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Being a new parent can be especially stressful. Besides the fact that you and your new bundle of joy are trying to figure out the new world around you. As a parent, you are trying to figure out how to do the things you once did with ease while making sure your child is safe. Don’t be afraid to take care of yourself.
This begs the question, can I bring my newborn in the bathroom while I shower? The answer is yes. Sometimes as a new parent you don’t have a choice. You are in desperate need of a shower so that you can feel normal, and you have nowhere else for your sweet newborn baby to go. This article is here to give you helpful advice to make sure you are being safe when you bring your newborn into the bathroom while you shower.
How Long Should You Shower With Your Baby in the Bathroom?
This is a question that there isn’t a definite answer to. It all depends on your needs and the needs of your baby.
Now of course if your baby is upset or uncomfortable try to be fairly quick so that you can tend to your baby’s needs.
I would suggest a quick 5-minute to 7-minute shower to quickly clean yourself off and then you can hop out and calm your baby.
As long as your baby is safe and unhurt it is okay for them to cry for a moment.
Take a minute to make sure you are clean and then quickly hop on out and calm your upset newborn.
What I found that helped a lot was having my son be asleep when I brought him into the bathroom with me.
So this way I could have more time to relax and rejuvenate since being a parent to a newborn can easily throw your whole world for a spin.
Sometimes it isn’t possible for your child to be already asleep and that’s okay.
Try to make sure they are full and happy so you can have some time to relax.
One of the best and most important things is to have the fan on in the bathroom.
Not only does it keep the bathroom less steamy but the sound of the fan helped to calm my son and keep him asleep.
Try to keep from taking overly long showers. If everything goes well and your child is calm and content it is okay to take a few extra minutes for yourself.
Try to keep in the 10-minute to 25-minute range though. Save the longer showers for when you have someone who can sit with your child while you take a minute to feel like you again.
How to Set Up the Bathroom Safely for Your Baby While You Take Your Shower:
Safely setting up the bathroom is a very important part of bringing your baby into the bathroom while you shower.
Bathrooms are notoriously gross. Always remember to keep your bathroom clean when having a newborn baby in there with you.
Even if the baby isn’t touching anything it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to newborn baby safety.
Pick up the clutter and give it a quick wipe down to keep the germs to a minimum.
Another hugely important part when it comes to setting up the bathroom safely for your newborn is to have a safe place for them to stay in there with you.
Personally I used one of the small, portable, and easy bassinets. You can check out this one on Amazon that was similar to mine by clicking here <<<
There are plenty of different types, always make sure to read the reviews and the safety features whenever you buy anything for your newborn.
If you decide that you don’t want to use one of the portable bassinets then try a portable playpen.
The only problem with the portable playpen is that you will need a quite large bathroom.
The bassinet on the other hand normally does not take up much room so if you have a smaller bathroom it’ll work just fine.
Keep the bassinet or playpen free of clutter. Do not bring in any loose blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals.
Those are major suffocation and SIDS hazards.
SIDS is known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and it most commonly occurs with suffocation. Always make sure that your infant has a safe place to lay and sleep in.
I had my son swaddled to keep him warm and I made sure to bring him in with me when he was asleep so he wouldn’t squirm around as much.
If your baby is awake that is just fine, always make sure that you check on your baby whether they are asleep or awake.
When you start the water for your shower the bathroom instantly starts to steam up and feel quite stuffy for the person who isn’t in the shower.
Always make sure to ventilate properly if you have your baby in the bathroom with you while you shower.
I made sure to have the fan running and I kept the door cracked open so it never got too steamy in there for my kiddo.
Another safety precaution is to make sure there is no water splashing your newborn.
They need to be close enough that you can see them properly, but far enough away that when you open the curtain it doesn’t splash your newborn baby.
Try cracking the curtain so only your head is peaking out at the baby.
The splash can be cold and upsetting to your newborn. When you close the curtain make sure it is closed all the way so there isn’t any splashing that you can’t see going on.
Always check on your newborn multiple times while you are in the shower. You need to know what they are doing and how they are doing.
All you need to do is take lots of quick little peaks out at your newborn to make sure they are still doing okay.
When they are sleeping you can be tempted to spend your time relaxing, but they can be quiet and awake.
This means that you always need to be checking on them whether they are making noise or not.
Things to Avoid:
A quick recap for when it comes to having your newborn in the bathroom while you shower always avoid:
- -Taking longer than 25 minutes.
- -Having a dirty bathroom.
- -Not having a safe bassinet or portable playpen.
- -Having clutter in their bassinet or portable playpen.
- -Not ventilating the bathroom.
- -Not checking on them.
These are important. Make it a point to double-check these points when you decide to have your newborn in the bathroom while you shower.
Do not skip this section. Your baby’s safety is the most important thing you can focus on.
Safety Tips:
Safety is the most important part when bringing your newborn into the bathroom while you shower. Always make sure your newborn is comfortable.
You can do this by dressing them properly depending on the temperature and ventilating your bathroom to keep your newborn baby from overheating.
Reread the things to avoid section to make sure you’ve read all the safety tips.
Safe Alternative Places to Put Your Baby While You Shower:
Sometimes it’s not possible to have your baby in the bathroom while you shower.
Reasons like your bathroom aren’t big enough, your baby needs special care, or even you don’t have a safe portable bassinet to bring into your bathroom with you.
Don’t feel hopeless. Showering is important for your mental and physical wellbeing and there is more than one option for being able to shower when you have a newborn baby.
Sometimes it can be hard to find the time, but whether it’s a long shower or a short shower it is important that you find time for it.
The first option is to put your baby in their crib. When your newborn goes down for a nap take that opportunity to jump into the shower really fast.
Something that helps is a video camera/baby monitor in your baby’s nursery.
These can be relatively cheap and extremely helpful. I have one in my child’s nursery and it gives me some much-needed peace of mind.
Just set up the other end of the camera baby monitor in your bathroom and check on the camera often.
Another option is to have someone watch your little bundle of joy.
Whether it’s your significant other, a family member or even a really close friend ask them to help while you get some much needed personal time.
Final Thoughts:
Always take some time for yourself. It is important for your mental and physical health.
So if you find yourself asking can I bring my newborn in the bathroom while I shower?
Just know the answer is yes. Always take the right safety measures, and check on your newborn many times to ensure their safety and well-being.
Don’t be afraid to do the normal things you did before the birth of your baby. 🙂
Don’t forget to check out the brand new online newborn basics class here!
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- What to expect with your newborn during the first 48 hours
If you found this article helpful share it with other moms 🙂