Daily bathing of a newborn is an exciting ritual in a young family. The baby is so small and so defenseless. Previously, grandmothers or other more experienced relatives who were able to properly handle the newborn were attracted to bathing.
Today, many devices have been invented that allow you to bathe your baby yourself, without worrying about his safety, good mood and comfort. For example, a hammock for bathing newborns.
But is this purchase necessary? What are the criteria for choosing a hammock? Is it convenient to operate or is it worth making a choice in favor of something else? Let’s try to figure it out together.
What is a hammock for bathing newborns
A hammock for bathing newborns is a device made of cloth or mesh that stretches over the baby bath and is attached to it with the help of special rubber bands or hooks. When a child is placed in a hammock, it sags under the weight of its body, and the baby is immersed in water.
There is another option – a metal frame covered with fabric, which is placed in the bath for bathing the baby. This model is an intermediate between a hammock and a slide for bathing newborns.
The hammock is convenient in that it allows you to unload the hands of an adult when bathing crumbs, and the baby’s stay in the water makes it comfortable, safe and pleasant.
Is it necessary?
Is a hammock really necessary for bathing for newborns? There is no universal answer. To buy this item or not, each mother decides for herself. For his acquisition says that the first bathing of a baby should give him pleasure and not scare the baby. Otherwise, bathing may begin to be associated with an unpleasant sensation in the baby.
The main advantage of the hammock is that a newborn can be redeemed independently by one of the parents, without involving assistants in this procedure. If there is no hammock or other similar devices, then one adult will have to keep the baby in the bath, and another – to water him.
Of course, this is very inconvenient and not always possible. But if the mother is confident in her abilities, has extensive experience in dealing with newborns or she has assistants, the need for a hammock disappears.
Some parents believe that a hammock for bathing newborns is an unnecessary purchase, money down the drain. The fact is that the service life of this device is not long, the child is growing rapidly and will be able to use it for no more than a couple of months.
If the dimensions of the hammock are incorrectly selected, the baby may be too immersed in water, and it will have to be held. And this is not at all what I wanted to achieve by buying this device.
And if the baby is bathed in a large bath, then mothers do not see any reason in buying a hammock or other similar device.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of a hammock for bathing newborns include the fact that, unlike many models of slides and baths, a hammock is allowed to be used from birth, since it ensures the anatomical position of the child in the water.
If the device is made of high-quality material and is correctly selected according to the size of the bath, the height and weight of the child, it ensures a comfortable position of the crumbs in the water.
With a hammock for bathing a newborn, it becomes possible to bathe a newborn for one of the parents – no need to attract assistants.
Advantages of the hammock over other bathing devices:
- the hammock is made of mesh or fabric, which is pleasant for the baby when touching the skin. A slide made of plastic can be cold, hard for the back of the baby, so it is recommended to cover it with a diaper. In addition, the hammock fabric or mesh dries quickly, does not deform;
- the device does not take up much space during storage;
- the position of the hammock is adjusted in accordance with the dimensions of the baby bath;
- there is a frame hammock resembling a slide, which just needs to be put in the bath;
- the product is inexpensive.
Disadvantages of a hammock for bathing newborns :
- it cannot be used in a large bathtub for adults, only in a nursery;
- it can be used only for a few months – as soon as the crumb weight reaches 7 kg, you will have to replace it with something more suitable;
- if the baby is tall, then the device will also fail to be used for a long time – the hammock will begin to sag under the child, then you will have to hold it so that the child does not take a sip of water, or bathe the strong couple together, in which case the sense of the device is lost.
What to choose – a hammock or a slide?
What is better for bathing newborns – a slide or a hammock? It is also impossible to answer this question unequivocally. The hammock is more suitable for some, the slide is more convenient for someone. A lot depends on the size of the baby, the model of the bathtub, slide, hammock and the material from which they are made.
For very young children, a hammock will be more convenient. In this case, it will be possible to apply it for more than three months. And then, when the baby is a little stronger, it’s worth going to the hill or using the circle for a large bath.
Before operating the hammock, it is necessary to precisely select its dimensions according to the parameters of the bath. In addition, it is important what material the hammock is made of. If the fabric is inappropriate, of poor quality, quickly loses shape, then the child will be too deeply immersed in water, and he will have to constantly hold it. If the hammock does not stretch well and is mounted high above the bathtub, and the baby is not large, then when bathing it will hang above the water.
The slides have certain advantages, but there may also be complaints. For example, if the baby is very tiny, then the likelihood that it will crawl is very high. To prevent this from happening, most slide models are equipped with a latch between the legs. But in this case, an increased load on the spine of the newborn is created, which is not desirable for him. The same can be said about the bathtubs with a built-in slide. It is better to use them a few months after birth, when the baby is a little stronger.
In defense of the slide, we can say that it does not require a fitting in the size of the bath, it is easy to install it in absolutely any.
If mom doesn’t like the hammock for bathing newborns and the slide does not fit, then a frame hammock can become an alternative. Both the frame and the slide are allowed to be used from birth. What to choose – only to mom, based on their own priorities and taste.
But it should be remembered that whatever the choice, it is impossible to leave the baby unattended in water. None of the modern devices can guarantee the absolute safety of the newborn when swimming.
How to choose a hammock for swimming?
The best hammocks for bathing newborns are those that are individually selected. Even if mom bought a beautiful hammock of a well-known manufacturer made of high-quality material in advance, but the baby does not want to bathe in it, cries and is nervous, then you can’t use it. Better to put it aside and try a little later.
When choosing a hammock, consider the following:
- So that the hammock does not stretch too much and sags, it is better to give preference to models made entirely of fabrics, and not of mesh. You can purchase a combined version of the hammock, when most of it is cloth, and only inserts for the head and legs are made of mesh.
- The hammock should be selected according to the size of the bath. It is best to buy them in a kit. When choosing a model, you need to pay attention to the strength of the mounts, this ensures a good fixation of the child during bathing. If the size of the hammock is selected correctly, then the distance between the baby and the bottom of the bath should be about 10 cm. When the dimensions of the device are not selected correctly, the baby can slip off it, immerse itself too deep in water or, conversely, hang over the water and freeze.
- If the store presents models with the possibility of pull-ups, then it is better to buy such a hammock. This will allow you to adjust the device if it stretches during operation. It should be borne in mind that when wet, the fabric and mesh sag more strongly, so this option of the hammock is preferred.
- The quality of the hammock depends on what material it is made of. Mesh products are quickly stretched. Therefore, preference should be given to models of dense fabric. You can do differently. Buy an inexpensive hammock from a net for the first time, and then purchase a circle or slide for swimming.
Before the first use of a hammock, you need to read the instructions, including the care of the product. Microorganisms quickly multiply on wet tissue, so it must be dried, and washed if necessary.
To make the child comfortable swimming, it is important to ensure the optimum temperature for him for water and air in the room where the procedure will be performed. Given the imperfect thermoregulation of the crumbs, it must be constantly watered with warm water. You can wrap it in a diaper and pour water through it. This will help keep the heat longer.
A hammock is a convenient device for a comfortable bathing of a newborn. There are many models of this device. But the best hammock is one that fits the size of the bath.
For bathing to be a pleasure for both mom and baby, you need to carefully choose a hammock, paying attention to the quality of the material, height and weight of the baby. But even the most expensive, high-quality and well-chosen hammock does not allow leaving a child in water without parental supervision!
