Bath every night?

For those of you who have the "hang" of this more than I do...

Do you bathe them every night? Also, do you have a way to bathe that you have found to be the easier way to bathe? Step by step?

Bath time is stressful for mommy (me) AND babies--looking for helpful tips on making it a more relaxing process.

Thanks so much for your input!!!

Susanne

 

I bathe(d) them every night. At that age, here was my method:

Lay out a large blanket on the floor near the sink with their clothes, diapers, and lotion.
Lay the babies on the blanket, and undress them down to their diapers.
Bathe on baby in the sink tub, wrap in towel, place on blanket.
Bathe 2nd baby in the tub, wrap in towel, place on blanket.
Lotion, diaper, and clothe, both babies, and VIOLA! 2 clean, lotioned, jammied, babies!

I did it this way until they started getting mobile, then things got a little trickier!

 

At that stage I bathed them every other night. DH would be home with me so it would be bathing them one at a time in the sink bathtub. At 2 months we moved to the big normal bathtub with a towel in the bottom and about 3 inches of water.

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Feb 25 2009, 10:07 AM) [snapback]1204515[/snapback]
I bathe(d) them every night. At that age, here was my method:

Lay out a large blanket on the floor near the sink with their clothes, diapers, and lotion.
Lay the babies on the blanket, and undress them down to their diapers.
Bathe on baby in the sink tub, wrap in towel, place on blanket.
Bathe 2nd baby in the tub, wrap in towel, place on blanket.
Lotion, diaper, and clothe, both babies, and VIOLA! 2 clean, lotioned, jammied, babies!

I did it this way until they started getting mobile, then things got a little trickier!



How about step by step in the tub? Mine are so squirmy and seem so traumatized by the bathing process. I Must be doing something wrong. Help!

 

For the first year I bathed mine separately, and in the morning. After the 1st nap of the day whoever woke up first was bathed first while sister stayed in the crib. I didn't start bathing them together until they were very good at sitting up.

 

QUOTE(smitch @ Feb 25 2009, 10:11 AM) [snapback]1204528[/snapback]
How about step by step in the tub? Mine are so squirmy and seem so traumatized by the bathing process. I Must be doing something wrong. Help!


It could just be their age. They're still so little and it's hard to hold them comfortably. I had one baby who was never happy being bathed until he could sit up well. Do you have a little hammocky thing that goes in your baby tub? I found that to help a lot with the twins.

Also, and I'm probably a terrible mother, but I only bathe kids once a week unless they're playing in the mud or have a horrible diaper rash or something. My doctor says it's really not that good for their skin to be bathed every day and they're not getting dirty. I do it in the morning when I'm a little fresher. It cut down on the trauma when they were too small to enjoy their baths. You could also do a quick wipe-down with a washcloth on most days, rather than having to hold them up in the tub. They'd stay just as clean and probably be far more comfortable.

 

QUOTE(JicJac @ Feb 25 2009, 10:10 AM) [snapback]1204523[/snapback]
At 2 months we moved to the big normal bathtub with a towel in the bottom and about 3 inches of water.



Did they seem to like this? And were they as squirmy and difficult to maneuver?

 

QUOTE(smitch @ Feb 25 2009, 09:11 AM) [snapback]1204528[/snapback]
How about step by step in the tub? Mine are so squirmy and seem so traumatized by the bathing process. I Must be doing something wrong. Help!

No, you aren't doing anything wrong. They are still such little peanuts at that point, it's hard to get them comfortable in the tub. And then they FREAK when you take them out, at least mine did. It will get better with time, and they will love their baths!

 

QUOTE(Queen of Carrots @ Feb 25 2009, 09:16 AM) [snapback]1204533[/snapback]
It could just be their age. They're still so little and it's hard to hold them comfortably. I had one baby who was never happy being bathed until he could sit up well. Do you have a little hammocky thing that goes in your baby tub? I found that to help a lot with the twins.

Also, and I'm probably a terrible mother, but I only bathe kids once a week unless they're playing in the mud or have a horrible diaper rash or something. My doctor says it's really not that good for their skin to be bathed every day and they're not getting dirty. I do it in the morning when I'm a little fresher. It cut down on the trauma when they were too small to enjoy their baths. You could also do a quick wipe-down with a washcloth on most days, rather than having to hold them up in the tub. They'd stay just as clean and probably be far more comfortable.


