The Tub: I did LOTS of internet searching for the perfect bath... probably LOTS more than I should have. I ended up deciding on the Primo Eurobath (see pic above) for a few reasons. 1. Our main bathtub is huge, and I thought that it would be tough to bathe a baby in there so I wanted one that Annabelle could use for a long time. 2. I read about a lot of the tubs that "grow" with the kids leaking easily and this one is a one piece so I knew I wouldn't have that problem. 3. It had lots of great reviews everywhere that I looked. 4. It was one of the few baths that I liked in white, and since we'd probably be storing it inside of our own white tub, I wanted a white one. Now that I've finished using this tub with Annabelle, I can comment on it with confidence. It was a good tub for us (with the "Safe Bather" cushion described as my next "favorite"). When Belle was a little bitty infant, I used it on the counter and never had to worry about it leaking all over. If the drain plug isn't in good, it will leak a bit, but I always just put a washcloth under the part where the plug is and that contained the leak. The drain made it easy to empty, the contours were great for assisting with holding a wiggly infant in place, and I liked the little spaces to place the soapy washcloths. As soon as Annabelle was old enough to sit up, I started bathing with her in my own bathtub while holding her, so we didn't use hers anymore unless someone else was giving her a bath. She has always loved bathtime and has been a splasher every since she discovered splashing so bathing her in the kitchen didn't make as much sense as just jumping in the bathtub with her. If our bathtub wall was lower, I probably would have used this bathtub inside of ours for a little while (just to let her play in the bath when I didn't feel like taking one), but that wasn't the case. One thing that I would LOVE to have had is a bathtub ring with suction cups to help her to sit up (or keep her in place since she wanted to crawl around the bath as soon as she was able to), but I couldn't find one that didn't come with a tub so I never got one. Overall, I'd give the Eurobath thumbs up, but the main drawback of it is storage. It's HUGE (one of the pros AND cons of this bath) so it always took up lots of space in the bathroom when it wasn't being used.
Infant Bath Cushion: The Safer Bather was listed as a suggested thing to buy along with the Eurobath so it caught my attention when I was researching tubs. I registered for it, and a friend ended up buying it for me because she had one and loved it. It was perfect for cushioning Belle's little fragile head and kept her from rolling around. During those first couple of weeks when Belle only got sponge baths, it was perfect for laying her on during the bath (and so comfy that she even fell asleep on it, see picture). It dries well too, and isn't all plastic-like so I liked the way it felt (kind like outdoor furniture cushions). I'd recommend the Safer Bather.
Body Soap and Shampoo: I received many different kinds of baby soaps and shampoos as baby shower gifts so I have tried lots of them. I haven't really found any that I like better than any others. When Annabelle was little bitty, I used mainly Aveno for Babies, but now I'll use whatever. However, now Annabelle has eczema (and it seems to just keep spreading), so I may be narrowing my soap usage soon.
Pre-soaped wash cloths: When we attended our baby class, the teacher recommended pre-soaped wash cloths. We tried the Huggies Disposable Wash Cloths. They are really soft, so they were good to use on Annabelle as an infant. They are also really good for traveling with an infant (you don't have to take separate soap for baby or worry about washcloths that are too harsh in hotels). However, I only used these when Belle was really little. She has a mesh sponge by Baby Einstein (it's a turtle with the mesh sponge as the body), and that works great for working up a lather with minimal soap, so I use that now and have for a LONG time. I highly recommend that for non-fragile baby skin.
Towels & Wash Cloths: I haven't really found anything special about towels except that it's nice to have some really pretty/cute ones for pictures. :) Other than that, it's pretty common knowledge stuff... the thicker ones are warmer and more absorbant, but the light ones are nice and gentle too.
Toys: The water-proof floating books are some of Belle's favorite toys and they have been from the beginning. She loves the Baby Einstein ones. Also, she loves any toys that squirt, including her rubber duckys and floating fish. Some of her most favorite toys are the set of old plastic measuring cups that I put in the tub for her to play with. They're cheap and she LOVES to pour water out of them, splash with them, or put her other toys into them. Who woulda thought? :) Also, when you go to visit someone overnight, borrowing their plastic measuring cups are great bath toys that you don't have to carry along, and you can use them for rinsing off baby after getting soap all over him/her too.
The only other thing that I can think of is that Belle likes to get in the shower with us too. She usually sits in a corner with a tub (that yellow tub you get to bring home from the hospital after you have puked in it) filled with water and a few of her bath toys. She's never minded having water splash on her either so she doesn't care if the shower sprays all over her. This co-showering definitely makes scheduling showers easier for Mommy!
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