5 Month Old Getting Too Big for Her Bath Tub Laying Down. Other Alternatives?

I have always just brought baby into the tub with me. I would just sit baby on my lap with my legs supporting her and wash her. It seemed the easiest solution for us.

Nope, She meeds to be put in the bathtub without any cots, or anything like that, and just put her in the water, and wash her up and get her out. I have 3 kids, and mine stopped using those things at like 4 months. Just put a little bit of water and the bottom of the tub and let her have at it.. She will have fun..

Thanks J.

Hello :) I used a bath chair that had suction cups on the bottom so it wouldn't move around. My girls were fine in it because it is sort of like a swing seat, and there is some support for the baby's back. I used that until they were able to sit up unassisted. Hope that helps!

When my son was that age we got a little inflatable tub that fits inside the bath tub. My son loved it. He sat up in it loved playing in the water. I could lean his head on the back of the tub to wash him. We used it until he was ready for the big tub- about 1 yrs old.

There are several bath seats out there. Try BabiesRUs or google baby bath seats.

Hi, they have those saftey 1st tubside bath seat.It attaches to the tub and also it can swivel around. I used that for my twins when they did not want to sit anymore. It securely fits on the tub and baby can not fall out. She can splash her feet and you can wash her at the same time. Perfect for that little one. Walmart has it. You can go online and look it up there are alot of reviews for it. Hope this helps you

Safety 1st I believe also has a tub that you can use for assisted sitters, its for baby's that don't like the tub any more and are ready for the next step, its what got used for my son when he was that age and he LOVED it! Check out walmart, target, baby r us they should have something like that for you.

I bought a bathseat for my daughter (6 mos) from babies r us so that I could bathe her and her brother (19 mos) together. I started her in it around 5 mos, when she was pretty good at sitting up, but still fell over quite a bit. At that point, I would still have to lean over and support her a bit, but really I still had one hand free to wash her. Now I LOVE the chair, b/c she and her brother play and splash in the tub every night. Obviously, you want to still watch her like a hawk when she's in it and never leave her side (I know you know this, but just have to add the disclaimer), but it really is a big help for the in-between stage. With my son, I believe I just started sitting him up in his baby tub, putting a washcloth down on the bottom so his little tushie didn't slide around so much. If your daughter is 5 mos old, chances are she's too big for the bath sling anyway, so just try sitting her up and supporting her with one hand while you scrub with the other.

Here is the bath seat I got from BRU: http://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Tubside-Bath-Seat/dp/B00....

Good luck, and have fun with bathtime!

When my son was about the same age, we bought a tub seat that attaches to the side of the tub. It has a back to it. You would have to make sure your daughter is supervised while in it if she is not able to sit up unassisted yet. I got the tub seat at Burlington Coat Factory in Waldorf for about $20. I am sure you can find them at other places like Walmart or Babies r us. Good Luck

the bath seats are great! They support them fairly well & since you are right there, you can help support them with one hand while washing with the other! They are fairly inexpensive & my daughter loved hers till about a year and a half when she wanted to move around more then it allowed! Good Luck!

I used to wash my girls in the kitchen sink until I felt they were big enough for me to comfortably handle in the bath tub. They had a blast playing in the faucet water. The bath seat I had at the time ended up not being very safe.

There is a little round "walker" style restraint that has suction cups on the bottom that stick to the bottom of the tub. They can still reach over and play, but they can't fall over if the suction cups are attached properly and the bath can be done by one person instead of two with one bathing, one holding. It's great! I'm not sure who makes it, but you can buy them pretty much anywhere they sell baby products. Enjoy your little one while you can, it doesn't last long!!

There is a bath seat that suction cups to the floor of the tub. Your baby sits up in it while you bathe her. It swivels so you can get her from all directions. She won't want to stop splashing for a while! I used this for both my boys and they LOVED it! Good luck.

Target has a blow up rubber ducky tub that my son loved. The beak even quacks! It's only about $10, big enough for them to sit up with room to play and soft since it's inflatable.

Yeah,she's 5 months old, you're going to have to be there bathing her for a while...especially because she's not doing a lot of things on her own!!...Don't Blink, she'll be graduating high-school before you know it!!!

