Standford Baby Sitting Advice

It used to be that babies were bathed in sinks that were lined with a towel. However, those days are long gone.

During the first few weeks of your baby’s life you do not have to do anything but gently sponge bath your newborn. However, after their umbilical stump falls off and everything heals up, it is time for real baths to begin.

It is at this point that most parents develop at least a little bit of anxiety. This is not necessarily a bad thing, considering that drowning is a major cause of death in infants and very young children. Thankfully there are some safety tips to keep in mind. These should help to put you at least somewhat at ease. For this reason you should remember:

1. Never leave you child unattended in water, even if it is just a small amount of water for just a second.
2. Make sure that the bath water that you are using is only between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. You should always test the water that you are using with either a thermometer or with your elbow.
4. You should NEVER leave your baby or toddler in the bathtub or in water with a young child supervising them.
5. Make sure that you have all of the supplies that you are going to need for bathing your child right next to you before you ever place your child in the water. The supplies that you are going to need include a towel; either a washcloth or a sponge; baby shampoo and/or baby wash; a new diaper and the clothes that you want to put on your baby once they are clean.

Once your child is able to sit up on their own, which is usually between 4 and 7 months of age, they will be too big for a baby bathtub. At this time you may wish to purchase either a bath seat or a bath ring, which will help to keep your slippery baby in an upright position while you are giving her a bath. It is especially helpful whenever your child is just learning to balance their body and thus still topples over quite easily. Of course, you do not “have” to get one. There are a lot of parents who do quite well with bathing their baby by getting into the bathtub with them.

These baby bath rings come in many different convenient styles. Usually you can find them by such companies as Evenflo and Graco for between $15 and $30. They are quite inexpensive and will easily convert any type of bathtub into one that is safe for your baby, regardless as to whether you have a jacuzzi, antique claw foot or sleek modern bathtub.

Of course, there has been some controversy surrounding these seats. This is because some people say that these bath seats are not safe because they give you a false sense of security where you may think that you can leave your baby alone in the tub for just a few minutes to answer the phone or grab a towel. However, if you do not use these seats as a babysitter you will be fine.

If you choose to use a baby bath seat, there are some things that you should look for:

1. The seat should have a contour design and a slip resistant liner so that your baby does not slip and slide too much.
2. The bottom should be slip resistant so that it does not move around in the tub.
3. It should be made from thick, sturdy plastic.
4. They should not be just a simple ring or seat.
5. They should be sturdy and well-made so that you will not have to be afraid that they will tip over easily.
6. There should be a strap or T-bar between your baby’s legs.
7. Make sure that there are not any sharp edges that may scratch or scrape your child.

Basically you will want to make sure that you are not using an older-model, second hand bath seat that has suction cups that may give way or large leg holes that your baby may slip and slide through and thus drown. These are the baby bath seats that some public groups have asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban. However, the CPSC has chosen to work with voluntary standards groups and manufacturers to create safer designs instead. They have also been working to educate the public so that they know that even though they are using a baby bath seat they should never leave their baby alone in water for even a minute. In other words, these bath seats should be seen as an aid NOT a safety device.

Some of these older models are inflatable bath rings or circles that are meant to help your baby stay upright while in the bath tub. However, these bath rings require you to use a lot more water in order for them to be truly effective. This goes against what baby groups say. These groups work to strongly encourage parents to bathe their child in shallow water so as to help avoid drowning. Of course, babies can still drown in shallow water but there is less of a chance of them doing so.

You also have to be careful if you choose to use a newer model that fits over the side of your tub. These bath chairs do not work well if you have a sunken tub and they can also tip over and break easily. Therefore, if you still choose to use one of these bath seats you need to carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions whenever you are installing it.

After you find a bath seat, if it does not attach to the side of your bathtub, then all you have to do is simply set it inside of your bathtub. It should then be safe and easy for you to bond with your baby at bath time without any special preparations. However, it is very important for you to always remember that you should never be more than an arm’s length reach away from your baby. You also should remember that it is also not safe to leave an older, seemingly capable, child with your baby in the bathtub either. In fact, you should know that most babies drown either when they are left alone or with a younger child watching them in the bathtub.