Bath Time Routine

I'm not sure if you noticed, but I did not list anything on my baby product posts here and here about bath time products. Well, aside from the baby tub.

We bathe Jillian every night and we have the routine down like a dance. It may come across a little high maintenance, but it works for us. Again, if you have any questions, feel free to email me.

A few disclaimers:

I am in no way an expert. I am simply a first time mama and these are the things that helped me and my daughter.

All babies are different. What worked for us and Jillian may or may not work for you and your baby. Keep an open mind and follow your baby's lead. Everyone will be much happier in the long run.

I was not asked by anyone or any company to write this post. Any brands or products that I name specifically, I give a reason for my initial purchase and why they did or did not work for us. All opinions are my own.

Bath Time Items

1) Body Wash/Shampoo

As I mentioned in the Baby Products for Newborns: The Basics post, I have eczema. I wanted to be proactive with Jillian, so I looked for items that worked for sensitive skin. We purchased the Aveeno Baby Wash and Shampoo. We have the original bottle and we still have some soap left. It lasts a long time!

Jillian did not ever have cradle cap per se, but her scalp was very dry. I purchased some California Baby Calendula Hair Conditioner and it worked great! After about 2 weeks of use, she had a significant improvement. Plus, it smells really good to me :) It's a bit pricey, but worth every penny in my opinion. It says you can either rinse it out or leave it in the baby's hair. We leave it in and seem to have better results that way.

2) Lotions

We have two different lotions that we use for two separate purposes that I will describe in a moment. The first is Baby Magic Gentle Baby Lotion - Original Scent. We had a different brand of lotion, but my mom suggested we use Baby Magic instead. I believe it's the same lotion she used on me when I was a baby :) I really do love the smell of Baby Magic over other brands and it seems to work well with Jillian's skin.

The second is Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream. Not knowing if Jillian would have issues with eczema or not, I wanted this particular lotion on hand. It works great and has a light scent that does not clash with the other lotion we use. It must be very popular because I can hardly find any on the shelves right now. Overall, we really like this lotion.

3) Bubble Bath

We do not actually wash Jillian every single night. We wanted a warm bath to be part of her bedtime routine. With that in mind, we give Jillian a bubble bath every other night. We use Johnson's Bedtime Baby Bubble Bath & Wash. It has a light lavender scent that it pleasing for all of us. It does come with a matching lotion, but I use the Baby Magic lotion instead. The lavender and Baby Magic scent do not clash and Jillian always smells baby fresh :) It bubbles up really well and Jillian seems to enjoy the bubbles. Well, as much as a 3 1/2 month old can!

4) Baby Oil and Cotton Swabs

We use Johnson's Baby Oil and Johnson's Safety Swabs as a part of Jillian's bath routine. The oil is mostly used for cleaning after the bath. The safety swabs have several different uses that make life with a squirmy baby a little easier. I also like that I can clean Jillian's ear without worrying it will go too far.

How We Use the Items

If we are washing Jillian:

First, we place Jillian in her infant tub and dampen her skin. We place a fingertip washcloth over her chest so that she can stay warm during the bath.

Next, we clean every area of Jillian except for her privates. Then we use the soap to wash the top of her head. I use a hair brush to lightly scrub Jillian's scalp. Once we rinse her hair, we put the calendula conditioner on and leave it in. We let Jillian splash around for just a little bit before we finish.

If it is a bubble bath night:

We pretty much let Jillian splash around as long as she pleases, then try our best to rinse her off when we take her out of the tub.

Every night:

We put Jillian in her hooded towel and pat her dry. Phil usually plays peek-a-boo for a minute while I rinse out the tub. 

I take a safety swab and moisten the tip with the baby oil. I wipe behind her ear and then wipe it dry with the other end. I use a different swab for each ear.

Next, I take a bean size amount of the eczema lotion and rub it between my fingers. I put a small amount behind Jillian's ears, on her cheeks, and under her neck. I wrap her in her hooded towel and move to her bedroom.

After I place Jillian on her changing table, I use the Baby Magic lotion on her entire body. I check between her toes and fingers and wipe them clean with a diaper wipe if necessary. I wipe her privates with a wipe and put on a new diaper. I brush her hair and put on her pajamas.

Nothing smells better than a freshly bathed baby :)