In getting ready for Sophie’s arrival, I worked hard to make sure that we had everything on our baby product “checklist” ready to go! (Since this is our first baby, there was quite a lot to acquire!) As part of our checklist, we obviously needed bathing / grooming products, and as someone who loves a good shower and freshly cleaned feeling I was super excited to get these items for Sophie.
It took her quite a while to warm up to ( 😉) taking baths, but now that we’re two+ months in she finally seems to enjoy them! That being said, she still does NOT like getting out of the tub and cries during the whole post-bath routine until she’s fully clothed again. 😂 We’re working on that, but I’m just happy that she doesn’t scream throughout the entire bath anymore — that always made her baths super stressful for me!
If you’re a new parent bathing your little one may feel like a stressful time for you too, but it doesn’t need to be! Below I’m sharing our favorite products as well as our step-by-step bathtime routine — hopefully some combination of them will help you feel more relaxed and confident bathing your babe!
BATHTIME PRODUCTS
Baby Bathtub
There are SO MANY baby bathtubs on the market ranging from little pads that cradle your baby in a sink to a more deluxe model that has all of the bells and whistles. We opted for something in between with a Collapsible Baby Bathtub mainly for being able to stash it away in our small, old home, but we also like that it can be used up to a decent age / size range so that we’ll get maximum use out of it. This particular model has a few features that set it above the rest for us, but these similar options ( 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 ) were certainly contenders.
*We like to use this one when traveling!
Kneeling Pad
We ordered this pad to save our knees while we are hunched over the bathtub, but there are a lot more options beyond this model! They even make some with additional storage space or pads for the edge of the tub to cushion your elbows! We may upgrade to one of these ( 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 ) at a later time, but for now our biggest priority is knee support.
Water Thermometer
I was just planning to wing it when it came to determining the temperature of baby’s bath water (using the ol’ elbow trick), but ultimately decided to get a bath water thermometer and I’m so glad that I did because it will take the guesswork out of whether or not the bath temperature is okay for baby! This one actually doubles as a room thermometer as well if you’re monitoring the temperature in your baby’s room.
Soap, Lotion & Ointment
This brand keeps receiving rave reviews from customers and their All Over Ointment has a cult following so I had to see what the fuss was about! I think the scents all sound wonderful, but because I didn’t know if baby would have any sensitivities I ordered all of the fragrance-free options and will maybe introduce scents later on (although they DO have seasonal scent sets that I am always so tempted to try!).
*Click here for 10% off your first order!*
I am also intrigued by this brand and this brand for soaps and lotions if you’re looking for more options!
Baby Washcloths
These muslin washcloths just seemed like the most gentle option to use on baby’s sensitive skin and they seem to be doing the trick so far! We also have them in a larger size to use as burp cloths.
Baby Towels
Apparently a hooded towel is important to have for infants as their temperatures are super sensitive and a lot of their heat escapes from their heads so having this little hood on the towel will help to conserve the warmth from their bath. Also love this option and this option!
Bathtime Hair Care
I ordered this cradle cap scrubbing set not knowing if we’d actually end up needing it, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to be prepared just in case. The little gentle scalp scrubber and soft scalp sponge are great for washing Sophie’s hair, even though she hasn’t experienced Cradle Cap (yet?).
Baby Hairbrush
Baby Girl was born without a much hair (she got that from me as I was born with very little hair as well! 🤣 Sorry, Sophie!) so we didn’t need a brush for her right away. At some point we will need a brush to smooth and gently detangle Sophie’s hair so I placed an order for this baby brush. I was mostly interested in this brush because of the soft bristles that are intended for delicate baby scalps, but if we’re being honest I also love the aesthetic of the brush too (the French make everything so beautiful!). I love this set of baby hair care tools too.
I keep most of her bathing products in this little caddy so I have everything I need ready to go when it’s time to give her a bath.
In addition to all of the products in her shower caddy I also bring the following items to her bath time:
1. her DockaTot to place her in while I set up the bath and then afterward when I dry her off and apply her body lotion
2. a fresh diaper and ointment
3. her jammies / fresh clothes
4. two cotton balls, a Q-Tip, and a small cup (for pouring fresh, warm water over her head to rinse her hair)
OUR BATHTIME ROUTINE
Put baby (in only a fresh diaper and wrapped in towel) in DockaTot next to tub
Run water to get warmed up — use thermometer to determine temp before filling baby tub
Place long muslin burp cloth on back of baby tub for non-slip + comfort
Fill baby tub with only a few inches of water
Take diaper off and gently lower baby baby into the bath
Place a muslin washcloth soaked in warm bath water on baby’s torso to help keep her warm during the bath
Wash baby’s arms one at a time and being careful to rinse her hands ASAP so that she doesn’t accidentally eat soap, then move on to her belly / back / bum, legs, face (using soaked -but squeezed out- cotton balls to gently clean eyes and a wet Q-tip to gently clean her outer ear), and finally hair. I wait to clean her face and hair until last so her wet head isn’t getting cold as I bathe the rest of her.
*Also, you don’t need to clean baby girl’s private parts with soap, but you can give them a gentle wipe with a wet washcloth, if needed.
Carefully lift baby out of bath tub and place back in towel on DockaTot and onto the original fresh diaper (if not soiled) so that if she has an accident while in the towel it doesn’t make a mess, and quickly wrap her up, being careful to cover her head with the special folded corner of the baby towel
Dry baby off, focusing first on her head / hair; replace original (now wet) diaper with a fresh, dry one and apply diaper cream; massage lotion onto baby’s body (avoiding their hands); put jammies on
Et voilà! A clean baby!
*here are some additional tips for bathing a newborn*
I love that our little girl is finally learning to love bath time because it’s seriously one of the cutest things ever! When she gets a bit older, we’ll probably get some of these, these, and these toys for her to play with and make her bath time experience even more fun and enjoyable!
Good luck with your baby baths! You’ve got this!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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