Our Calming Family Bath

This morning was a rough one. I was NOT a model parent. Or at least I didn't feel like one. Trying to get my preschooler to quit asking for me to do things so that I could hush my exhausted, teething 8 month old to sleep for his morning nap, which turned out to be an epic fail, as not once, not twice, but three different times - I would finally get him to sleep, only to have him awoken by something. And believe me - he did not startle awake in a happy mood.

I was angry and irritated - I felt helpless and incapable. My poor little girl was begging for my attention in every way possible, and I felt aggravated with my baby because his teething pains and sleep-fighting were causing my inability to meet my other child's needs. I wore him, I cuddled him, I nursed him. I even gave him some tylenol to cut the pain level down a bit. . . and still, I was lucky to get him to rest for 5 minutes in my ring sling. Did I mention my head was throbbing, my clothes were soaked in sweat from rocking, bouncing, and dancing with baby in arms, and I had a headache the size of Canada?

And then we all got in the bath. 

Bathing with your baby is excellent for soothing fussiness and initiating nursing or improving a stressful breastfeeding relationship. It's also a fun way to calm and bond with older babies, splashing and playing in the tub once baby is sitting well. My preschooler and I still bathe together from time to time, but usually we take a shower together if anything because both of us are long-legged and we barely fit in the tub together anymore!

I wish we could have all three stayed in the bath all day. It was the only 15 minutes out of the whole day that I saw my sweet baby Joseph's giggly, wide grin. It was lots of fun to watch him discover splashing and practice sitting upright on his own in the buoyant water.

Photo Credit: Andrew Malone

Abbey found us in the bath a few minutes after we got in, and she joined us, too - giggling along with her little brother and making him laugh. It was so relaxing and fun, and took away the stress of the morning! Baths, especially family baths are wonderful!

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For more on soothing babies, check out this helpful PDF on why babies cry and ways to soothe them from Bright Futures.org, and for more reading on how to safely and effectively calm your baby with a bath, see this helpful article at Babyzone.com Rub-a-Dub Dub: Mom and Baby in the Tub!

And, as always, my fellow Natural Parents Network volunteers and I are over at Natural Parents Network for ideas, information, help and support in any phase of life with your babies and children.

Enjoy your baby today!