Bath Time Essentials for Newborns
When Lucas was a little baby, bath time was his favorite. Early on, we stared a nightly bed routine that started with bath time. Lucas always did better with routines. He knew what to expect every night. We kept things super simple Some nights baths are shorter than others, but this is a great bath time checklist to use. We made adjustments and changes as he got older. Here is our list for bath time essentials for newborns.
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Bath Time Checklist: The Basics
Tub
First up on your bath time essentials, is the TUB! When looking for a tub, we wanted something that would grow with our son. We tried a few different kinds. We ended up having two favorites. The first tub we used for newborn until he was about 10 months old. The First Years Sure Comfort Tub was very super convenient. It is easy to clean, lightweight and has multiple positions. We placed it in the kitchen sink when he was an infant and when he got bigger we were able to sit in down inside our tub.
Towel
Can we first talk about how cute little babies are in all wrapped up in a hooded towel? They are also top of our list for bath time essentials for newborns. Can you wrap them up in a regular towel? Sure you can, but these hooded towels are just the right size and the hood makes the little babe all the more cozier. We were gifted a few different brands. Our favorite is the Burts Bees Hooded Towels. They have a ton of different patterns. The other towels we were gifted we still use as backup, but they have worn very quickly and after all the washes the material is very thin and not as absorbant. The Burt’s Bees brand really is a great quality and have not changed through all the washes.
Washcloths
When looking for washcloths, you want something that is soft on baby’s skin. We were gifted Gerber Terry Washcloths at our baby shower. They are very thin/lightweight but you are still able to lather soap with them. (Sidenote: because they are the perfect size and not bulky, we wet and froze some for when Luke was teething)
Bath Time Checklist: Toiletries
Baby Wash and Shampoo
This follows under the “every baby is different” rule. Everyone has different skin types, reactions, etc. We registered for a few different brands because we had no clue what we would end up using. After cycling through a few different kinds, rashes and irritated skin a friend recommended Aquaphor Baby Wash and Shampoo After just a few uses we could tell this was the best choice for Luke’s sensitive skin. He developed slight cradle cap once and it cleared it up very quickly.
Toothbrush
Dental Hygienist here. Toothbrushing was very important to me. We started off with a banana toothbrush. He loved it so much we had one for bath time and one for daytime to use when he was teething. When he developed better motor skills I got him a Colgate My 1st toothbrush kit (with fluoride free toothpaste) to start off with.
Hairbrush
We were gifted this Safety 1st Easy Grip Brush and comb and its been great. It has a good price point so if we need to replace it isn’t an issue. Easy, simple and cheap.
Lotion
I feel like we used about 10 different lotions. They were either too greasy, not hydrating enough or too thick. There are two kinds of lotion we use and we use them both for the same reasons.
Dove lotion for sensitive skin and CeraVe Baby Lotion are by far our favorites. Im picky about lotion for myself so naturally I was picky for the lotion on our bath time checklist. Neither of these lotions are super greasy (aka gross). They] left his skin hydrated and neither are a heavy lotion at all. Both of these lotions come in a pump style which makes life much easier at bath time. So to be honest, Dove has a better price point, but there is a CeraVe cream that is a smaller tube (not travel size- but smaller than the pump) you can take on the go. I have yet to find a smaller travel size for Dove.
Diaper Rash Cream
We do not use diaper cream every night but I would say we use it pretty frequently. Most of the time it is as a precaution. Again, like other baby products we tried quite a few different brands/types. We prefer Aquaphor diaper rash cream. A little goes a long way. When he had a visible rash, it always has cleared the rash up quickly. When we tried other products the rash lingered. We have a tube in his room, the living room and in his diaper bag.
Diaper
We have used Huggies Overnight diapers since Lucas was about 6 months old. When he started sleeping through the night he would almost always soak through his diaper. We tried a few other brand’s overnight diapers and they just did not work for us. Huggies overnight starts at 16 lbs on the size 3, they were a little big, but we made them work. 🙂
Bath Time Checklist: The Extras
Shampoo Rinser
Luke hated getting his head rinsed after we shampooed. The Munchkin Shampoo Rinser is a life saver. It soft material with no hard/sharp edges. The cup is made of a very flexible material so you are able to use it in a way that prevents water from going forward over the eyes. Plus it doubles as a cup for baby to fill up and play with.
Water Thermometer
Always a good idea to check water temperature. This cute little rubber duck comes with a hot sensor disc on the bottom to let you know if the water is too hot. It doubles as a toy of course.
Now on the bedtime! Check out my RELATED post: Baby Bed Time Checklist for a full checklist on bedtime essentials.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out our complete bath time checklist. Hope this helps with your bath time. My advise and what worked well with Lucas, was to swap out toys from time to time. Babies and toddlers are known to get bored with the same toys. This keeps the toys new and exciting. As always, if you have any bath time toys/ essentials you use and would like to share, please send them my way.
