by Donny Verkamp
The new craze for parents of newborns is Tummy Tubs. A Tummy Tub is a bucket shaped bath that supposedly bathes your baby in the fetal position and recreates the feeling of being in the mother’s womb. The makers claim that it is “especially soothing for colicky and premature babies.”
I wanted to find out what all the fuss was about so I did some investigating, here’s some answers I found that most parents were asking. These are answers I found from the original Tubby Tub manufacturers site:
Q: The main question I found being asked was - is it safe?
A: Yes, while you should never leave your baby unattended in any bath, the Tummy Tubs are built to TUV German & the UK British Standards safety certifications.
Q: What is the age limit?
A: Depending on how fast your child grows usually about 12 months of age is the limit to use the tubs.
Q: Can this be used on newborns?
A: Yes, all you need to do for newborns is hold their head up with one hand until about 12 weeks of age, or until the child is able to hold their head up on their own.
Q: Is this something new?
A: Actually Tummy Tubs was first released in 1996.
Q: How do I know how much water to fill it with?
A: With a newborn it is important to fill it with the right temperature of water to just above the newborn baby’s shoulders in order to keep the infant warm, as your child grows you can use less water.
Q: What is the right water temperature?
A: Between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius.
Q: How long will the water stay at a comfortable temperature?
A: Usually around 20 minutes.
Q: They look little, are they too small?
A: No, actually your baby will feel more secure. The confinement and being able to touch the sides makes them feel more reassurance, Tummy Tubs were tested thoroughly to get just the right shape and size before released to the public.
Q: Have they been used in hospitals?
A: They have recently been introduced to many Irish maternity hospitals. The Tummy Tub was first released in Ireland.
And I saved the best for last…
Q: Why not just use a regular household bucket? : )
A: Regular buckets are not designed to bathe your baby safely, it is possible they could slide under the water whereas the Tummy Tub is to prevent this. Also, they are made of an environmentally safe polypropylene plastic that does not have toxic pigments. A regular bucket may give off toxic pigments that may cause an allergy to your child.
Even though my kids are way to old for these types of baths I was really curious as to what everyone seemed to be going crazy for. Looks pretty cool to me.
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Tags: 12 Months, 2c, 3a, Amp, Array, Cdc, Centers For Disease Control, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Changing Face, Confinement, Cy, Disease Control And Prevention, Fetal Position, Fuss, Maternity Hospitals, New Craze, New Parents, Newborn Baby, Newborns, parents, Premature Babies, Reassurance, Safety Certifications, Shape, Shoulders, Tummy Tub, Water Temperature, Womb
