to have said something to this man at the pool about his baby? Or should I have said something earlier?

[TickledOnion]

At DD1's swimming lesson today, a man got into the public bit of the pool with a 7 week old baby in just a swim nappy. The pool is at a private gym and quite a pleasant temperature for adults but too cold for an almost naked baby. I take DD2, 8mo, swimming there with a swim nappy, swim pants and a wet suit. (Possibly overkill, but she seems quite happy).

I was really unsure whether to say anything and asked another mum who agreed with me but also didn't say anything. They stayed in for about 10 minutes and then I saw them again in the family changing room. At this point I mentioned to the man that you can buy wetsuits for babies as it can be quite cold in the pool. He said he didn't know and asked where he could get one.

Should I have said something earlier? Or nothing at all? The baby didn't seem unhappy and luckily the man took my comments as well meaning advice rather than criticism. More a WWYD than AIBU?

oh dear.

wwyd? erm.... kept my sticky beak out tbh.

Sounds as though you did just the right thing

As the baby wasn't distressed, I think you should have MYOB. Would you have been so quick to "correct" a female carer?

I think that sounds about right

You said the baby seemed quite happy.
It's really none of your business.

Only a totally unheated pool would be 'uncomfortable' (not life threatening) for a baby. If it had been unhappy it would have let dad know. Children need wet suits in the sea (the British sea) not the gym pool. If your daughter is happy and you are happy then that is great, It doesn't make what the dad was doing wrong though so no, I would not have said anything and would have thought it unreasonable if you had.

How did you work out the baby was 7 weeks

I would have left a perfectly capable grown man to deal with his happy and un-distressed baby by himself.

blimey mine swam from very young (8 weeks+) and I never got a wetsuit - yabu and a bit silly

I think babies are pretty good at making it clear if their needs aren't being met. If the baby was having a nice time, then I think it was ok. If it was screaming or even moaning continually then I would have suggested it may be because he/ she was cold.

I also think the clothes you put your 8mo in do sound a leeetle over protective.

Oh I would have said thank you too - I don't know very much about children and have zero self confidence so I always worry I'm getting it wrong; if someone just quietly mentioned that you could buy wetsuits for babies (which I didn't know - but then I don't take DS swimming because I hate water) - I would say thank you, I wouldn't mind! It all depends on how it's done but you don't sound at all judgey or unpleasant, just helpful.

I hardly think ten minutes in the main pool in a swim nappy is an issue. The man obviously knew he couldn't be in there very long and not a lot of parents go for wet suits as they are not highly advertised.

Saying that you seemed nice enough about it so maybe you gave him a good idea :)

I took DD swimming at about the same age - it was in the teaching pool at the public baths and an organised class by a specialist provider. The water was not warm but I assumed they knew what they were doing and none of the babies were distressed.

There is nothing wrong with chatting and sharing advice, but if someone had judged me I would have told them to FO.

Yabu

YABU

I have never used a wet suit for any of my 3 and they've all swam from 8 weeks or so. I wouldn't have opened my mouth, as other posters have said had the baby been cold everyone would have heard about it.

Why the actual jeff are people taking 7 week old babies for "swimming lessons"????

Oh my goodness, I can't bear to see babies constricted in those horrid wetsuits- complete overkill. It's not sea swimming is it?

Wet suits?

Dear lord.

I think he was being very sensible only going in for ten mins and the baby sounds like it was fine.
However, I'm assuming you said it in a friendly manner and he appears to have taken it that way so I wouldn't over think it.

YAB totally U.

You shouldn't have said anything, you sound like you have interfered in something completely ridiculously!

Nothing wrong in a baby just wearing a swim nappy - that is what they are for. For what it is worth, I put a swim nappy and some swim shorts on mine - not for warmth, but because I liked the shorts!

He was probably trying to be polite to you in his response. If you'd of said the same to me, I'd of asked you if you had taken your pills today sorry!

I don't think anything needed to be said. The baby would have let the entire pool know if there was something wrong with it.

Seven weeks does sound young though, when mine were babies I was told to wait until after two sets of immunisations.

I took DS swimming from 4 months in only a swimming nappy. It was a council run pool too.
I always thought that if DS appeared to be cold, I'd see about getting him a wetsuit but he always seemed happy enough so I never bothered.

They were only in the pool 10 mins and the baby was happy. None of your business.