Suddenly terrified of tub? Could it be because of ear fluid/ear pain?

[ellairiesmom]

I posted last night about our ear fluid situation but forgot to ask about this...all of a sudden, DD2 is horrified of the bath.  She went from begging & trying to climb into it at all times, to freaking out.  And then I tried to bath her in the sink because she was covered in food & she was hysterical.  Up until a week ago, she LOVED bathing. 

Could this be because of ear pain from fluid?  Her left ear was checked yesterday & did have fluid, but it wasn't infected. (yet) 

She has a ton of hair so we do have to eventually wash it from time to time.  Should I be using ear plugs?

Can water from bathing cause the fluid in the ear to begin with?

[Jenni1894]

Sounds just like my DD.   At about 2 1/2 my little fish girl who loved water of all kinds would totally freak out about taking a bath.   There was a few weeks there I would stand in the tub with her wash her b/c well not bathing isn't an option. We bribed, we made jokes, made it a game but she just wasn't having it.   She'd scream and run away.   It was horrible.  

I thought it was b/c a few mos prior she had a yeast infection and then it burned when she sat in the water.   I thought it was flashbacks to that.   It could have been.....

Finally I figured it out...she associated bath time with bed time.   She gets a bath before bed, always has.   It wasn't until I was a friends parents house and we decided to let all 4 kids (my older 2 and her 2) in the giant soaker tub after a day at the beach.  The other kids were in there already having a great time.......She ran away and screamed....no me sleepy!!!!!!!!   It clicked.....and I explained that she wasn't going to sleep.  Just rinsing off sand and beach water!!   It took me a while to calm her and get her to understand.   But she did, and then went to play w/the other kids.    (until my friends DD threw up all over in the tub!!!!!!) And we have no more issues....except getting her OUT of the tub now.  :)

maybe b/c of your DD's ears and ears generally hurt more when they lay down, she is associating baths with bed, which cause her pain?  

I did learn a trick w/DS who had lots of fluid in his ears after lots of swimming...I filled an old cotton sock with plain uncooked white rice tied it off with a rubber band.  I'd warm it a few seconds in the micro.  I would have him lay his ear on it.  The rice draws the fluid out.

[cyanviolet]

Our little guy freaked out and started screaming when we put him in the bath and two days later his little toes were covered with blisters from Hand, Foot and Mouth (and so were his hands and mouth). Our guess was that it was already hurting from the virus and the warm water made it worse. He just didn't have words to tell us. The lesson I learned from that is if he really doesn't want to do something I don't push it. We did sponge baths with warm wash cloths for a while and I told myself no one ever died from being a little grubby.

[ellairiesmom]

Hmmm...the baths we have tried since her aversion were at several different times...and actually...not bedtime. 

So far, no signs of any sort of illnesses that might make her skin sensitive but I am now looking at her hands, feet & mouth closely.

We are completely perplexed & at a loss.  She covered herself in black beans tonight, & has a full head of long thick hair, so I tried the tub again.  She watched me fill it & was trying to climb in with her clothes on.  She got happy when I undressed her, but as soon as I put her feet in, she went hysterical again.  The water was a great temp & DD1 was in & happy. 

I filled a tupperware with water and used a washcloth to bath her sitting on her changing table.  She totally let me & she played up to her elbows in the tupperware & was grabbing the washcloth, dipping it, taking it out etc. 

The only think I can think of if that she is associating the tub with a recent water in the ear occurrence AND she is also associating water in the ear with ear pain or discomfort?  Is that kind of association possible for a 14 mos old?