Monday, June 28, 2010

Waste or Want #1: Infant Bath Tubs

We are going to begin a new series of posts entitled Waste or Want. In each post, a child- or parenting-relating product will be featured, along with the pros and cons of that product. Then we want your opinion! Is that product a waste of money or something that you definitely want for your child? Let us know!

Featured Product: Infant Bath Tubs


Description:

The infant bath tub is designed to support a small baby during a bath. Most styles cradle the child so they do not have to be held while being washed. Some can be placed inside the regular bathtub, others can be propped up over the sink.

Average Cost: $15-30

On the one hand...

Infant bath tubs are nice for allowing Mom and Dad's hands to be free while bathing the baby. Soap, shampoo, and washcloths can be accessed more easily. It is also easier to let the baby "play" and experience the water, developing the senses.

On the other hand...

While babies are small, they can easily be held in the bathtub or kitchen sink to be washed. Not much vigorous washing is needed most of the time, so using one hand to wash while the other supports the baby is not problematic.

And now, Cast Your Vote!

Infant Bath Tub: Waste or Want?

and don't forget to tell us why!

13 comments:

Jessie said...

My vote varies. With my first, I loved the infant tub, and so did she, so I definitely wanted it. It made bathtime way easier, and my baby girl just loved splashing around in it.

Both my second and third kids, however, did NOT like the infant tub, and let me know every time I tried to bathe them. I thought they just hated baths, so we'd make it as quick as possible. As soon as I moved them to the big tub, however, they loved bathtime--turns out they just wanted the room to move and swim. So in their case, it would've been a waste (though we already had it, so it wasn't a big deal).

All that being said, though, my babies are born 8 lbs, and by the time their cord stump falls off, they're closer to 10, so they're already pretty big for the tub... possibly why they don't like it, too.

Delia said...

I got mine for $4 at Kid to Kid, a second hand baby store. So worth it. I only use the infant tub about 10 times with each kid but for $4 it was worth it. I have lent it out to a couple of people so they wouldn't have to waste money on it. It is a plastic sturdy tub lined with some foam. It has an incline and temp reader that helps you know if the temp is just right for them. For a small small infant who can get slippery and who may like to flail, an infant tub is really helpful. You really only need it for a short time though so borrow one or buy it second hand like me and you won't feel bad about it.

Rebecca said...

LOVE the infant tub! My little one loves it and loves to splash around in it. She goes wild when it's bath time so bathing her in a regular tub I think would be pretty difficult.

Britta said...

I didnt have a tub with my first and sadly, she didn't get many baths. Our sink was rarely clear so bathing her wasn't convenient and the tub was difficult to lean over wnen I wanted to wash her. She now has quite the aversion to water, which I feel has a lot to do with not having been around it enough as a baby.

Our second, we have a 15$ bath and I've been able to bathe her many more times than I did with my first. She loves taking the baths and I feel completely comfortable with letting her sit in the tub without having to have a hand on her (like I would in the sink).

I would vote YES to baths- especially if you get one from a second hand store or a friend. Totally worth it in my opinion!

Heather said...

Waste--unless you get it second-hand. The kids grow out of it so quickly and you just don't use it much. Plus, I could never keep the water warm enough in the little tub. They were much happier in the regular tub where the water stayed warmer longer. But, I did get mine for $2 at DI, so it was probably worth that.

Erin said...

I loved mine! Used it for both kids. I loved that I didn't have to bend over in the tub and I could wash them on the bathroom counter, and it also fits over the kitchen sink nicely. A little tip - turn on the shower really hot and let the room steam up with the door closed before you bathe a newborn. They hate being cold, so i nice warm room did wonders!

Angie McKenna said...

I think it's worth it. We have one that they can lay in when young and sit up when they're older. Our little one loves bath time and splashing around. It was so convenient to stick on the counter when he was first born so I didn't have to lean over the tub.

BECKY said...

Cool series!

Delia said...

Also another tip. When we went to visit my parents in another state we didn't have the luxury of using the infant tub. We instead laid a bath towel down inside the tub and then used a removable shower head to bathe my son. He wouldn't slide around on the towel and was more comfortable. The removable shower head let me direct the water easily. If you have one of those you could just use a towel for a while and skip the cost of buying a tub. It worked really really well.

Megan said...

I love my infant tub! It worked great for my sun because he liked to squirm and wiggle during bath time and I didn't have to worry about him slipping.

Tannie Datwyler said...

Want - that's just me. They aren't that expensive, and you can reuse the same one for all your kids. I like it.

Raylyn said...

I liked just using one of those bath sponges, that way your baby is more down in the water where it's warmer, but won't slip away(no hands needed). I also liked it, because it didn't take up lots of space:)

LeeAnne said...

So far, I've liked having an infant bath (though I'd also recommend finding one second-hand; I bought mine new for about $20 and later was looking around our local thrift store and saw several in good condition for just a few bucks!). I was really nervous about bathing my first, little babies can be sooo slippery! So it was nice to have it for my own confidence. Both my kids liked being bathed in it, but they outgrew it VERY quickly (first was born 8 lbs, second 9 lbs, so by the time their cord stumps fell off, they already looked almost too big for the infant tub).