Tummy Tub - Mum versus Dad Face Off

Welcome to DIYFather Face Off reviews, featuring Andrea and Eric parents of Ava.

Andrea and Eric will review products and give their own views on the products.

This is a review of Tummy Tub

TummyTub® was designed in the Netherlands by child carers to ease the transition from the comfort of the mother’s womb.
Babies naturally adopt the foetal position and it is amazing to see how quickly they calm and relax.

Features and Benefits:
- Bathing in the familiar foetal position – helps babies feel reassured and relaxed
- Stress free bathing for both baby and parent – excellent for colicky babies
- Anti-skid base and low centre of gravity for safety and stability
- Compact size – takes less space and less use of water
- Especially useful for premature babies
- Ergonomic hand grips and extremely lightweight
- Made of environmentally friendly materials
- Less surface area of water – temperature stays warmer for longer time
- Has European TÜV safety certificate/assessed by BSI
Why not a normal bucket?
- Normal buckets don’t have an anti-skid bottom.
- The bottom is not curved and therefore does not give the baby any support.
- Babies discover their new world by touching with their hands and tasting with their mouth. The pigments in plastic buckets will most likely contain toxic elements, as normal buckets aren’t meant for bathing babies.
- The handle of the bucket can easily hurt the fingers of the baby. It also does brings an extra risk, as an older brother or sister could – by holding it – pull the bucket from the table.
- You can view on your baby from all sides, because of transparent material of original TummyTub®
- Normal buckets are too low and narrow. The water level is therefore also too low and the children can’t stay warm. Apart from that mother and child are hindered in their movements. However simply using a bigger bucket doesn’t give the child the support and a comfortable sitting position.
- A normal bucket would never have the TÜV and BSI approval for baby bathing.
- See www.tummytub.co.nz

From Andrea (Mum)

I first came across the Tummy Tub shortly after Ava was first born and I was quite intrigued with the idea of it, however we already had a baby bath and I felt at the time the price tag of around NZ60 for a “bucket” was something we did have the extra funds to splurge on, so when Eric came home with the Tummy Tub I was excited to be testing it. Now, our little girl is not a baby anymore and I did recall the sales lady telling me that the Tummy Tub would accommodate a child up to 2 or 3 years of age (looking at the tub highly doubted it at the time) but looking at the Tummy Tub and looking at the size of my 16 month daughter I wasn’t sure it was going to be a good fit. I filled the Tummy Tub up to the fill line indicated, stripped Ava down and carefully put her in folding her legs into a foetal like position as I went, the water dispersed and came right up to her armpits (she looked liked one of those monkeys from the tv ad sitting in a hot spring). I wasn’t too sure and I don’t think Ava was to begin with either but pretty soon she was splashing away with a big grin on her face and blowing bubbles in the water at her chin. If I was concerned about how comfortable it was, Ava soon put my mind at ease when she stood herself up and sat back down, infact I think she enjoyed being shoulder deep in warm water so much that every time I asked her if she was ready to get out she’d tease me by standing up and then promptly sitting back down as I went to grab her. We’ve been using the Tummy Tub for a few nights now and I think its safe to say that it has the thumbs up from Ava (who doesn’t want to get out) so mum gives it the thumbs up too.

Some points to note:
• Tummy Tub uses a lot less water than a normal bath or shower, so that has to save you money, plus you are not trying to move a big bath full of water.
• Tummy Tub has easy grip handles for moving and emptying
• The child is almost fully immersed in warm relaxing water so they don’t get cold
• Would be great for camping with a baby/child
• Because the surface of the water is smaller than a baby bath the water stays warmer for longer.
• Tummy Tub is made of nice thick transparent plastic so you can see baby from all angles plus it is very stable and has an anti-skid rubber base.
• Because baby is supported by the Tummy Tub you are basically left hands free (although NEVER leave baby unattended in the Tummy Tub – stating the obvious here I’m sure).
• Washing a bigger child (like Ava) is difficult because obviously there is less room between the child and the bucket to manoeuvre but this wasn’t really an issue as I just had Ava stand up in the bucket while I soaped her down then she’d splash down and rinse off (and really, how dirty does a baby get).

A bit pricier than your standard baby bath but I think in the long run you may recoup the cost of the Tummy Tub in water and power savings as so little water is actually used, also you can use the Tummy Tub up to 3 years of age so well beyond when your little one would have outgrown the standard baby bath. Tummy Tub is easy, convenient and mobile and babies seem to love it…well mine does anyway!

From Eric (Dad)

Tummy what? It’s a bucket, maybe our neighbours who have just had a baby should review this one, and there is no way Ava (16 months old) is going to fit comfortably in this little bucket!

One night Andrea yells out to me to come to the bathroom. There was Ava sitting happily in this bucket, like a pig in mud. She looked to be really liking her new bath.
The next night it was my turn to bathe Ava, it took no time to fill the Tummy Tub to the water line... if we ever had water restrictions in place, the Tummy Tub would be a real water saver!
I just lifted Ava into the Tummy Tub and she sat herself down comfortably, if I needed to wash her, I only needed to ask her to stand up. There is even room for her to blow bubbles in the water. She just loves it, the only thing is it takes ages to coax her out of the bath.

The Anti-Skid base and the weight of the water kept the Tummy Tub firmly in place, great peace of mind.

What I like about the Tummy Tub:
• Uses very little water
• Takes up very little room
• Rounded bottom for comfort, looks reinforced as well
• Anti-Skid base, just smart thinking
• I can carry the Tummy Tub after use the use the water on the garden and lawn
• Ava really enjoys being in it

What I would have liked to see:
• Built in temperature gauge, like a simple too cold – too hot – just right indicator
I think it would just finish the product off perfectly

Someone once said “the converted makes the best advocates”

Fantastic Product!