So glad to know I am not alone- we bathe our twins about every 3 days or so. Especially in the cooler months, we didn't want to dry out the skin, etc. If their was a super messy diaper that required a bath, of course we did it but we didn't do it every night- still don't and they are 6 mo old. They aren't sitting up on their own and are still in the baby tub. For us it is a "day" activity, not a nighttime one (which I hope will come later). I have a feeling the more food they eat, the more frequent the baths. Don't worry and do what works for the babies and for you- At first I did one baby one day, one baby the next day and then no one... or me : )

 

Thank you for posting this question. I bought another tub because I thought they were too cold in the hammock one and that was the reason they protested. Well the "whale of a tub" keeps them VERY secure and they can't slip but they still aren't submerged enough.

I had a postpartum doula help me with them two weeks ago. She keep wetting a wash cloth and putting it on their chests so that they stayed warm because their torso is not under water. She had them each in for a 20 minute bath and they loved it! She put them in feet first and also had a warm blanket ready. She crumpled (important or it will burn) a receiving blanket in the microwave. I would use the dryer because I don't feel comfortable with this. She sang a calming song and took her time. Unfortunately, I have not had the success she had. I am actually nervous about baths because they get so upset.

I know so many people use it as part of the nighttime routine so I tried again last night. I left them in a little longer and really focused on the baby in the tub. They hated it a little less. I think maybe they have to get used to it? I also read somewhere to wrap a beach towel around your neck so you can quickly wrap and hold them.

I am looking forward to hearing the advise from others too!

 

We bathe them every night since it is part of our bedtime routine. At about the age yours are they were just starting to like it and now LOVE bathtime. Our step-by-step.
My husband helps every night. We put the baby tub on the counter in our bathroom (added bonus that they really enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror). We put both babies on the bed and one of us starts undressing them while the other prepares the bath water. Then we put one in (soap every third night or so). Once that bath (quick and easy) is done my husband holds out a towel and I puts the baby in the towel and while I am dressing one for bed he is bathing the other. Then I take a towel to him and he dresses her while I put lotion on the baby boy (excema). Never knew it was so hard to explain! But, it works because someone is always with one of them and they don't get too upset. One thing that we do is make sure that it is warm in the bathroom/bedroom - we even used a space heater in the bathroom when they were really little.

 

We didnt start doing nightly baths until ours were 9 months old. before that we aimed for every other night or at least 2x a week. Their skin is so delicate (you dont wnat to dry it out) and it was a LOT of work and not much fun for anyone to bathe them everynight before they were older/sitting up/playing in the tub etc.

Now we have dinner, I strip their clothes and they go straight to the bath. knowing they are going to bathe right after dinner gives us/them a chance to experiment with very messy food all on their own!

 

I bath every night and here is my routine

7pm start time
the one crying goes first. I set up the towel, pjs, diapers, wipes, lotion, butt cream (whatever I need) on the kitchen counter. Get the sink ready.
Grab first baby. Baby gets bath, then dressed and swaddled. Lay that baby down in the living room. If that baby is crying I have older sister go sit with them and tell them stories (she loves to talk and it usually calms the babies).
Grab second baby and do the same thing.
Nurse, rock, bed.

Some other pointers that work for me... Before I start, I "set" the mood. Turn down lights, turn down any noise (tv), turn up the heat for a little, and start the baby bach cd. This seems to relaxe everyone and helps transition into sleep time.

Sometimes babies cry and there is nothing I can do about it. If Im bathing one and the other is crying I avoid the stress by tuning out the noise. I know it sounds bad, but you can stress out, or tune out sometimes. You move as fast as you can and do the best you can.

THis is a big part of how I got mine STTN by 6 wks. Even the twins (after a few more tips) are starting to get close to STTN and they are 6 wks.

 

We didn't bathe every night either. We did about 2 times a week. I also found that it hurt my back to be leaning over the side of the tub. so I had a baby "tub" that I would put on the kitchen counter(our sink was not big enough). I had enough space on the counter that I would put a towel there for when I got them out. Then I would take them in the other room to dress them. When they were very small, I would bathe them at night and use a calming baby soap and lotion. I still use that b/c I like the smell. Now that they are older, they get more bathes, but still not everyday. I think that b/c I was more confident using a smaller "tub", it made them more relaxed.

 

Wow, so far everyone's input has been great! Please keep it coming, as I am assuming it is helping more mommies than just me. I bathe them once a week--sometimes it is so traumatic for all of us that I just jump in the big tub holding a baby--in my undies and nursing bra! But obviously that is not always practical. Most of the time I just end up giving them a sponge bath and then washing their hair holding them over the sink and pouring a cup of warm water over their heads (avoiding their eyes of course)--they love this part. This is actually very soothing to them to get their hair washed--what little hair they have!

