Does your baby hate bath time? Keep them “C.A.L.M” with these tips

Does your baby cry every time you try to give them a bath? Don’t fret! it is VERY common for babies to cry during bath time. Try these 4 buckets of tips to help your baby stay “C.A.L.M” during bath time.

C: Cozy and Warm

• Babies have extremely sensitive skin which means they get colder much quicker than adults do. Make sure their bath water isn’t too cold or too hot for their liking. Typically, bath water between 37 – 38 degrees Celsius is ideal for little ones.
• Keep your baby warm as you put them in the bath and as you lift them out. Some babies may get cold as you undress them and move them into the bathroom. Make sure the bathroom is toasty (run your hot shower for a few minutes to create warm steam). Wrap them up in their towel after you undress them (if they aren't in the bathroom already) and unwrap them as soon as you are ready to place them in the bath. Once you are ready to lift them up from the tub, keep their body and head warm by quickly wrapping them in a cozy towel and putting a hood over their head.
• If you suspect your bubs might be too cold while they are in the bath, wet a muslin cloth or blanket with lukewarm water and place it on your baby’s chest as you are bathing them.

A: Associate water with play  

• Bring in a bath toy! Aim to find toys that won’t mold up (i.e. don’t bring in toys that have holes in them), and only use toys that are meant to be used in water. Move the toy in and out of the water, make silly sounds, splash the toy in the water – try everything to get your baby as amused as possible.
• Most babies love splashing water any chance they get – whether it’s in the sink, on their high chair or outside. Teach them that splashing in the bath can be just as fun. Remember to lay out towels around the bath – this can get messy!
• Use bubble bath. Bubbles often fascinate babies so this is a great way to get them excited about the bath. If your kiddo has sensitive skin, you may want to be cautious about what bubble bath you use. And of course, only use bubble bath that is intended for use on baby skin.

 L: Let them lay with you

• Get in the bath with your baby and share some skin-to-skin. Your baby may be more relaxed if they are laying on you in the water. Over time, you can slowly remove yourself from the bath until they are comfortable being in the bath alone. Or, if you enjoy this as much as your little one does, bathe with your baby as long as it works for you!

M: Most ideal time of day

• Many people recommend that bath time be incorporated in your baby’s bedtime routine. While this works for some, this isn’t ideal for every baby. If you suspect your baby may be too tired before bedtime and therefore more likely to becoming irritable, try bathing them during the day. Make sure you also aren’t bathing your baby at a time when they may be hungry which could cause them to cry.

It may take trial and error to figure out what is bothering your baby during baths. For some babies, it may just take some time to get them adjusted to bath time. Depending on your baby's age, if putting them in the bath continues to be a battle, try taking a little break from baths and give them sponge baths instead. Once some time has passed, try putting them back in the water again.

If you're looking for a towel to make your job at bath time a bit easier, check out our towel that was designed to make lifting your little one from the tub super quick to keep them as warm as possible. Lifting your baby safely from the tub without getting wet is one less thing you'll have to worry about!