Tub Safety: Inflatable Tubs

Why don't you try giving her a bath in the kitchen sink? My children loved it. They are now 16 ans 12, nothing bad ever came of it.

As bad as it sounds my daughter was that age when I stopped using her tub. I first started doing her baths in the kitchen sink and than my sister recommended the slip guards for the bottom of the tub. I used those from that point forward and it has been great. The only issue I have is her trying to stand up in the tub now, but there is nothing I can do about that except tell her NO. Good luck

I am a mother of two. 9 and 5. I always bathed them in an adult bathtub. Even when i watch my cousins little baby she's 9mths old. They way I always done it was, put just a little bit of warm water in the tub then put the thickest towel that you have folded in half in the bottom that way the don't slide. I always put enough water in to go just right under the ears, that way the water don't go in their ears when they are laying down. I have never used anything else, cause I tried the infant baths and they just screamed so when I switched to the big tub they just loved it.

You can only order it online, but a must have is the Dream Baby Fold-Away Bath Seat for $19 at Target or Walmart. I have used it with both my children.

http://www.target.com/Dream-Baby-Fold-Away-Bath-Seat/dp/B...

We used an inflatable tub when my little girl was about that age. It worked great. I can't remember the name of it, but it was almost like a mini swimming pool! It was small enough tho that she couldn't tip back if you put her back all the way, but she did have enough room to play with some toys. I like that suggestion about taking it to hotels. We don't travel all that much, but that is a great idea. The one we got was from Babies R Us and was @ $10

You can keep her from sliding by putting a towel in the bottom of the tub. More laundry and it does help.

R.,
We had an inflatable tub that my husband's grandmother bought us when our daughter was born. I almost returned it since we had an infant tub but boy was I glad I didn't! It worked just perfect for us when or daughter was about 7 months old...too big for an infant tub too little for the real tub. So my advice to you is give it a try and hope it works!
~N.

When my daughter was younger we bought an inflatable tub and it wasnot woth the money, they are too hard to store when your done with the bath. We ended un just putting a bath towel in the bottom of the tub with a little bit of water to give her a bath. She loved kicking around in the water and then all wehad to do was put the towel in the washer. Good luck!

Hi R.,

I raised 6 children and have had my grandchildren over many times for sleep overs and they got a bath.

What has always worked for me is a bath towel on the bottom of the tub or a good old fashioned rub tub mat.

E. Anna Lebowitz

hi there! we just stepped up to a real tub as i am a first time mother and worry wart! when my son turned one i finally let him have the whole tub to himself. but we did use the inflatabe tub for some time, as he did not like the chairs! they were great, and i think it even helped him when he stepped up at well! the one that we used was 20 dollars at target and sheped like a duck! squeeze the beak and it quacks like a duck, lol! it will also tell you a good temp for the water! now, all the baby showers i attend.... get the duck inflatable tub and a boppy pillow, only the two best things in the world! good luck and have fun!

Yes we love ours. It really eliminates the worry of him smacking his head on the side of hte tub. It is also great if you travel, easy to deflate and take with you. I would really reccomend it. We got ours from One Step Ahead, although they sell one at Target, I was not fond of it.

Hi R.,
Our daughter outgrew her infant tub about half a year ago, when she was 6 months. I was really nervous about the 'big tub', but we've never had a problem. We keep toys in there that keep her attention and it's gone fine. I do not know anything about the inflatable tubs, but in my opinion, why purchase another item that she'll just outgrow soon enough?
Best Wishes,
R.

Hi R..

My son is five months old. I bought a bathtub sling from Walmart for about $5 and it works great. It holds him while I wash him up. He loves to play and kick in the bathtub. I've never used an inflatable tub but my guess is that it wouldn't be worth the money.

Babies R Us has sells a foam sponge-pad for about $4 that works great. It sits in the bottom of the adult tub and once it's soaked with water stays put. I like it since it allows you to lay them back so you can clean their bums really well.

We use to wash my son in the sink after he outgrew the tubs. Just cleaned out the kitchen sink really good, filled it up with warm water, and sat him in it. It worked for a LONG time. He could sit, I could easily catch him, and there was no back pain and such. The other thing we did a lot, was shower, and hold him in the shower. I wouldn't so much suggest that--other than being fast and not breaking your back, it was more worrisom especially when they are moving around a lot. It worked well when I would wrap him in one of those light weight blankets and hold him in the shower. Yes, sounds odd, but it kept him warmer and he liked the shower better, and I didn't feel like I was going to drop him any minute.

R.,
I have never used the inflatable tubs for any of my four children, but I do have a tub seat (it has suction cups on the bottom to keep it in place) that works very well. My youngest is almost 16 months old, and I am still putting her in it to keep her safe. That is the safest bet at this point for your daughter, in my opinion. I hope you find this helpful.

