I give minimagpie a bath every other night, and I soon may upgrade it to every single night as I try to get the whole bedtime routine down pat. (Also, sleep training, people. Tell me your thoughts. I’m gathering intelligence and will have to write a blogpost about this at some point soon. Mamas, tell me all: did you do it? at what age? using what method?) Because baths are such a regular routine around here, I’ve done a lot of research on the gear I need for the occasion. Below, my top picks. Click on the image to be taken to product details or see list (plus explanations!) below the collage!:
Puj Infant Tub // $45 // Le Why: I love this because, as I’ve documented dozens of times already, it fits into nearly any sink, meaning that mamas recovering from a c-section won’t need to bend over or kneel to bathe their babies! — and then can be stored flat. A great pick for families short on space! However, heads up: minimagpie has essentially outgrown the tub by four months — her little legs dangle over the edge!
Munchkin White Hot Rubber Ducky // $2 // Le Why: Because every baby needs a rubber ducky! But also, this little doo-dad has an indicator on the bottom that lets you know if the baby’s bath water is too hot.
Splish Splash Baby // $7 // Le Why: Not for the bath per se, but a great lift-the-flap board book about bathttime with familiar bathttime objects (whale toys, rubber duckies, buckets, etc.) that minimagpie absolutely loves. I actually use a lot of the language in this book as she’s bathing. Maybe she’ll draw some connections? Who knows. Incidentally, mini loves all the Karen Katz lift-the-flap books — they’re full of bright colors, familiar shapes, and rhythmic language. (And P.S. — more great books for babies.)
Gerber Washcloths // $5 for 6 // Le Why: We also use Aden + Anais washcloths, but I’m especially keen on these because they’re itty bitty (like, 5″?) — just the right size to use to scrub under her arms and neck without too much fabric bunching up. Plus, they’re cheap and have both a scrubby and soft side. Nothing magical, but just a well-done utility product.
Skip Hop Waterfall Rinser // $10 // Le Why: I initially thought this was a ridiculous purchase (“can’t you just use a cup?”), but it’s actually a total MVP in our home. The curved lip keeps water and suds out of mini’s eyes while I’m washing her hair, and she LOVES the shape of this thing. So much so that I have to pry it out of her fingers multiple times each bath.
Piyo Piyo Baby Nail Scissors // $7 // Le Why: Baby nails are easiest to cut right out of the bath, which is key, as I’ve mentioned previously that baby nail grooming and its challenges has been one of the biggest surprises of having an infant. These scissors make life a little easier.
Mustela Baby Lotion // $16 // Le Why: It smells fantastic and keeps mini’s skin super moisturized. I know a lot of people say not to use anything on infant skin, but I’ve used this since her first bath and it’s always treated us well.
Boon Bath Toy Set // $11 // Le Why: They’re adorable! Mini hasn’t gotten a chance to play with these yet since we’re still in the Puj and she’s short on space. But soon! Also, this.
Boon 3-Stage Bath Tub // $23 // Le Why: This is currently en route to me in the mail after a debacle with Jet.com (ughhhh, adulthood), but we went with this because mini has outgrown the Puj and I like the simple styling and versatility (it can be used for infancy through todderhood!) of this Boon tub.
Pottery Barn Critter Wrap // $39 // Le Why: Um, every baby is precious disguised as a baby animal. Photo opp, duh. But also: we have the lamb style (as seen in photo of mini above) and it’s on sale for $23 and it is the SOFTEST, PLUSHEST baby towel ever. I say this ardently because her Aden + Anais hooded towel is like a thin piece of paper towel. Aden + Anais does the swaddle really well, but their towels…no. This Pottery Barn one is so much snugglier and thicker.
Puj Kneeler // $15 // Le Why: I ordered this along with our Boon tub, because I know I’ll need some cushioning on these creaky old knees, and this one can hang on a hook behind the door and is the least obtrusive-looking one I could find. There’s also a matching arm rest ($15), but I’m not sure I need that? P.S. — If you go with the whale team, there’s always this whale-shaped kneeler.
Noodle + Boo Shampoo and Body Wash // $16 // Le Why: No tears formula and it smells great. Plus, you can use the same bottle for both washing her body and her hair.
Puj Spout Cover // $10 // Le Why: I ordered this now that I’ll be bathing mini in the bathtub upstairs vs. the sink. Super cute.
Johnson & Johnson Safety Swabs // $5 // Le Why: I remember reading a blog before minimagpie came along where a new mom said she’d had no idea she needed to clean her baby’s ears until her doctor gently told her to consider “better baby ear hygiene.” AH! This is totally the kind of thing I also would not have thought about. I instantly stocked up on these safety swabs, which have a larger swab than your average q-tip and are therefore safe to use on baby. (P.S. Mini loves this sensation — she always pauses and smiles while I’m cleaning her ears, which I do after every bath.)
Finally, a few other things on my radar:
+For when mini’s older, this Boon bathtub mat. People love this one because you hang it in the shower to air dry and prevent mildew/mold. (You may notice I have a lot of Boon products here and in previous posts — they design GREAT stuff and most of their products are designed to be as small and unobtrusive as possible. For example, their bottle drying “grass” can be slid into a cupboard when not in use versus having all these spindly appendages that can’t really collapse easily.)
+I’m intrigued by the strong reviews on this bath toy ($13).
+I didn’t even know this was a thing, but I almost always cover minimagpie’s little tummy with a wet washcloth to keep her warm during her bath, and Skip Hop has a “bath cozy” designed exactly for this purpose.
+Not pictured above: this Sugarbooger brush set I use on mini after her bath.
+I am a huge fan of using zippered mini-bags/pouches in my diaper bag, and this set ($16) could be a good option at a great price if you’re just setting out to get your bag organized!
P.S. The best baby jammies.
Cannot recommend the nightly bath enough for sleep training. We started with it at about 10 weeks. Our daughter (now almost 3 and a half) has slept about 12 hours a night from about 12/14 weeks of age (albeit for the occasional regression). She still does; about 7:30-7:30. The nightly bath helped to solidify the routine. She would begin to settle down when she heard the bath running. Also watching wake times really helped. I would recommend the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. It is written in an annoying way but it has really good information in it if you can get past the structure.
Hi Meg! Thanks for sharing this; I had been bathing her every other night since she was born, but I like the idea of incorporating this into our nightly ritual. Another good friend told me the same thing. Thank you!
All great stuff! If you run into baby eczema, California Baby products have worked well for us. Also, when you are ready for a bath mat, we tried the cute whale one, but still not as good as the traditional white Rubbermaid classic 🙂
Great recs! Thanks, Kristin! Sometimes those old time classics are the best!