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My baby is 11 months old now and I have the privilege of spending every single moment with him as a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom.
Every morning I wake up and notice he has already changed from the day before. Truthfully, the changes are quite remarkable — especially since I’m with him 24/7. He is constantly growing and changing along with our daily routines.
One of our latest time-saving parts of our day is showering together.
My baby loves his morning (or evening) shower — and quite frankly, so do I. He will even crawl himself into the shower while the water is running because he loves it so much!
We used to do bath time together (and we still do on occasion), but the shower is our favorite at this time.
Please keep in mind… every baby is different and every shower is different. In my own experience, taking a shower with baby works for us because my baby can sit unsupported and he truly enjoys the shower experience. Plus, our walk-in shower has:
- A non-slip floor
- A flat, floor level entrance
- An extended handheld wand (in addition to the overhead shower) — so I can direct the water stream more precisely where I want it to go.
My baby and I have also showered in our guest tub with a shower curtain because of a recent shower renovation in our household — and I’m happy to report it works about the same.
How To Shower With Your Baby
This is how I first introduced our baby to the shower…
#1 – Prepare for your shower with baby. Here’s how:
- Have your after-shower towels, housecoat, and/or clothes ready.
- Gather everything you will need for your shower, and place in the shower — like your personal items, baby wash, rubber duckies, and wash cloth for the baby.
- Turn the water to a comfortable warm temperature. Make sure it isn’t too hot.
- Sit baby on the floor of the bathroom — close to shower.
- Undress yourself.
- Undress baby and remove diaper.
#2 – Clean the baby first. Here’s how:
- Pick up baby and enter the shower.
- Adjust the shower valve — so water is coming out of the extendable wand and not out of the overhead shower head. (We have an instant suction mount for the handheld shower wand to allow for easy placement and direction of water.)
- Sit down on the shower floor with baby.
- Run the water over baby’s body — getting him used to the water first. Then, gradually run the water over baby’s head.
- Shampoo baby’s head. We use Monat junior’s gentle shampoo as a shampoo and body wash for our baby. I love it because it smells amazing, lathers great, is tear-, cruelty-, sulfate- and paraben-free.
- Rinse baby’s head quickly and make sure no soap is left in the eyes. (Even though I use a tear-free baby shampoo, I don’t want product sitting in his eyes.)
- Use cloth to wash baby’s face.
- Add baby wash to the cloth and continue to wash baby from ears, neck, body, hands, feet.
- Wash baby’s privates and bottom last.
- Rinse baby.
#3 – Clean yourself next. Here’s how:
- It’s up to you, based on how you feel about the shower experience with your baby. For example, you might want to shower with the handheld showerhead while sitting on floor for the first time or until you are comfortable.
- With baby safely and happily sitting on the shower/tub floor, try to stand and shower as you normally would using the overhead shower. This might take a few tries — but once you’re confident in the shower experience, you can both be showering together as part of your everyday routine.
- While I shower, my baby is happy to sit on the floor and play with his rubber duckies and the shower drain. So once I have him safely on the floor and happy after I first enter the shower, I then proceed to shower first with the overhead shower, working my way down, and showering baby last with the extended wand.
#4 – Finish your shower with baby. Here’s how:
- When you’re ready to get out of the shower, turn the water off.
- Let baby sit there as you dry off — but always remain watchful of your baby at all times.
- Put on your housecoat or get dressed.
- Gather the baby in a fresh, dry towel.
- Clean inside baby’s ears and nose lightly with baby safe q-tips.
- Dress baby with a fresh diaper and clothes.
- Place baby in a safe place and finish getting ready yourself.
The Bottom Line…
My baby absolutely loves to shower. In fact, he gets so excited when he hears the water turn on and he will always crawl towards the shower — even when I had planned to shower alone. I’m okay with my non-solo showers at this time — because my baby is growing so fast, and it won’t be long until he will be fiercely independent and wanting his own shower.
Only you can determine how often to bathe/shower your baby. My baby is crawling around and getting into all sorts of things daily — so a bath or shower daily works for him. He has not showed any signs of dried out skin. Sometimes we might miss a day here and there — but for the most part, he gets a shower once a day.
Always remember to keep it a fun activity for both of you should you decide to try showering with your baby.
I’m a new mom. I work from home and I write — mostly about my outdoor adventures, DIY projects, newly discovered products, and helpful tips as a first-time mom. I also like to share details about the alternative choices I’m exploring as I enjoy this journey called motherhood. My family includes a toddler, 2 stepchildren, 1 dog, 1 cat, and a wonderful husband. My pre-pregnancy life was full of freedom and adventure, so I have a fresh new perspective when it comes to walking away from a career to become a full time stay-at-home Mama.
