Safer Bather: a Must Have for New Parents

When my first child was born, I received a standard infant bathtub as a baby shower gift. I eagerly anticipated the day when I could give my daughter her first bath. When the big day came, things didn't quite go the way that I had planned. The tub was elevated and I couldn't quite figure out how to secure my floppy newborn while wrestling with the cap to the shampoo bottle and in the midst of all the chaos, she of course had a major blow out. At that point, I decided that baby bathtubs were highly over rated. When I was pregnant with my second child, I went ahead and added an infant bathtub to my baby registry. I didn't realize that there were any other options. I received a Safer Bather as a shower gift and vowed that I would never deal with a bulky baby bathtub again!

The design

The Safer Bather is manufactured by Leachco and is a lightweight bath pillow. It only comes in one print, which is blue with colored fish. It is elevated at the top to keep your baby's head out of the water and is made of mold and mildew resistant polyester. There is a heavy duty plastic hook at the top for you to hang it up to dry when you are finished using it.

How it works

The Safer Bather is fits easily into the kitchen or bathroom sinks to make those sponge baths when baby first comes home from the hospital very easy. The pillow acts as a sponge and holds the warm water, so the baby doesn't get as cold. As the baby gets older, you can lay the Safer Bather in the bath tub and fill the tub with a small amount of water. The Safer Bather stays in place and also helps secure the baby's head and body while bathing. The Safer Bather is recommended for babies through nine months of age.

Other Information

The Safer Bather retails for approximately $15-20 at most retailers that carry baby supplies such as Babies 'R Us, Walmart, and Target. It is also available online at Amazon.com. There is also a Safer Bather II, which offers cushioned back support for older babies.

Overall Impressions

If you've ever used a plastic infant bathtub, you know what all of the drawbacks are. It is bulky and difficult to stash. It does not support the baby well, so you are trying to hold on to a wet and squirmy baby while trying to find the shampoo and other baby materials. They are also not easy to clean, so if baby happens to go to the bathroom during bath time, it is a mess to clean up. I found that my first child outgrew the standard infant bathtub relatively quickly and then I had to search for other options.

The safer bather eliminates all of these issues. It is easy to store because and can be hung on your shower rod or towel bar until you are ready to use it again. If you decide to travel, it is easy to pack and travel with. It also supports the baby during bath time, so you can easily reach bathing supplies and don't have to worry about baby slipping. I found that my baby really enjoyed bath time because he still had the experience of being in the water, and loved to kick and splash. The Safer Bather absorbed the warm water so he was content rather than cold and cranky. If baby does go to the bathroom, it is easy to clean up because you can just rinse it in the tub and wipe it off. It is also machine washable. You can continue to use the Safer Bather as your child grows because they are not confined in a small area.

The only drawback that I experienced in using this product is that it does hold a lot of water. You really have to let some of the water drain off before you hang it up or it really strains the hook. If you bathe your baby on a daily basis, you also have to be diligent about hanging it up to dry right away because it does take some time to dry. If you leave it in the tub overnight and try to bathe your baby the next day, the absorbed water will be very cold and your baby will be miserable.

Overall, I loved this product. It holds up well and is a great value for the money. If you are looking for a great gift to give at the next baby shower you're going to, the Safer Bather is sure to be a hit.