Well there are several different options. First you could us a bath seat they don't really have to be able to set unassisted to use it. There is a bar between the legs and a thing around back. But if she has a prob. you would be able to help with one hand while you wash with the other.
BUT my suggestion (which i did with my daughter) is to lay a towel down in the tub and lay her on it and run water to just about half way up her head. She won't drowned she isn't going to turn her head into it. (if she does she'll yank it back up and won't do it again) But i will give her the chance to play in the water. You can hold you up to wash you head and back with one hand and when she's ready to set up you can let her on it and she will only fall back on a wet towel and it won't hurt. This is what i did with my daughter i never actually used a baby bath i thought they weren't worth the money you can't use them long enough to spend the money. good luck.

Hi J.,

I have an 8 mo daughter. When she got too big to lay down (I cannot remember exactly how long ago, but it's been a few mos at least) we bought the Safety 1st chair. It has an elbow pad for you to rest your arms on, which attaches to the side of the tub. Now, it's for the big tub, so you will need to use that, but it works. It helps support her, even when she was still not sitting up very much by herself. You should try that. We found the bath seat at Toys R Us. Or, if your daughter sits up fine, you may want to use the sink. I know that I found that to be the best way for me to bathe my youngest, but we moved & our kitchen sink is just too shallow to bathe her in. Personally I prefer the sink because it doesn't use as much water & it's easier on my back, since I don't have to bend down over the tub. Good luck & God bless!

J. N.

Hi J.,

Have you heard of bathing your baby in the kitchen sink?

Good luck. D.

Baby seat is a great idea, our kids loved it. May I suggest you wash her in the kitchen sink? It is so much easier on your back and the sprayer helps too.

I have 2 yo twin girls. They sell a little seat thing that attaches to the side of the tub (it pivots). It is made by Safety 1st and I bought it at Toys R Us. I LOVED it. It allowed me to bathe the girls together with no help. It is very safe and is made so that the baby can't slide down or out of it. Good luck.

I had a product similar to this, but it from Baby1st. I absolutely loved it!

http://www.babyant.com/bh012043.html

My son loved it as well, because he was protected and yet could splash and play in the water, and we didn't have to hold him. Just a warning, though: my son is very adventurous, and he climbed out of it by 11 months, so you still have to watch him. The one I had had an arm that hooked on to the side of the tub, so it was very sturdy.

Have fun!
D.

I am having the same situation with my 6 mo. old. She is too long for her infant tub and her feet stick out when I bathe her. She is now sitting up on her own, so I looked into bath seats. I found one at Babies R Us. It is a Safety First Tubside bath seat and it was abut $25. But I was shopping with 2 friends that suggested I just purchase a different plastic tub, since mine was labeled for infants 0-6 mos. I saw a First Years infant to toddler tub (they both have that tub) and it looked great. One side was inclined for an infant and the other side was more upright for an older baby. One friend still bathes her 13 mo. in it. I liked it b/c I could still bathe my little one in the sink and not break my back. I think it was about 17 or 18 dollars. Good luck!

I used the Bumbo for my daughter when she was around that age. I didn't put too much water in the tub so the bumbo wouldn't teeter, and it worked out great. I used that for her until she could sit unassisted without sliding and falling down.

I wanted to use that for my son, but he's too chunky, so his legs don't fit too well, lol. I bought him the bath seat at Babies R Us that the others were talking about in the posts. I love that also, but it is quite a bit bigger.

If you have a Bumbo, you might try that and see how she does and then if she likes the seat concept, go and get a bath seat. Good luck!

we bought a baby tub with the mesh insert and the shower head... that was one product i wish we hadnt spent the money on. We found that bathing him in the kitchen sink worked wonders until he became more active. We then switched over to the regular bath tub. We just fill the bath tub with maybe 2-3 inches of water and lay him on his back. He has a blast kicking and splashing the water and it also gets out that last bit of energy before bed time!! Give it a try.

We have an infant to toddler tub. One side is in a recline position and the other is a straight back. We were bathing my son on the reclined side until he was about 5 months when he made it clear that was no longer what he wanted. We switched him over to the toddler side and he has loved the bath ever since. We had to adjust him every now and then since he wasn't completely sitting up on his own then but he was very happy with it. We use ours inside the regular bath tub. He's 10 months old now and we still use it (it's cheaper than filling the bath tub).

J. -

Check out One Step Ahead they have some great products for bathing. Also as soon as my kids could sit I got a little blow up tub that fit inside the regular bath tub and used that it was great.

