Sunday, February 01, 2009

Out to Wash

I think any new mom is freaked out about most things. Everything is new and it doesn't matter how much advise you get the first time you do anything it's frightening. It's no different for the first bath. I recently bought a Baby Spa bath, it's basically an over glorified, expensive plastic bucket (except all the celebrities have one). I tried her in the bathtub and also the sink, involving me using the counter and my chin to squeeze out the shampoo, because I couldn't remove either of my hands for that task. I had to hold her up, if that meant getting soaked & covered in shampoo. The Baby Spa is supposed to help the infant sit up while you wash. However she kept sliding to the side and wanting to take a little dip, of course I didn't let her go under, but sit up by herself she didn't. I'm thinking I will get better use out of it when she is a little larger. The other problem is that I can't take it back to Nunavut. She'll probably be big enough the next time we are down and hopefully baby number 2 will get a lot more use out of it.
Calling all moms: Anyone had to deal with Baby Acne? Do you have any super tips?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Baby acne = do not worry about it. Most babies get it and it will clear up by itself.

If you're really worried about it, Chinese wisdom would say you need to give your baby some water to drink. According to the Chinese, mother's milk is a "hot" food (it's a ying/yang thing) so you can give water to counteract that a little to clear up the skin.

Of course, if you tell a medical professional, they'll probably freak out at you because these days we're told babies need nothing but breastmilk. (And vitamin D, and vaccinations...)

I ended up giving Halia some fennel tea to help with mild colic. It did help her tummy and incidentally seemed to help her skin, too. LOL

But seriously, it's not something to worry about. Everyone will still say, "Awwwww, you're baby is so cute!" 'Cause she is. :)

Lala said...

http://www.safety1st.ca/product/detail.asp?ID=2637
this is a fantastic tub that transitions well as they get bigger. Can one get shipped to you?
baby acne - you may have already passed the stage where the first layer of skin peels off but my son had a whack of little pimple on his nose and only there. after the skin peeled off the y came off real easy with a cloth and a gentle push. Like a baby exfoliation. If they don't come off don't force them but I do acknowledge that I'm a picker, compulsive.

Catherine said...

Hi Jen, I used a Daphne™ Infant Bath Seat until she was old enough to sit on her own. It was fantastic. I could use it in the sink or in the bath. It was small enough for her dad and her to have a bath together safely.
I enjoy your blog,
Catherine
http://www.cabbageleafkids.com/thdainbase.html

Anonymous said...

Fawn is right - the baby acne will clear itself up on it's own. Joe had a bad case of it. And as for bathing, we had the coolest bath sling type of thing. It was flannel and it went over a little frame that went right in the tub, and when you were done you took it off the frame and hung it to dry. I'll try to find a pic of it. It was fantastic.

Anonymous said...

It's true what everyone says... there isn't a thing you can do (or should do) about baby acne. My son had it and I really, really wanted to do something about it (yeah, I was embarrassed). I resisted and I am happy I did. Many babies get it. And while it is so noticable, most photos don't capture it.

As for baby baths... it took me a while to feel comfortable with it for so many reasons! So small, no neck muscles, the crying. It might be easier to use a hair/body wash that has a pump? I didn't have one at first and I would squeeze a bit into a dish or old yogurt container lid just so it was easier to access.

We used a plastic baby tub and one of those mesh chairs. I didn't fill the bath very much but I ran the shower for a bit before so the room was warm.

It took me a while before I did regular bathing. I did a lot of sponge bathing. And even now, he's not that filthy and it is so dry, he gets a bath every 2-3 days but like still clean him with a cloth on the days in between.

Oh, and we used this great product called 'Camilia' for teething! I know it is a while away but while you are south, it might be worth stocking up. My son's first teeth were no problem coming in. But all other ones he would wake with a serious red cheek. We really liked Camilia.

Matt, Kara, Hunter and Cavan said...

We were big fans of the kitchen sink!! We bathed Hunter in there until he was about 8 months old!! Any time he went in the tub he would freak out.

Same advice as everyone else on the acne- just leave it alone and it will go away.

Aida said...

i've seen that tub though i thought a regular bucket would do the trick as well..lol someone gave her a cheapie walmart tub with a net and i thought that worked great.

for acne, just leave it, you will see the peak of it around now..6 -8 weeks period. though when Ben had it, i rub breastmilk on it and it helps..strange i know but it works.

Aida said...

jeez., i meant someone gave me a cheapie walmart tub..not her.When the kids were able to sit, we had a non slip mat in the tub and they bath in the big tub.

another vote for camillia for teething.

for Vit D, baby D drops is great and good for 365 days for $20 and you can buy them in zellers.

Anonymous said...

For the tub thing, their Dad always took them in the shower with him until they were old enough to sit up in the tub themselves. He'd sit in the tub with baby on his legs. Great bonding time, plus baby doesn't get cold like in the baby tubs. Oh, and Mom gets to go into a different room and do something else!

Anonymous said...

IMHO, you really don't need to use soap or shampoo on a baby -- just water works fine for the little amount they get "dirty". Even breastmilk poo is water soluble and needs no soap.

If it's necessary, a pediatrician did suggest to us that to clean all the little folds in the vulva gently, we could use a cotton ball with some mineral oil.

jen said...

Thank you everyone for all your opinions and advise.

I've gone out and got some Camilia just incase.

The baby acne has cleared up a little already! :)

I will have a better look at tubs once we are back home and have a better chance to see what exactly I can ship up.

Thanks again everyone!

BriBri said...

Hey Jen -
The other thing to remember is that babies have Mammilian Diving Reflexes until they are ~1 y/o. That means babies automatically hold their breaths when they are submerged in water - as long as you grab her quick, you have nothing to worry about!
Bri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex

Anonymous said...

I think you can get a plastic tub here in Iqaluit if that is easier (for on your way home or if someone you know is traveling to/from Iqaluit).

I was 'forced' to use the regular tub when my son was about - OMG I forget how many months he was! Maybe 8 months? - when we were traveling. Anyway, we sat him on a hand towel in the tub and that seemed to work well.

And it's true... you don't need to use soap on a baby that young. I didn't even use lotion/moisturizer too... but when I finally did I think I should have started using it sooner. It's just so dry. We use a humidifier (I love it but hate cleaning it).