Q&A – Bathing a Baby in Mexico

Rub A Dub Dub, A Bub In The Sink…

I love, love, love getting questions and being able to answer them – so I was happy to receive this question from Jessica:

Just wondering about what you’ve done on holidays in Mexico or similar destination when bathing a baby? Has the water ever been a problem? Have you encountered any water sickness at all? Our son will be 9 months when we go….
Thanks for any wisdom!

My daughter was a massive bath-water-drinker. Like, would down cup after cup if we let her. So I could see how bathing baby in Mexico could be a concern.

Our boy enjoys big sips but is really more of a bubble blower. However, I know that save for some soap and probably pee (ugh!), our tap water is clean and they won’t get sick from consuming it – accidentally or otherwise.  But bathing baby in Mexico could be a different story.

For our first trip to Cuba, I was definitely nervous. Even though the tap water in Cuba is safe (we drank it on subsequent trips), to be on the safe side I used bottled for drinking and tooth-brushing. After all, safe does not necessarily mean that it doesn’t have micro-organisms that would upset tender tummies.

Depending on where you stay in Mexico, your resort may have its own purification system, as it did when we went to Club Med Ixtapa Pacific. Our room there had a shower only, but I still worried about the trickles that may enter her mouth and what they might do.

We took extra care to make sure that baths were fast and we didn’t dump water over her head to rinse her hair. I took a very wet washcloth to wet her hair and rinse it afterwards. It took a little longer, but not having a cup as a tub toy removed the temptation for her to drink.

For smaller babies who aren’t mobile, you could probably get away with a sponge bath, but 9-month-olds are likely to be very sandy and sunscreen-y at the end of the day and could use a good wash!

Have an an awesome time in Mexico, Jessica! Although the jokes about Montezuma’s Revenge are still prevalent, the truth is the more touristy parts of Mexico have stepped up and cleaned up. Stick to bottled water for drinking and tooth-brushing, take precautions against insect bites, avoid fruits and vegetables that can’t be peeled or cooked (unless you are certain they were washed in safe water), and try not to sweat bath time too much – just make sure to pack your little guy’s rubber ducky!

Happy Travels!