For my first two children, I used the First Years sure comfort newborn to toddler tub. It was OK from about the time they were able to sit up until the time they were big enough for the regular tub, but it wasn’t great for newborns. Like all baby bath tubs, it leaves them splayed out (which most newborns hate) and cold. I heard about “European” tubs like the tummy tub and spa baby and I was intrigued, but couldn’t bring myself to pay $40-$50 for something that looked like a plastic bucket/flower pot. Or, as DH said, a trash can. He said it looked like I was planning to “throw the baby out with the bath water.” Bwahahahaha!
This style bath tub is supposed to be more comfortable & soothing for small babies since they can be covered to their chests in warm water, and are curled up snugly in the fetal position. I did some searching and found the Prince Lionheart WashPod for $24.99. Babies R us had it, but it was online only and not eligible for in-store pickup. Buy Buy Baby had it, but we’re an hour (no traffic) from one. Long story short, hubby ended up just down the road from Buy Buy Baby and got one with a $5 off coupon, so $19.95 plus tax!
Though I haven’t seen the other brands in person to compare, I like this one a lot. It has a wide base, non slip handles, and seems very sturdy (obviously, you would never take your hand off your baby, but it’s nice to know it’s unlikely to tip over if they heave their weight around.)
I love that it comes with a soft, contoured pillow to make it more comfy. I can’t help but wonder how it will hold up over time, but for now we just empty the tub and dry it and the pillow before putting it away (it fits under our bathroom sink.)
It came with instructions in a zillion languages, but I think it is pretty self explanatory!
It comes with stickers to put on marking the proper water line. The first time you use it, you have to add water, put baby in, then add or remove some until it’s at the right level for your baby. When bath time is over, mark the water level after taking baby out, and you’ll know how high to fill it next time.
My first two kids screamed endlessly through baths for months. My little guy screeched and threw his arms out when his feet touched the water (he was startled!) but as soon as he was in, he was perfectly content.
This kid gets crazy red eye with my point & shoot camera. I need to start using DH’s awesome camera, but it’s like 10 MP and the files are huge. Plus, I can just stick mine in the drawer or my pocket, but his fancy schmancy camera is far too big for that.
Anyhoo, I think this would be easiest if you put the wash pod in the kitchen sink and had two adults handy. At this age, babies aren’t really “dirty,” so a tiny squirt of body wash in the tub or on a washcloth, and a few swipes with the washcloth is plenty I think. Just like our old tub, it took a lot of my attention in addition to my constantly holding his head to keep it above water. I don’t think that’s unique to this tub style, it’s just part of bathing a newborn.
So to sum it up, I love this trash can flower pot bucket bath tub, and it was definitely $20 well spent!
FTC compliance: I purchased this item at normal retail prices. I was not asked to write, nor was I compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
