Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t, but I didn’t find out about this swaddle bath idea until my third baby came along this past year!
It’s been a huge help to me and I wish had thought of it when my first two were babies.
A simple swaddle took bath time from a tub full of tears (baby’s AND mine) to a sweet and enjoyable moment with my little one.
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The purpose of a swaddle bath is to help baby feel more warm and secure during bath time. They get cold fast…cue tears! So the swaddle keeps them warmer and calmer!
What you need:
For a swaddle bath, all you really need is a baby bath tub and something thin to swaddle baby in.
But if you’re new to bathing a baby, I’ll list below the things I have on hand for bath time.
- baby bathtub
- baby towel or muslin swaddle blanket
- another towel to wrap baby in after bath
- baby wash
- small cup
- soft washcloth
- toy for baby (once they’ve reached the “grab everything in sight” stage)
How it works:
To give baby a swaddle bath, you’re simply going to swaddle them up in a baby towel or a thin muslin blanket and place them in your baby bath tub.
I prefer to use a baby towel so I can put the little cap over baby’s head to help keep him warm.
First, I turn on the water and let it get warm (be sure to elbow check the water to make sure it’s not too hot). While it’s filling to about waist high, I make sure I have everything I need so there’s no leaving baby unattended in the bath. (Be sure to lay out a dry towel for quick and easy transfer when bath time is over!) Then I get baby naked and wrapped in a baby towel and get him in the tub!
I use the cup to continuously pour warm water over his body and I unwrap and wash one part of his body at a time….this way the rest of him stays covered with the warm towel.
Arm. Arm. Chest, neck, and belly. Private parts and baby booty. Leg and foot. Leg and foot.
Babies get cold faster once their head is wet so I save his hair and face for last. And when he was newborn up until he was about 2 months old, I would actually take him out of the bath, diaper him and swaddle him in a dry towel and THEN wash his hair and face over the sink. He seemed to like that a little better. But once he was older, it became easier to do it in the swaddle bath. Now I just use a wet washcloth to gently rub over his head to wet his hair, work some shampoo in, and then use the wet washcloth to wipe the bubbles out of his hair.
After I’m done washing, I unwrap him and quickly transfer him to a dry towel.
Then I just wring out the wet towel!
My newest babe is almost 8 months now and we still do swaddle baths sometimes! We’ve just recently started to do normal baths as he gets more interactive and playful with splashing. But swaddle baths have been a godsend this time around and I am so glad I came across the idea!
My bath time favorites:
- baby bath tub – This one here is my favorite ( https://amzn.to/43znmRf ) After trying several with all my babies, I feel like this is the best one I’ve tried. It’s easy to bathe baby and reach all their nooks and crannies. It’s also easy to keep clean itself, which is a big one for me as other tubs and accessories molded easily. It doesn’t hold onto water and the holes help it to air dry easily and quickly. And of course, it supports baby well from newborn size to older baby, which is obviously very important!
- baby bath towels and washcloths – These are my favorite! ( https://amzn.to/45CISX6 ) They are so soft, even after 4 years of use. I got them with my first kiddo and they are still in great shape with my third. They’re a little more expensive but they LAST!
- baby wash – I don’t really have a favorite bath wash for my babies, but I do find myself choosing this one most often because it smells AMAZING https://amzn.to/43ze9Zi . It’s also been gentle on all their skin, including my firstborn who has eczema that flares up sometimes.
If your baby hates bath time, give a swaddle bath a try! It may just do the trick to make baths way more enjoyable for both of you 🙂
