Bath time with your 2 month old
Jessie Jones
Your baby has grown and learnt so many amazing things in the last few weeks, and so have you! We hope you have enjoyed bathing together and you are now comfortable handling baby in the bath. This month you may notice how much your baby loves to look back at your face too and listen to your voice. Making extended eye gaze and singing and chatting to her through out the day helps to create early communication between you, enriching your bond together. Below you will find some new bath activities to enjoy together and help with preparing for baby swimming lessons. Add these in along with the ones from month one to create your special bathing & bonding experience together. Quality skin to skin time together each day, where you can really focus all your attention onto each other is so beneficial for both you and your baby.
Co Bathing and skin to skin benefits for baby and carer:
✨ Increased carer and baby bonding
✨ Helps regulate babies breathing and heart rate
✨ Promotes healthy brain development
✨ Helps baby regulate his temperature
✨ Promotes relaxation and reduces stress
✨ Promotes let-down and peaceful breast feeding
✨ it's fun to do together
Developmental milestones and Bath activities for your 2 Month old:
Holds head and neck up briefly while on tummy ~ Let baby lay on your chest and practice pushing up and holding their head up.
Begins to play with fingers ~ Lay baby back on your inclined thighs and chat to her about your day together, watch how good she is getting at playing with her fingers and getting them in her mouth
Opens and closes hands and begins to bring them to her mouth ~ Offer her bath toys with different textures and colours and watch as she learns how to grasp onto them and bring them to her mouth
Opens and closes hands and begins to bring them to her mouth ~ Offer her bath toys with different textures and colours and watch as she learns how to grasp onto them and bring them to her mouth
Smiles responsively ~ Sing her your special song or nursery rhyme as you smile at each other, extended eye gaze helps to built a beautiful bond between you. Bring on those smiles!
Follows items in field of vision ~ Use some bath toys to tell her an animated story while moving each character from one side to the other in her field of vision, watch as she tracks the toys by moving her head and eyes. Go slow and adjust the distance of the toys from her face.
Follows items in field of vision ~ Use some bath toys to tell her an animated story while moving each character from one side to the other in her field of vision, watch as she tracks the toys by moving her head and eyes. Go slow and adjust the distance of the toys from her face.
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prepare for your bath together:
💦 Is baby calm, fed & relaxed? Wait at least 10mins after a feed
💦 Water temp between 30 - 33 degrees c. Do a wrist test, water should be warm to touch but not hot
💦 Be prepared to safely enter/exit the bath
💦
Dim lights & warm room
💦 Protect their airway, no water pouring over their face
💦 Have a wash cloth, little cup/watering can & textured bath toys ready on the side of the bath
Prepare the following before you bathe together:
🛁 Fill the bath to around half way up your legs in a reclined seated position with knees up
💡 Dim the lights, warm up the room and towels if needed, light candles and place your favourite essential oil in a diffuser
🎵 You may want to play some soft soothing music
👚 Have a fresh nappy and clothes for both you and baby ready & your towels near by for when you are finished
How to safely enter and exit the bath:
Have someone help pass baby to you once you are seated in the bath, and pass baby to them again for a safe exit
If a helper isn't present use a baby bouncer seat, car seat or place baby on towels or a soft surface on the floor
Ensure you are seated in the bath first when handling baby for a safe entry and exit
How to hold baby in the bath and bonding activities:
Frog jumps:
Hold baby under her arm pits facing you, gently sink her down to her chest and lift her up to her toes. Sing a little song like 'Galumph went the little green frog one day' and move her body up and down with the rhythm of the song. She will love the feeling of flotation on her body as she sinks in to her chest. You may need to add a bit more water to the bath for this activity.
Supported back float:
Lay her back on your chest in a reclined seated position. Cradle her head and place the other hand under her back. Slowly begin to slide her down into a back float between your legs, work towards a supported back float with her ears under water. Allow her to feel the floatation effects of the water and really relax into her float as the world goes a bit quiet. Gentle side to side and up and down swaying movements while she floats will give her feedback all over her skin. Find some time to make extended eye contact and smile at each other.
Feeding in the bath:
The bath can be a very relaxing environment to feed your baby in and can help with let down. Place her into a comfortable cradle or tummy to tummy hold and ensure the water line is well away from her airway. Try wetting a wash cloth or using a cup or watering can to give her a gentle water massage while she's feeding. Then sit back, relax and enjoy this special moment together.
Reading and reacting to your babies cues throughout this special experience helps to build trust and communication between you. As baby is experiencing the bath environment let her be your guide, return her to a cradle or chest to chest hold to help her feel more secure or exit the bath safety if she has had enough.
We hope you both continue to enjoy bathing together and making it a special daily ritual, time for you to both connect, bond and look forward to.
These fun bath time activities help form a great base for baby swimming lessons together. From here keep learning together on a force free introduction to water, sign up for your free online baby swimming course & baby swim lessons at your local Welcome to water provider. Your baby can start non submersion swimming lessons from 3 months of age at your local welcome to water provider swim school.
These fun bath time activities help form a great base for baby swimming lessons together. From here keep learning together on a force free introduction to water, sign up for your free online baby swimming course & baby swim lessons at your local Welcome to water provider. Your baby can start non submersion swimming lessons from 3 months of age at your local welcome to water provider swim school.
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