Tummy Tub

It is one of the biggest fears of every new parent how to handle baby baths. Most of the people I talked to were apprehensive of getting so precious and tiny creature into the bath for the first time. Company behind Tummy Tub took that into account and 'invented' natural tub for bathing babies.

With the first child we opted for usual equipment and occasionally had problems getting baby into the water (depending on the mood). For the second baby my wife got excited about Tummy Tub and we got it as a present from her brother.

We used it quite a few times and I will try to compare it with normal plastic bath for babies by commenting claims from the official site of the product (www.tummytub.co.uk)

- Bath time enjoyment from birth.

Still not confirmed as my son is year and a half old and cannot tell us. We noticed some quiet baths but some were very loud.

- The special design of the original Tummy Tub ensures babies relax in the familiar foetal position. Soft baby-friendly material.

Position is different than in the standard bath but I wouldn't say it is too natural either. Baby gets confused as parents are in unnatural situation trying to reach dirtiest parts of the body and - oh, surprise - baby is sitting on its bottom.

- The baby can be immersed in the water up to shoulder level and will therefore remain warmer for longer.

That could be achieved with the standard bath as well with just slightly more water. Apart from that we usually bath our baby in the warm bathroom not in the garage anyway.

- Babies feel warm, reassured and secure.

Babies also feel squeezed while parent try to get around it to wash all parts of the body. My theory is that some babies love water more than others and according to that they feel more or less secure.

- Especially recommended for premature babies.

Cannot comment on this but don't get the point. If baby was premature the time spent in the womb was shorter so no reason to believe that they are more used to open space not tight bucket.

- Helps babies settle and sleep, and is excellent for colicky babies.

I think this is true but for any warm and gentle bathing of the baby. Nothing to do with the design of the bath.

- Stress-free bathing for babies.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no - in our experience.

- Easy handling, ergonomic hand grips for carrying, and lightweight even when full (very important for new mothers).

Buckets are easy to handle generally so this one is not different. I would be surprised to find plastic bucket with difficult remote control to handle or sharp edges or weight over couple of pounds... So this one is not special

- Takes up less space and is easy to transport.

Yes it takes less space than real bath or even child's bath but after 3 months it gets small. Very limited product life.

- Wide rim to support parents' arms, allowing a relaxed position for the mother.

I've learned so far that mother is never relaxed around bathing hours unless we use this bucket to put on mother's head and ask her to meditate until father does the job in the proper bath.

- Polypropylene material allows easy viewing of your baby.

Well, you never look at your baby through the walls of the tub.

- High stability with an anti-skid base.

Have to agree with this. It is anti-skid but overall standard bath is more stable simply because of the geometry. The base is smaller and the whole tub is higher so it is easier to knock it down.

- Tummy Tub is fully recyclable, uses less water, and saves energy.

It is true that recycling comes very quickly as your baby overgrows it quickly. It is true that you use less water but the price for that is limited space in the tub.

You probably noticed that I was quite cynical about the product. That's because I think they made big hype about simple plastic bucket. No, it does not resemble mother's womb (at least I wouldn't be so brave to compare it with my wife's womb). The only thing baby feel is discomfort of limited space which he felt in the womb. And that's not the happy memory I would say. The product is priced around £17-18 and it is outrageous for a simple plastic bucket which should cost 3 times less. I believe many people are happy with the product and I don't want to spoil their fun in using it. I am just annoyed that I didn't invent such a simple product which could be marketed so well to all new parents.
I can recommend you to explore other options for bathing babies and try to make bathing experience pleasant for all involved/immersed in it but not necessarily with the Tummy Tub.

...and now for something completely different...