I do have a hammock thingy in their tub but I ended up taking it out because they get too cold in it, and by the time I put the second baby in, it is so cold she screams the moment her little tushy touches that ice cold thing--I felt so horrible!

They are just too squirmy to bathe normally in their baby bath in the sink--I guess I will just continue the way I have been until they get a little older and able to hold their heads up. I just hate traumatizing them any more than "necessary".

Please keep the input coming! I'm finding bits and pieces from several people so far that I can use to improve our babies' bathing experience. Thank you!!!

 

QUOTE(smitch @ Feb 25 2009, 07:59 AM) [snapback]1204709[/snapback]
Most of the time I just end up giving them a sponge bath and then washing their hair holding them over the sink and pouring a cup of warm water over their heads (avoiding their eyes of course)--they love this part. This is actually very soothing to them to get their hair washed--what little hair



That sounds like a good start to me. If you did something like that every night for a good routine...

 

I bathe every night and most of the time I do it alone. I put the girls in their bouncy chairs and let them watch a baby DVD. I take my less patient baby and bathe her first. She is then relaxed enough to watch TV while I bathe her sister, but sometimes she screams while she's waiting, and we just go on with our routine. I use this bath insert in my large utility sink in my laundry room and still use it to this day and the girls are eight months old. They're submerged a good bit and I also put a wash cloth on their chest to keep them warm. I don't do a long bath at all, I just soap them up and rinse them, then wash hair every third night or so, and use a wet cloth on their faces. It takes 7 minutes or so, then I get them lotioned, diapered, jammied, and sleep-sacked. I do both babies in 20 minutes.

One DD would cry during her bath when she was your babies' age, but over time she learned to enjoy it and now they love it. She was terrified of coming out of the bath, so I would put the towel on the front of me and scoop her up while bending way down into the sink so she didn't have far to go before she was in my arms in the towel. I also dim the lights, play a Baby Mozart CD, sing to them, etc. I give their bottle right after their bath and they are so relaxed they go right to sleep for the night usually.

 

I've bathed twice a week from the start. They really don't get that dirty and as long as you wipe well after meals and during diaper changes, they don't need more I think. We'll probably go to three times a week this Summer though.

At the start we just got a baby tub (the fisher price ones are good), and lay them down in there, and just rinsed them with a cup. They started to like it around 2 months.

 

We only bathe twice a week for skin reasons. My routine sounds a lot like everyone elses. We usually do it after the afternoon feeding (~4 pm). While they play on the activity mat, I set everything up in our bathroom. We have a small space heater that I get going, sso the bathroom gets nice and toasty. I fill up the baby tub most of the way, and put the soap in the water.

One baby sits in the bouncy chair watching a Baby Einstein while the other one is getting his bath. I have been using the hammock, but last night tried it without, but I think I still like the hammock. Our shower has a hand held shower head, so once I've used a wash cloth all over the baby, washed his head etc, I give him a good rinse with the showerhead. My two seem to really like the sound of running water, so they like that part.

Then it's into the spread open on the floor towel, and quickly wrapped up. Because of their eczema, I have to coat them in Aquaphor ASAP while the skin is still damp, so I get through that part fast. We also do a little naked tummy time, while I lotion up their back.

When they were smaller, I had these cute bear one peice warm things that I would put them into on top of the PJs after baths to help get them warmed up, but now a blanket seems fine.

 

At that age, I often bathed them every night because the bath was so soothing and they slept more soundly not because they really needed to be bathed...and I was more likely guaranteed an extra hour or two of sleep! Now I bathe them every other night. I bathe them one at a time in the bathtub in the aquaring:

http://kidsstuff.stores.yahoo.net/b148-bathring.html

I love it...so easy! Eventually when they are both sitting up well, I'd like to bathe them together. Should be fun for them!

 

Hmm we also find that dimming the lights helps quite a bit

 

My babies liked the bath in the early months but screamed at getting out and dressed so it was quite stressful. I didn't do it very often to protect their skin and my sanity. Now that they are eating solids and getting messy, we bathe every other day before bed. I tried several baths and like this one the best! http://www.amazon.com/Primo-340W-PRIMO-Eur...l/dp/B000056OV0

I have that tub on my kitchen counter. I lay a thin flannel blanket under them in the water and they don't slip around at all. They are so steady that I have both hands free to bathe them. I have one watching a video while I bathe the other. If that isn't working, I bring a bouncy seat into the kitchen to watch me. Sometimes the water gets cold and I add some new hot water for the 2nd baby.

