Sometimes there's no avoiding it. To insulate and seal properly, you need to interfere with framing work. The tub enclosure is a good example. Because it's too big to fit through the door, a one-piece tub or shower unit has to be carried into the bathroom before the walls are framed. Before the rough plumbing locks the unit in place, you should insulate and seal the wall.
Your goal is to install a section of the air barrier on the wall so that it can be connected to the final air barrier later. For the air barrier material, you have several choices: drywall, exterior grade plywood (or equivalent) or 6-mil polyethylene sheet. Poly and plywood are probably easier to have on the site during framing. For poly, be sure to run the air barrier one stud past the tub on each side. That provides solid backing for a good seal.
This method also works for stairs, dropped ceiling, soffits and other tricky sealing problems.
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