R. A

I bought a seat for my oldest and hated it...the one that attached to the side of the tub...I always ended up keeping him in a bouncy seat while I showered and then running water in the tub to bathe him in there w/me! However, my best friend had another seat she never used that I used for my second, almost from the beginning. It was kind of like a bouncy seat, only it doesn't have the bottom portion for their legs or straps. Its in a reclining position and has a mesh fabric cover that water can get through and their legs are free to kick. I was able to hold him on there and wash w/the other hand, and he could stay on it pretty good if I needed the second hand to squirt some soap for a second! Although, it still kills your back! I didn't realize so many mom's still bathed in the sink! Makes me wish I had done it more! Hope you figured something out!

We got a duck tub by Munchkin and it was the best $10 I ever spent. It is an inflatable tub that is in the shape of a duck. Not only is it cushy for those not ready to sit up balanced, but it suctions to the wall of the tub and the beak makes a quacking noise. You can get them at Target.

Hi J.,
I have two boys, 6 & 11. When both my boys were babies I never used a "Baby bath tub". I simply put on a bathing suit and climbed in the tub with them and held them in my arms while washing. I did this right from when they were infants. It was such a wonderful experiance for all of us. They still remember the fun baths with mom as babies. It was easy to do and alot of fun. You can hold them up and let them splash away or I would just hold the back of their head and neck and let them float. Give it a try...
Best of luck,
T. L.

There is a "bath tub ring" which is a plastic seat with suction cups on the bottom that stick to the tub. The baby sits in it almost like a high chair or something...it has spots for her feet to go through and a support for her back and stomach and something between her legs so she can't slip down. I used it for all 3 of my kids with much success.

We used the Primo EuroBath until our kids were quite big. There are two sides - one for 0-6 months for babies who still lay down and 6-24 months for sitting up. http://www.amazon.com/PRIMO-EUROBATH-PRI-340-340W-PEARL-W...
We would put that tub inside the regular bathtub - that way if water splashed out, it was not big deal. It also got our kids used to the big tub when it was time to make that transition. The only drawback is that it takes up a lot of space. We just used to store it upside down in the big tub and take it out when we wanted to use the shower. BTW, I hated the bath ring we had and only used it once.
-C.

When my boys were that age (usually started around 4 months), I just bathed them in the big tub by themselves with no bath sitter (which scares me) or baby bath tub. I'd get the temp right, turn the water off to allow it to drain (so all of the cold water would be gone), then start it up again and lay the boys in it. I'd let the water come up to the point where it barely touched their ears. I'd wash the fronts first, then sit them up (or roll them onto their tummy if they were strong enough to hold their head up.) They both LOVED it! I now have 2 fish who are scary good at swimming and not at all afraid of the water. The worst was how slippery they'd be after, but that's the case regardless.

Once my daughter was too big to lay down, I removed the sling part & would sit her in the baby tub & hold her with one hand & wash her with the other. My husband works nights & that's when she had her baths so I never had anyone help me. She did really well sitting up & pretty soon didn't even need me to hold her.

The first thing I would do is take out the sling. My safetly first tub was still shaped for my babies to lay in comfort and removing the sling made some more space and bought us some time. Many people then let the baby sit up in the baby tub, once they are able to do that. The bath seat is great, but they do need to be strong enough to sit up on thier own in something like a bumpo seat or on the floor. I used the seat while my twins were strong enough to sit up on their own, but tended to just flop over whenever they wanted to reach something. The seat provides the stability and keeps the baby sitting up. Of course the bath seats were listed on the top 10 worst safety products of Parents magazine, but thier reasoning was that it gives parents a false sense of security that they don't need to watch thier children not because the product doesn't work wonderfully.

there are alot of different baby bath tubs that say they go from infant to toddler that you may want to check out. You may also want to try The Safety 1st New Tubside Bath Seat. I am not sure if they have to be able to sit completely on their own.

Hi J.,
They do make seats for the tub that suction cup to the tub floor. It is like a ring just about at their armpits but they could still slip around if not strong enough to sit up. It makes for a much easier time, if you don't mind the bending over the tub to begin with. When mine (I have 5) reached the point that they no longer could lay in the little tub, I continued to use it without the insert so they could sit up in the larger end of it, but weren't surrounded by an entire full-size tub of water. With my 1 yr old, he was very large and couldn't use the lay down thing for long so once he got to that point, I started using the kitchen sink - just put a hand towel in the bottom for comfort and then she's much easier to reach/hold onto and you can let her enjoy the water a bit, they're really slick when wet so I usually just keep a hand under his armpit, he doesn't seem to mind and it keeps my other hand free to do the job :-)
Best of luck.
C.