a few times in that week would be fine. Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[sskem96]

Kitchen sinks work well for baths, but the sinks at Pop are too small and the faucet is too low into the sink. At that age, I would get into the tub with her, lay her on a towel with a small amount of water and wash her up, then hand her out to someone else to dry her off and dress her. Then you can just go ahead with your bath or shower and have some quiet time while she's being taken care of.

 

[jjhardy]

I used one of the sponges from Target for DD even here at home because I don't have much room in my bathroom and that took up less room in the bathroom. I also used one at my parents house when we would go up there. Their sink is big enough that when she was little I would put the sponge in the sink and bath her there.

 

[karibritt01]

We always use the sponge at home and on vacation. It is lightweight and easy to pack. I filled the tub enough that the water was on my kids enough to keep them warm. (The resort may have a heater in the bathroom which would help keep baby warm.) I would never try showering with a baby that little. I did like getting in the tub with my babies. I would fill it all the way up, and we would get in there and relax. It's easiest to hand them off to someone when the bath is finished, and you can take time to get dressed. If you don't have that luxury, then keep towels right by the tub. Get out and wrap baby up tightly in the towel, and lay somewhere safe. Then get yourself dried off and dressed. Baby will be warm and snuggled in the towel waiting for you!

 

[NotUrsula]

Another option if you have one is showering wearing a water sling. The fabric is porous, so you can essentially soap baby up right through it, and not worry about baby slipping out of your arms when soapy.

I LOVE my Solarveil water sling, best investment ever. I still use it for hip carry at 14 mos. DD's first WDW trip was in Sept., she was 10 weeks old, and it was quite hot. She went swimming in that sling, showered in it, and toured the parks in it.

 

[jessp1021]

we went last year with a 3mo old and stayed at ASMU and had no problem bathing her in the sink! She loved looking around at everything and playing with the faucet!

 

[homemaker]

We have always used a small sling/bounce type tub seat. I'm not sure wear we got it, maybe walmart. It has a wire base with a removable mess cover. We have had it for a few years but i'm sure I have seen them recently. It packs well between clothes and is nice to travel with.

Congrats on the upcoming arrival of your first baby!!

 

[pednurse]

I would have to agree with the poster who suggested just giving a "sponge" bath such as you will do when the baby is first born before the umbilical cord stump falls off. Babies don't need daily baths....it will dry out their skin. Just sponge bathe the baby often enough to keep the baby clean and make sure to keep the folds of skin dry, especially in the hot weather, to prevent rashes.

 

[JUJU814]

I just would would put a towel at the bottom of the tub and fill up the tub just a little. I have everything ready ahead of time..dry towel, face cloth on edge of tub, baby wash etc.

I lay baby on towel in the water with my left arm under baby holding baby's head and supporting her while washing her with other arm. Then wash hair, pick baby up and dry her off.

Not rocket science really. If in a hotel room I put the towel at bottom off tubby to prevent any extra slipperiness. Never ever ever take your arm off of holding/supporting the baby and her head.

Another option is to give the baby a sponge bath and then hold her in sort of a football hold gently over the sink to wash baby's hair. Chances are there isn't that much to wash so it goes very quickly. It always helps to have another pair of hands to help you.

Julie

 

[Munchkin'sMommy]

I think a PP said this, but when my son was that young, I would give him a wet bath once a week. Since he was born in the summer, I was worried since he was a little sweater (and still is) that he would smell. But his pedi said that babies really don't need daily baths because it can dry out their skin especially where we live since don't have soft water.

My son had the Fisher Price Aquarium Bathtub and it had a litte sling in in that I would lay him in. He fit perfectly when he was still very small. As he got older, I took out the sling and just used the bathtub. My son also has low muscle tone and he did not learn how to sit unassisted until he was around 10 months old. After he got to big for the tub and could sit on his own, I bought a bath tub seat that he could sit in without slipping and sliding all over the tub. Now, at 2, he loves to sit in the water and play with all his toys (without any kind of seat, etc).

The huggies wipes are really good. Just wet a little and you can give your baby a really good cleaning without immersing them in the water. I still use those for my son.

I was soo nervous the first time I gave him a bath. And what made it even more nerve wracking was that my son was scream and holler so much and just wail at the top of his lungs.

You will get the hang of it!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

She wont be sitting by then...but you can take along the little mesh things that go inside the baby tubs...or just prop them in the sink or tub and rinse them off..

 

[disneymarie]

Consider bringing one of those baby bath large sponge inserts-- they are great for travel, are inexpensive and you can just throw it away when you are packing up to leave. Also, consider an inflatable baby tub or sling.

This is what we did, one child had a sponge to lay in the tub, when I forgot it I lay a towel on the counter.
The other was bigger and I had a blowup tub.
The sponge thing you can find for only a few dollars, squash the air out and put it in a zip lock.Also protect suvieners on the way home.
di

 

[minnie4me]

the towel would be ok, but the sponge gives you some extra support. if it isn't dry when you are ready to leave you can always toss it, they are inexpensive. If you are only going to be on vacation a few days, or like a week, I'd just use the towel (maybe 2). You should only need 2-3 bathes, and just "GI shower" him/her daily.
Enjoy !!

 

[katied]

I haven't read everything, so if this is a duplicate, please disregard.

When we travelled with DS at about 2 months, I had a small little bath sling - it had a foot type thing that folded out, and then it was soft mesh he could lay it. I could put it in a big tub, or even in a shower. In a shower, I would just use the ice bucket or a plastic cup to get him wet, then lather him up, and then rinse him off. I would do the same in a tub really. It was very flat to put in the suitcase, and also helped avoid any wet baby slipping.

 

[HGD24]

At that age, you could just give her a sponge bath by laying a towel on the bed. They don't get that dirty, so you really don't need to put them in water.