When you’re expecting your first child, all the baby gear options can get overwhelming. You might have figured out that a baby wipes warmer is totally unnecessary, but what about the other 74 categories of baby gear suggested on Amazon’s baby registry?
(If you’d like to read about ALL the baby products 6,000 moms did (and didn’t) recommend over my six months of research, you can read my essentials-only baby registry checklist article here!)
As a follow up to my article on whether or not you need a breast pump, I’m continuing my series on baby essentials. Today I’m looking at how necessary baby bathtubs are. I’m a mom of two (with #3 on the way!) but I know my opinions are just that- my opinions. I wanted to see how MOST parents felt about baby bathtubs: whether they recommend them, any tips for baby bathing, and even some product recommendations if I got any. Even if everyone just shares their opinions too, I find getting a consensus is helpful when I’m making new, big decisions.
After doing multiple polls with hundreds of responses, the results are in. (And yes, many parents shared their specific product recommendations! Yay!)
According to the results, 89% of parents said that you’ll need a baby bathtub, especially to help in the first few months of your child’s life. Thankfully, baby bathtubs come in multiple styles and different price points, so every parent should be able to find one that works for them.
Why You Need a Baby Bathtub
Luckily, the parents in my survey were super helpful in explaining the exact reasons that make this a necessary baby purchase, as opposed to just a nice or convenient one.
Babies are slippery
This one surprised me when I went to bathe my oldest for the first time. How could this tiny, seven pound creature mimic a bar of soap so well? Plus, you can’t just hold your baby during bath time, as you’re also trying to clean them, wash their hair, keep them from crying, etc. Unless you have a second adult to help you every time, that will get challenging.
Mom Natalie explained her rationale for recommending baby bathtubs by saying, “You don’t use it for long, but [babies] are so slippery and small that it really comes in handy, even if it is only until they can sit up.”
The CDC’s developmental milestone charts put independent sitting at nine months or earlier. So if you go without a baby bathtub, it might mean spending the better part of a year trying to hold onto your wiggly, slippery little guy by hand.
Reduce back strain
If you’re bathing your baby in a tub or stand up shower, some amount of awkward reaching is inevitable. However, if you use a seat, sling, or self-contained bathtub, they’ll at least be be more elevated. If you can use one of the baby bathtubs in a bathroom or kitchen sink, your back will thank you even more!
Megan was another respondent, and commented, “I liked that I could put the tub on the kitchen sink and stand to bathe my son instead of leading over the tub hurting my back.”
Save water.
Two of the three kinds of bathtubs (which I describe below) allow you to fill up a much smaller space with warm water, as opposed to filling an entire bathtub or sink. If you get your baby into a nightly bathtime routine, this will really add up!
Ashley says, “I plan on using [a baby bathtub] for as long as possible to reduce water consumption.”
Kinds of Baby Bathtubs
Many baby products are pretty standard, but there is a surprising amount of variety in baby bathtubs. I wanted to quickly give you a run down of all the options so you know what’s out there.
Newborn to Toddler bathtubs
These baby bathtubs are useable in both a wide sink and the tub. The inclined side is for when your baby still can’t hold their own head up and needs full-body support. The straight-backed side is for older babies and toddlers who can sit unassisted and support most of their own weight. Some versions of this bathtub (like the one shown above and linked below) also come with a sling over the top for when your baby is REALLY little.
A couple of the parents who answered my poll even mentioned that their hospitals gave these bathtubs to every new parent going home. (Lucky them!) You might want to check with your hospital to see if they participate in a similar program before you go out and buy one.
Though our family has tried other bathtub styles, this is the style we use the most with our babies. Not only does it fit in both our tub and kitchen sink, but it’s the only fully self-contained tub. Thanks to this feature, we’ve been able to fill it up and use it in other rooms if necessary (like that time our HVAC system died and we only had heat in our bedroom. In December.)
You can see the exact model we have on Amazon here.
The Sling
Sling bathtubs are really just an inclined chair that your baby can lounge on during bathtime. They’re soft, have a pillow, and are made with mesh. Most can fold up for easy storage, unlike the newborn-to-toddler tubs, which are pretty bulky. The sling is Jennifer’s go-to bath style, as she explained, “it is so much easier using a foldable bath mesh seat than the tub.”
The problem with slings is that really wiggly babies can still slide down them (ask me how I know). The newborn-to-toddler ones won’t result in a sliding baby the same way because of the wall on the opposite side. Also, babies tend to outgrow these slings pretty quickly, unlike the bulkier ‘grow with me’ style above.
These downsides might be why so few parents recommended them in the comments section, however I did want to include them since they take up the least amount of space.
You can check it out at Walmart.com here.
Baby Bath Seats
These little, pillowy seats are designed specifically for bath time in a sink. The ‘petals’ of the flower radiate out from the center and help transform the solid edges of a sink to a soft, cushioned space. It also prevents your baby’s bottom from getting cold against a porcelain or stainless steel sink.
I don’t think these were even around when I was pregnant with my first child, but I LOVE the idea. A lot of moms mentioned them in comments, too, so the style must be growing in popularity.
Maela said “I have one chair that has little cloth wings called warming wings for newborns in the bath and my little one LOVES them.”
You can check this out on Amazon here.
Alternatives to a Baby Bathtub
Despite the overwhelming majority of parents saying it was necessary, there was a small (but vocal!) minority explaining why they don’t use them. I wanted to share their perspectives to make sure you’re fully informed before making your own decisions.
Bathe with your baby
Honestly, this alternative would never have occurred to me had seven different moms not independently suggested it. But this is totally an option if it’s something you’re comfortable with.
Kaitlyn described it like this, “My son and I took baths together and it became such a bonding experience I never ended up getting [a baby bathtub].”
Laundry basket
This was such a creative idea, I knew it had to come from a fellow frugal mama. Mom Kennedy said that “As soon as my baby learned to sit up we used a laundry basket.”
The only problem with this idea is that it doesn’t solve your pre-sitting bathtime problems. This means you’ll need to use one of the other two alternatives for the first few months if you really don’t want to buy a bathtub.
Sink baths
Although many parents described using a sink bath seat or other bathtub product inside a sink, you can totally sink-bathe a baby without anything fancy. That’s what Sara did, saying, “I got [a baby bathtub] but never used it. I just used the kitchen sink.”
In order to keep your little one warm and comfortable, moms suggested using an additional washcloth or even a full-sized towel on the bottom of the sink to give them a soft place to sit.
That’s all for today, guys! If you’d like to keep up to date with my latest, frugal parenting posts and all the goings-on for Homegrown Hillary, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter below.