Now at 9 months, they can sit up on the other end of the tub so it's still quite useful and saves my back.

 

Ditch the clothes and bath naked with your babies! Its great for skin-to-skin contact.
When my DH gave the LOs bathes he would heat the towels in the dryer and turn the space heater on in the bathroom to keep it super warm for them

 

we bathe each guy every other night on alternating nights. They're not crawling around yet so I don't think they get dirty enough for daily baths yet. At 1 month we bathed them once a week with sponge baths in between.

we have an infant tub in the big bathtub and we've always used that. the sink freaks me out because of the faucet hanging out there. i'm so afraid i'm going to bump a noggin on that faucet. i fill the baby tub with warm water, and i sing to them the whole time we're doing it so they know it's a happy occasion. i always wash their parts in the same order so it always feels familiar. i start below the waist, then i do the torso and arms, then i do the neck creases (which makes them giggle hysterically these days) and then i do the face. Once their faces are wet i know they're going to be feeling cool so i do a quick job of the hair and rinse and we're done. i keep a towel next to me on the rug by the tub and we go straight from the tub to the towel. they complain when they're being dried but by the time they're patted down and we're doing lotion they're back to feeling happy and chatty. then it's time for the evening bottle and bed.

they didn't really enjoy the baths at 1 month, but they love it now.

 

QUOTE(smitch @ Feb 25 2009, 03:39 PM) [snapback]1204482[/snapback]
For those of you who have the "hang" of this more than I do...

Do you bathe them every night? Also, do you have a way to bathe that you have found to be the easier way to bathe? Step by step?

Bath time is stressful for mommy (me) AND babies--looking for helpful tips on making it a more relaxing process.

Thanks so much for your input!!!

Susanne


Yes, I bath mine every night, before their last feed at 8pm, as its part of our routine. I have a lady who is here as Im often out working but I do it at weekends and have been alone when doing it too.

If both babs are cranky then I will bath one then the other, then feed one then the other (I leave the one who feeds first sat up). However, more often than not, the cranky baby goes first then gets fed then the next baby follows. The remaining baby will usually play happily or be entertained/distracted if there´s someone else there.

I prepare everything beforehand: their cots with dummies & sleepsuits, bottles on the table ready, PJs, towels, creams, etc all laid out. I even have their bibs in the bathroom to put on as they are usually starving and go crazy when they see the bottle! Also, the babies have their meds/gas drops before they go to the bath. I used to do it just before the feed and it was just a nightmare.

I used a baby bath for a long time but mine graduated to the normal bath at around 7.5-8 months and they love it. I wash them and let them sit up for a few minutes to play. Then it´s out, dry, body cream, nappy then PJs. I also apply baby perfume on their hair with a soft brush which they´ve had since they were born (the clinic used it and I continued using it). I´ve been doing this routine since their umbilical cords fell off and they love it.

We do have difficult bathing sessions when one is squirming everywhere, but I usually use a toy (usually a bath toy!) or sing songs or make silly noises to distract them. It works for now anyway!

 

I only bathe twice a week right now (3 months) and they each get their own day. I'm going to be starting them every other day at night soon since they're getting older and I want to start more of a bedtime routine. I do it on my own. I leave the one not getting a bath in their crib to play.

1) Put babies in crib to play and get towels and everything ready. I have a bouncy seat in the bathroom to help me out. I put the water in the baby tub nice and warm.

2) Get baby undressed quickly and wrap in an adult towel.

3) Put baby in bouncy seat and unwrap towel so it's waiting for him/her.

4) Put baby in tub. Put one warm wet wash cloth on belly to stay warm. Wash face. Wash hair and rest of body.

5) Have baby hooded towel ready and put hood under my chin so I can scoop baby up backwards, wrap in towel.

6) Put baby in bouncy seat and wrap in adult towel and go back in nursery. Reset mobile for non-bathing baby and make funny faces

7) Dry bathed baby and lotion.

8) Get dressed

I tried to get both babies on the same day but it was too much and they don't stay happy that long. When they are older I'll bathe them together.

 

At the age of yours we bathed them every night. Mostly because they had reflux and were constantly spitting up and it smelled so terrible. I liked to give them a nice warm bath, feed them and right to sleep. It was just a routine that worked for us.