THIS is the best way to bathe a baby

The baby bath.

A hated nemesis for me. With baby #1, I’d assume this primal-crouch position on the bathroom floor, my back all hunched over, rolls of postpartum belly fat practically suffocating me. Out of breath. Straining to support my newborn’s floppy, slippery body as I dripped with sweat, and my kneecaps began to throb, and back and neck spasms set in.

My newborn was cute, sweet, perfect, of course. And I’d try to savor the moment, with her eyes locked on mine. I’d coo and fawn all over her, sure. But, baby bath time was never the bonding experience I wanted it to be, because, crouch. Pain.

By baby #2, I still hadn’t figured out a different approach to bath time. A few times I would sit in the regular tub with her, but still, this wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences, despite her skin being impossibly soft and smooth, and her smell delicious, and intoxicating.

My back and neck, already sore from carrying her all day, and from lack of consistent sleep, would scream in agony as I huddled over her tiny body, supporting her weight with one arm, and gently washing her with the other. Getting her out of the tub safely was a whole other challenge. Two-person job.

So, I could never bathe her until my husband got home from work, and I was half-delirious with exhaustion by then!

Next, came baby #3. And I’m not sure why I didn’t think of this before, but one day, soon after bringing her home, I decided to wash her in the kitchen sink.

Not exactly genius, I know. But life-changing? Yup. Check it out:

It was much easier to support my newborn while standing, instead of frog-squating on the floor.

Bath time became more of a bonding experience that I was really able to savor.

Come on. Just look at that face! Bathing her in the kitchen sink meant I could enjoy these moments instead of just speeding through the bath process, trying to get it over with so my kneecaps wouldn't explode!

I think it's safe to say my daughter enjoyed bath time as much as I did!

At the end of the bath, I would have a towel right next to us so I could quickly wrap her up, and keep her warm and cozy en route to the awaiting fresh diaper and outfit. Easy peasy!

Expert/common sense tip: I would fill the sink with lukewarm water first, and ALWAYS check the temperature before placing my little one’s teeny body in the bath.

I’d also have a cup handy to make rinsing easier, and P.S., the diaper never came off until a second before the bath started! And I used a natural cleaner before and after bathing her, and rinsed the sink thoroughly to make sure there was no leftover residue from the cleaner.

But most importantly, I relished the moment.