A. Y.

One of my friends uses an inflatable tub for her twins and swears by it.

We used the baby tub, then moved into the real tub at 4 months (both baby and I at the same time). Around 8 months the baby got entirely too squirmy for me to be in the tub with him and hold him, so now he is in the sink. We put a towel on the bottom of the sink and it works wonderfully.

HI R.

I have a great nephew that i bath in the kitchen sink and he enjoys it he can lay in the sink and kick and look at the bright light and everything that is around him.. I also did the same thing to my own kids when they were that ages too they are now 21,18,16 years old. thry it she eill enjoy it....

Hi R.,
I purchased an inflatable tub when my daughter was born 4 years ago. I thought that it was fine as well as safe. You have to take the same precautions with an inflatable tub as you would a regular tub. The one that I bought was from Babies R Us. It was pretty thick around the edges. When my daughter would tip she always landed on the blown up rim. I have also used it with my son. And another advantage is vacation. I don't know about you but I would NEVER place my children in a hotel tub. So I take the inflatable one for my son. My daughter likes to take showers now.
I hope that this helps.
L.

I never liked the inflatable tubs. They just never gave me the sense of security I was after.

A friend of mine told me about tub seats though - and that was great! They have suction cups so the seat attaches to the bottom of the tub and doesn't slip around. The one we got even swiveled so I could change my daughter's position in the tub without having to take out the seat and reattach it.

They're not exactly "hands-free" devices - but they're darn close and I never had to worry about my daughter falling forward or back or banging her head on the tub because the seat went all the way around her and protected her from that. In the tub seat it can be a challenge to wash the "parts" she's sitting on however!

Good luck to you!

with my daughter i used a bath seat. it hooks to the side of the tub and has them sit in the tub so they cant slide all over the place.my daughter absolutely loved it. hope this helps.

My four-month old outgrew his tub so I took the pad out and laid it on the big bathtub floor and bathe him on it. He loves it because he's still cushioned and he doesn't slide.

Yes, I loved our inflatable tub. It was a duck-shaped tub made by Munchkin that quacked when you squeezed his nose. My son thought that was so funny! It actually made bath time more fun so I never had to fight with him. I received mine at my baby shower, but I've seen them before at Target. Another perk is that because they're so much smaller, they're much easier to clean. I would definitley suggest buying one.

When my son was that age we used a bath chair, and it worked really well. There are suction cups on the bottom, so he couldn't scoot it around, and even some toys on the front of the chair to keep him busy. We have an inflatable tub, but I never tried it because it seemed like a lot of hassle.
Good Luck!

We don't have an inflatable tub, but we do have a foam like pillow that we put in the tub that my daughter sits/lays on. She is also 8 months old and we have been using it for several months now. The brand is called Leach Co. It looks like a little surf board. You just hang it to dry after each use. We are so glad we found this, our daughter loves it!! I think you can buy them at Babies R Us. Hope this helps!

We used an inflatable tub. It was nice. I had the same fears you were describing so the inflatable one made me feel better. I figured that was worth something. It worked just fine, we bought one that was bright yellow and had a duck head on it (found it at Wal-mart or Meijer) and my son loved it too. Granted he didn't use it very long but it was a nice transition I think for both of us until he could use the adult tub.

Hi, R. --

Our daughter had an inflatable tub that looked like a duck, with a bill that quacked when you squeezed it. SHE --and WE -- LOVED it!! It was a great thing, not only to use at home, where we set it on our bathroom counter most of the time, but also in our big bathtub. Sometimes, I would take baths at "my" temperature and put her in her ducky bath to float around on my water in her own little bath. Obviously, vigilance and caution is paramount, as it would be in any baby bathing situation.

We liked the fact that the tub was easily portable, too... so she could always feel comfortable with something familiar when we traveled. We took every advantage of that tub, even bathing her outside during the hot summertime nights. It was wonderful, and I would 1,000% recommend one!

Inflatable tubs are great! They are really easy to help control your little one from sliding all over the place, not to mention they don't cost a lot. My daughter has now outgrown hers, but I would recommend them to anyone! Hope this helps!

We have the inflatable duck from target (Munchkin) that someone else mentioned. We love it. You don't have to worry about them bumping their head and its great for traveling if you ever need to take it anywhere. I usually put it on the bathroom floor on a towel and its great because I don't have to try to lean over the edge of big bath tub. I also like it because they can lay back on the "tail" when you are washing them. It works great for us and I think it was under $20.

I was afraid of using the inflatalbe tubs, so I started giving my daughter baths in the kitchen or bathroom sink. It worked out better.