Did your baby drinks soapy water, and you’re wondering what may happen? Don’t worry; this article is for you.
Babies will always be babies, and most of their actions are impulsive. They do not think before they act nor understand their actions’ gravity.
Observation is one of the attributes of parenting since birthing a child is not an easy task.
If your baby’s bath session is unsupervised, you may not like what you see as your baby may drink soapy bathwater.
This article will answer your questions on what to do and expect when your baby drinks soapy water.
Is Drinking Soapy Water Bad?
Soapy water, in this context, refers to your baby’s bath water. As a concerned parent, you won’t be comfortable with your baby drinking it because soapy bathwater is usually unsightly and dirty.
Baby bath soapy water contains a mixture of soap, shampoo, dead skin cells, oils, bacteria, and germs, often with a splash of urine thrown in.
No parent would be comfortable seeing her baby drink water that has a mixture of soap, shampoo, dead skin cells, oils, bacteria, and germs, often with a splash of urine thrown in as its constituents.
Since babies’ immune system is not fully developed, it is unclean and unsafe for your baby to form a habit of drinking their bathwater.
Do not make a habit of allowing your baby to drink his bathwater, as habits hardly die. You should strive to make your baby realize that drinking bathwater is a complete no for you as that will help the baby stop drinking bathwater.
What Happens When Baby Drinks Soapy Water?
I am sure that your baby drinking soapy bathwater would be a source of worry for you. And to enlighten you more on this.
The signs or symptoms of soap poisoning in a baby will depend on:
- the product
- how much your baby has swallowed or inhaled
- how much contact has your baby had with the product
There is no argument that soapy water from your baby’s bathwater is unsightly.
Still, the truth is that a few sips of the bathwater may not harm your baby, but there may be health challenges when your baby gulps down filthy soapy bathwater.
Your baby may experience some stomach upset, and if your child drank enough, it could make him throw up due to the shampoo and soap in the bathwater.
If it becomes critical that your baby vomits repeatedly or can’t keep down fluid, you will need to seek the service of your baby’s pediatrician, or you may call the poison control department.
Though your baby’s critical condition is very rare, most babies do not consume bathwater, which can be detrimental to their health. Because of the unpleasant soapy taste of bathwater, they spit it out.
What To Do If Your Baby Drinks Soapy Water
Suppose your baby ends up swallowing some bathwater while in the tub, don’t panic. Get rid of the problematic washcloth – and the offending bath toys if plastic cups and bowls also tempt her to drink.
Provide an alternative plaything that will satisfy her curiosity and (safely) make bathtime more fun. You can use plastic animals, dolls, or cars.
A child might experience stomach upset if she drinks a substantial amount of bathwater, which is often the case due to the soap and shampoo in the water.
You can consult your pediatrician or call poison control if your child vomits repeatedly and you’re concerned about their health – or just if you want to ensure all is well.
Read: When can a baby go into a chlorine pool? Explained
How To Get Your Child To Stop Drinking Soapy Water
While drinking bath water may not put your child in danger, it is still not a healthy habit.
As with everything else in parenting, knowing your child’s personality will help you prevent this behavior if it bothers you. You may not achieve the desired outcome if you yell or punish them for this behavior.
Here are ways that you can use to stop your baby from drinking soapy water, and they include:
- Be consistent in maintaining that drinking water from the bathwater is a no. Remember that calmness of voice is crucial, but you can still use a sterner and deeper voice but screaming and freaking out is a no.
- You can also achieve this by using other distractions and alternatives like a different bath toy, funnels, and filters so that they do not think drinking bathwater or a sippy cup of clean water can help.
- You can convert your lemons into lemonade by using bath time as an ample opportunity to teach your child a new skill. “Bathtime can be the perfect place to teach your little one to drink from a regular cup,”
- You can also allow your baby to play with a water balloon as this can also serve as a distraction but ensure that latex from broken balloons is kept far away to avoid swallowing your baby.
- You can also try ice fishing. You can do this in two ways. The easiest way is tossing some ice cubes into the bath and telling your child to try and catch them all before they melt. Another fun but more time-consuming method is to freeze some of the kid’s bath toys and watch them melt away when the water is warm.
When is Drinking Soapy Water a No?
Baby shouldn’t drink soapy water from the bathtub when the bathwater contains your baby’s poop.
Once you notice that your baby has pooped in his bathtub, you should take your baby out from it immediately, confiscate the contraband washcloth and send it directly to the laundry bag.
If you notice any floating matter, even one that has sunk, do not hesitate to remove it, then proceed to clean the bathtub and bath toys thoroughly with a disinfectant or soap and hot water before using them again.
When Will My Child Stop Drinking Soapy Water?
Some of the traits babies exhibit as newborn naturally stops as they begin to grow. Newborns love exploring their environment at this age, so be patient and don’t panic.
By the time your baby clocks the 10th month, he will have learned that soapy isn’t good for drinking; as a result of improved memory, they can remember your words, actions, and tone of words.
Related Posts:
- How To Keep Bath Water Hot Longer (6 Proven Tips)
- How To Heat Bath Water Without Electricity (8 Hacks For You)
Wind Up
Hopefully, this article has answered your question on everything you need to know if a baby drinks soapy water.
Your baby drinking bathwater may not sit well with you because it is unsightly. It also does not cause serious medical complications since the chances of your baby spitting it out are high.
There are times when your baby may be having stomach cramps because of the consumption of shampoo and soap in the bath water.
Suppose your baby’s condition becomes critical that your baby vomits repeatedly or can’t keep down fluid. In that case, you will need to seek the service of your baby’s pediatrician, or you may call the poison control department.
Follow the steps mentioned above to get your baby to stop drinking soapy water, and it will become a thing of the past.
