Simple & Fun Bathtime Tips For Baby
Have you ever heard the phrase, “If a baby is unhappy, just add water?” For many adults, water can be a calming tool, and it works just the same for our babies and kids! Who doesn't feel much better after a nice hot shower or bath?! Bathtime is a perfect opportunity to reset the mood or transition the kids into another part of the day, like bedtime. Although many families may do bathtime at night, you can implement a bath at any time of the day if that is what your baby needs.
Not all babies enjoy bathtime at first, especially when they are really young (be sure to check my infant course for newborn bath tips), but with time bathtime can become something that both you and your children look forward to everyday (or however often you choose to have them take a bath). For really little ones, I break down some of my practical bathtime tips here.
Let’s unpack a few of my favorite tips and tricks for bathtime and bedtime that make our night time routine a little smoother and just as special:
1. MAKE IT easy ON YOU
Especially if you have more than one kid. The simpler bathtime is, the easier the clean up! Below are some of my favorite items that I love to have on hand and accessible for bathtime.
My Favorite Bathtime Essentials
Bath Caddy - to keep everything handy and ready to use.
Basketball Hoop For Bath - depending on your child’s age, this can be a real winner for bathtime to keep your little ones entertained. Teddy loves it!
Infant Bath Tub - for little ones that still need to be contained or reclined. This is for babies under 10 months or who are not able to sit independently very long.
Muslin Washcloths - soft, gentle and easy to clean! Perfect for covering parts of the body you’re not currently washing to keep them warm!
Oneberrie Towel (CODE: KARRIE15) - This towel buttons around your neck (apron style) so picking your baby up out of the tub is easy and hands-free, and does not get you wet! It’s shockingly absorbent and huge, which is so great for older babies too! The regular hooded towels I have typically aren’t long enough to cover my babies after the newborn stage. See it in action here.
Munchkin Riser - makes pouring water over them so easy and seamless!
Derm Frida - a 3-step cradle cap system that helps clean, brush, and scrub babies' heads gently and thoroughly! If you are struggling with cradle cap, you can see more of what I do in my cradle cap highlight & in this post too!
Munchkin Float and Play Balls - they are so adorable, captivating, and do not allow for any water to get stuck or moldy inside!
You can shop my full BATHTIME FAVES Amazon Storefront here!
2. HAIR & BODY WASH
All-in-one hair and body soap is great while they are still little, and it goes without saying that my favorite bath time hair and body soap comes from Tubby Todd! I love their scented and unscented options, and most recently you can try out the Karrie Locher Baby Bundle that features a Lavender Rosemary (or unscented!) Hair and Body Wash!
With newborns especially, you don’t need to use soap or shampoo every night if you’re using a bath as part of the bedtime routine. Sometimes just the warm water, running water, and bonding time is all they need! Soaping too often can dry out a newborn’s skin, so keep that to 2-3x/week maximum.
3. CONSIDER A milk bath
If you are looking for one way to use some of your expired or old breastmilk, this is one of my favorite ways to use it! Milk baths are exactly what they sound like, adding breastmilk to your baby’s bath!
Breastmilk has so many anti-infective, anti-inflammatory properties alongside being full of immunities, soothing/hydrating and vitamin-rich properties as well! Just one tsp of breastmilk has 3,000,000 germ killing cells! Just another reason why breastmilk (and what our bodies can do) is so amazing!!
Milk baths are great for common skin issues babies may struggle with:
Cradle cap
Bug bites
Minor cuts and burns
Etc!
Certain types of eczema
Dry skin
Baby acne
Diaper rash
All you have to do is take some of your milk that’s no longer good for consumption and use it in the bath! It does not have to be a “certain amount” to be effective. And you do not need to “rinse them off” afterwards!
Unfinished bottle baby didn’t want
High lipase milk baby won’t take (of course this could be donated or potentially worked through in other ways when you please!), etc.
Expired milk
Milk left out too long
You can pour it straight from the expired bag/bottle into the tub, or if you want to save for later— you can use freezer bags, souper cubes, or a similar tray to make breastmilk bath bombs! Just pour into the tray and freeze to pull out when you want to pop a cube in the tub!
TIP: Make sure you always label this milk as “not for consumption” so you/your partner/caregiver know that it’s for baths only!
4. A FEW extra faves FOR AFTER BATHTIME
The part of what makes bathtime so special is also what comes after! Your bedtime routine probably includes putting on fresh PJ’s, reading books together, or singing, here are a couple of things that we include too:
My Favorite Nail Filer - to trim and maintain nails post bath, with no worries about cutting baby’s fingertip!
Wellements Sleep Time Roll-On (CODE: KARRI15) - I love that it engages the senses and has become such a staple part of our nightly routine.
You can see our full bedtime here!
BATHTIME DURING travel
In the last year, we have had to travel with the kids and have learned a lot while doing so. These are a few ways we made things work while traveling with our baby. A few may be a “given”, but traveling with a baby was new to us! Plus, we decided not to bring a few things for bath and just “figure it out when we got there”, this actually worked out ok and thought I’d share!
Bring travel size bath items. This may be a given, but I always think we need way more than we actually do! The travel size shampoo, conditioner, and body was all we needed (between all 4 of our kids!). It lasted and traveled easily!
No need for bath toys! Babies are perfectly entertained with anything BUT toys sometimes, and the bath is no exception! I gave Teddy some of my toiletries (they’re fun because they float) and he had a hay day— save yourself the space!
Make a DIY bath mat. There are some neat travel bath mats, but if you’re wanting to save space or worry about drying between destinations, just use a hand towel instead!! Fill the tub, place the hand towel or regular towel in the water on the floor of the tub, and set the baby on top! We did this with teddy multiple times on our trip and it kept him from sliding around while I washed him and while he splashed— worked like a charm!
Use a provided cup to pour water. Whether you’re using a plastic cup from your airbnb or a paper coffee cup from your hotel— they both do the job! Make the situation work with what you have.
Splash away, snuggle up, and enjoy that squeaky clean baby!
I know sometimes bathtime can feel overwhelming & like there is a lot to do, especially if you have multiple kids! That's why I like to keep it simple, basic, and effective! The most important thing is to do whatever works best for you and your baby, and you can always make changes along the way if needed!
You’ve got this, Mamas!
Xoxo,
Karrie
P.S. Here are the links used in this blog:
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