Preparing your Space

Once you have decided on a time that can work for you, (10-15 minutes two times a week) you are ready to get started!

Start by : 

Setting up the bathroom so that it is warm and has towels for when you are finished.

Place a safety mat in the bath.

It is important to prepare a few items to attract babies attention while in the water. It is most often easier to select a few small and simple toys. These can be any small toys that you have on hand. We recommend they are small enough to fit into your one hand while you secure baby with the other.

Toys can include : 

• Any small bath toys, toys that rattle, squeak or make noise are especially entertaining for baby.
• Little people
• Colourful plastic shapes
• Stacking cups or plastic cups

Floating toys are best, but anything that can get wet and makes baby happy is a good choice.

Make sure to keep a few different ones on hand, you can change them out now and again to keep it new and stimulating for baby.

Bubbles are also a great fun water activity to have on hand. These are an easy and inexpensive tool for calming a crying baby, refocusing if baby needs to take a break and just plain fun to blow and pop!

Once the bathroom is ready, it is time to prepare the bathtub!

Start by running a warm bath. For the first few weeks you will start with just a couple inches of water in the tub. Keep an eye on the temperature of the water and ensure it is comfortable for you and baby. The water should be neither too hot nor too cold for comfort, aiming for a warm relaxing bath has been shown to help calm a fussy baby and the more relaxed a baby is, the easier these activities will be.

Never leave a baby unattended in or around a bathtub with any amount of water in it.

Other things to consider when preparing : 

• Is baby well rested? – While some babies have been known to become so relaxed they sleep in the water, nap time is probably not the best to teach a fussy baby new skills.
• Is baby hungry? – A baby shouldn’t be hungry or too full during a session.
• Is baby wearing a swim diaper? – water often relaxes baby’s tummy. Since you are getting in the water with them, you might consider a swim diaper for the bathtub.

**NOTE** For the purposes here, we refer to the introduction sessions occurring in a bathroom, however, you can implement many of these techniques in most any water locations together.