Some parents feel confident washing their baby in the sink or bath from Day One. However, slippery wet newborns can strike fear in parents who don't feel they can safety handle their baby in one hand, sploosh water around with the other and keep bubbles etc out of their child's eyes at the same time.

There are lots of different ideas on the market - from full-on baths shaped like Victoria tubs, to nifty little non-slip mats - so you have plenty to choose from. In price range you can expect to pay anything from about £7 to £30 depending on what you go for.

Some have towelling coverings so your baby isn't naked next to cold enamel or plastic. These covers are fully washable.

Remember: many will only be suitable until your baby is able to stand up, which is the first 12 months. Some might not be suitable until your baby can sit, at about six months. So think about your needs before you spend your cash.
Check out our article on bathing your baby for safe bathtime tips.

Baths
Straight-up baby bath tubs are popular because they give your child an enclosed space and can be used in your regular bath or on a mat anywhere else in the house.

They range from the popular £20 Tummy Tub - which is a tub that even the smallest babies can 'sit' up in, supported by their weight in the water - to plastic baths that either sit in your regular bath or have wide sides to put across the width of your bath, bringing baby up to the level of the top of the rim. The ones which raise your baby (Tummy Tub is available with a stool, actually) can be useful when your back is aching. If you're sore from an epidural or had a caesarian, you might want to think about something which raises the level of the bath - unless you've presuaded dad that bathtime is his shout!
Some baths are available with a stand, but this can feel a little daunting once it has to support a bath full of water.
You can buy inflatable baths. These are useful for taking on holiday with you as they just deflate. Tomy do a Winnie the Pooh one, for example, which looks like a bright, mini paddling pool.
The Newborn to Toddler Fold Away Travel Baby Bath, for about £20, is a nifty bath which won't take up too much room but opens out big enough to last you into your child's second year. Many tubs and seats now fold down because manufacturers have realised their value when parents are visiting elsewhere.
Some baths come with a plug in the bottom. This can be useful because trying to lift up a bath full of water to empty it can be quite a struggle.

Deluxe baths
Summer Infant have raised the stakes by producing the Newborn to Toddler Bath Center (sic) & Shower which has a cute pump-action shower as part of the bath, and can be used separately when your child is older. This is more gentle than your adult power shower, and can be a fun and water-efficient way of bathing.

Summer Infant also have a Soothing Spa & Shower Baby Bath, which seems hilarious when you think most grown-ups use spas because of the stresses and strains of daily life! A nifty option if you want to splash the cash (no pun intended).
Safety 1st do a 4 in 1 Bath Station which is suitable from the earliest days into toddlerhood.

Seats
There are different kinds of baby seat you can put your child in, in the bath. However, most are not advised before your child can support herself, around five to six months. They either have suction cups to root them to the base of your bath, or sturdy slip-resistant legs so they are secure.
Most have little coloured playthings attached to their front, and the Dreambaby Fold Away Bath Seat has an opening front bar so lifting baby out is pretty easy.
Some seats are more reclining, rather like a water version of the soft chairs you can buy for babies to rest in.

The Summer Infant Mother's Touch De Luxe model has a baby headrest which you can remove when your baby is bigger, so this is suitable from birth and for much of the first year.
The Rite-Temp Baby Bath is a floating seat with a pad that turns white when the water is too hot. This is useful when running the bath. It also comes with a cup fitted into its base. This can be used to cup water up and rinse your baby's hair and body, and again has a sensor so you can check if you're using new water direct from the tap, that it's not too hot.

Other baby bath supports
If you don't want to put your baby in a seat but are looking for some support, there are some useful rests, like the Bath Easy De Luxe, which puts your baby on a slope to keep her head out of the water. This type of support can be used into toddlerhood, when you want your child to lean back during hairwashing.
There are lots of nifty floating ideas that cost less than £10, which simply ease the task of keeping your baby in place while you wash her.

The Comfy Bath is like a big cushion which fills with water as your bath fills up. Your baby rests on it, with her head safely out of the water, and it comes with an optional strap to keep baby in place.
There are also floating moulds that look light and easy to carry around. Some absorb water so you should make sure you have somewhere to leave them to dry out effectively, otherwise they could get a bit mouldy and musty in your bathroom.
Another option, especially when your baby is a little older and can sit up, is a non-slip bath mat. This way your child gets accustomed to big baths but without slipping and sliding everywhere. Some of these have fitted heat sensors to tell you if the water is too hot.
When you are still at the topping and tailing stage, you can buy handy bowls that have two sides to keep for both ends separate. These only cost about £3.